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In the ancient mines of Armenia, where the mountains were covered with dense forests and the air was filled with the aroma of mountain herbs, local residents have long found unusual red stones. They looked like the seeds of a ripe pomegranate, hence their name - garnet.
The first mentions of this stone are found in ancient cuneiform tablets of the Sumerians, who called it "the stone of the god of war." They believed that jewelry with garnet made warriors braver and protected them in battle.
Garnet was especially valued in the medieval Islamic world. Persian jewelers created amazing jewelry from it, inlaid weapons and luxury items. The treasuries of the sultans contained entire collections of garnets of different shades from soft pink and sunset to emerald green.
In Europe, garnet became popular thanks to the Crusaders, who brought it from the eastern campaigns. The stone quickly won the love of the nobility - it could be found in the crowns of monarchs, on the hilts of swords and in luxurious jewelry.
The real heyday of the garnet's popularity came during the Renaissance. Italian jewelry masters learned to process this stone so that it revealed all its facets and played with all the shades of red. Garnets decorated the clothes of cardinals, inlaid church utensils and created real works of art from them.
Today, garnet is mined in many countries of the world - from Africa to the Urals. Each stone is unique: some resemble a blazing fire, others - drops of morning dew on rose petals.
Garnet remains one of the most beautiful gemstones, continuing to inspire jewelers and connoisseurs of beauty around the world. Its history is one of human passions, travels and discoveries that continues today.
