Chunks, flakes, and a broken bead from the "mother" bead site, Arikamedu, India. Most garnets there are quite pure almandine. The two pieces on the bottom are hessonite, which could have come from Sri Lanka or Vietnam.

The famous garnet in Europe was the brilliant red pyrope from Bohemia. The pin is an example of their jewelry. To prevent Venetian competition the Bohemians found a way to color glass read using gold. The beads on the outside are glass, but faceted by hand to make them appear more real.

Once the red glass was established, the Bohemians learned to use it for many beads. This one was made in a tong mold and cut both on the edge of a thin wheel and on the flat side of the wheel.

Garnets? Maybe. These gemstone beads from Iran might also be spinels or zircons. All three minerals have overlapping colors and hardnesses. Only laboratory tests can separate them.

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