Garnet gemstones most commonly occur with reddish color, which explains their historical name. The name "garnet" comes from the Medieval Latin word, 'granatum', which is an adjective meaning "dark-red". It is thought that 'granatum' was derived from the word 'pomegranate', due to the color of pomegranate seed coats, as well as the overall shape of pomegranate seeds. Another theory is that the word may have come from the Medieval Latin word 'granum', which refers to 'red dye'. Contrary to its name, garnet actually can be found in a variety of colors other than red. Garnet gemstones are available under a variety of trade names; many garnet gems are mixed garnet species such as hessonite, while others are single species garnets such as almandine or pyrope. Almost all garnet gems will contain some traces of another garnet species, as pure single species garnet are comparable to finding a sapphire or ruby without any inclusions or impurities such as rutile (silk).
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