Color : Garnet occurs in every color except for blue (Red, reddish-brown, brown, green, yellow, orange, pink, purplish-red, white, etc.)
Hardness : 6½ - 8½

Due to the great color variations of garnet, many other gemstones may be confused with it. Garnets are often thought of as dark red gems. Garnets, however, have a great color variation, and gems of all colors (except blue) are cut from them. Garnets do possess high indices of refraction, are hard enough (except for demantoid garnet), have pretty colors, are wonderfully transparent, lack cleavage and are durable; thus making good candidates for gemstones. Garnets come from different parts of the world.

Here are some most popular colors and their origins:

Rhodolite garnet: Ranges from pink to purplish red in color. Mined in Africa, India, and Sri Lanka.

Tsavorite garnet: Bright yellow green to grass green. Mined in Tanzania and Kenya. Demantoid garnet (extremely rare today): Bright green with dazzling brilliance. Mined in Russia.

Malaya garnet: Ranges from orange to gold in color. Mined in Tanzania and Kenya. Pyrope garnet: Very saturated red. Mined in Arizona.