Garnets were used in burial jewelry and carved signet rings to proclaim royalty during the Bronze Age (300 BC). Garnets were one of the most popular gemstones of the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons, as revealed in the stunning jewelry and sword fittings in the Staffordshire Hoard, because they believed the blood-red stone improved their fighting prowess.
In the middle ages, one of the garnet properties was commonly believed to be protection from poison. Royals would often drop a garnet gemstone into a glass of wine to ensure the drink was safe. Garnets were also worn by the crusaders as an aid to safely find their way home. Eastern European folktales speak of garnets being worn around the neck to guard against night-wandering vampires. And in Victorian times, the gem was used in engagement rings and other women's jewelry, to mark fidelity in love.
7.5"
Lobster Claw Clasp