How do I care for my garnet jewellery?

Gemstones take centuries to emerge from the earth. But some can be ruined with just a few hours of exposure to sunlight, perfume or water. Here’s how to care for your garnet jewellery.

What is garnet?

Garnet is a silicate mineral, which means that it’s a crystal made of silica. It’s been used in jewellery since the dark ages, and its name is descriptive of its colour: it means ‘dark red’ in Middle English.

How hard is garnet?

The hardness of crystals and gemstones is ranked on what’s called a Mohs scale. A high rank on the Mohs scale means a gemstone or crystal is very hard. A low score means it is very soft, and could be damaged by light, scratches or water.

Garnet ranks between a 6.5 and 7.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness. That means garnet is fairly hard. Garnets have lots of potential for catching and reflecting light, which makes them beautiful stones to choose to wear as jewellery.

How do I care for my garnet jewellery?

With a moderate Mohs score, some care should be taken when you wear your garnet jewellery. But by and large, your stones should be safe when worn as a necklace of the kind we handcraft here at Cunningfolk. The stone is also unlikely to fade direct sunlight. Garnet can be gently washed in warm, soapy water.

But you will want to be mindful of the fastings, which are the bits and pieces that make the stones a complete piece of jewellery. Cunningfolk garnet jewellery is strung on 100% real silk. To preserve the silk, set your garnet jewellery aside when you shower or go swimming.

Many pieces of garnet jewellery will also use gold filled, gold plated or gold vermeil clasps. These can tarnish, so try to avoid showering or swimming with your garnet jewellery on.

Garnet jewellery from Cunningfolk can be washed in warm, soapy water, then rinsed and hung to dry. Check our blog for incense blends and rituals to recharge the magical properties of your gemstones.