Spessartite garnet belongs to the large and varied mineral group of garnet. The fiery sunny-orange stone is growing in demand for its very good hardness (7.5 on the Mohs scale) and its brilliance due to its high refractive index. Spessartite garnet is commonly cut either in facets or en cabochon and makes an interesting and colorful piece of jewelry.
Until the recent discovery of a mine in Namibia, spessartite garnet was rarely seen in jewelry. Its name is derived from former occurrences in the German "Spessart" forest. In the past, garnets were exchanged between friends to symbolize their affection, and to ensure they meet again.