A blend of two parts Pyrope to one part Almandine, this rare Garnet is found in many wonderful shades of pink, red and occasionally lavender.
Named after the Greek “rhod” and “lithos”, which together translate as ‘‘rose stone’’, this name was first used to describe a pink coloured Garnet from North Carolina, USA.
Rhodolite Garnet tends to be lighter in colour than most other red Garnets and has even been confused with Ruby due to their similarity. Rhodolite Garnet is also highly refractive which leads to its stunning brilliance.
As the gem is a fairly new member of the Garnet family, it does not have a lot of legends and folklore attached to it in its own right. That said, due to its similarity in colour to several other members of its family, it is believed that Indian tribes used the gem to enhance the potency of fire and placed it next to those who were sick in order to aid recovery.
