There is a broad range of garnet gems for sale on 1stDibs. All of the items for sale were constructed with extraordinary care, often using
Gold,
18k Gold and
Yellow Gold. Our selection of items includes 118 vintage examples as well as 221 contemporary versions. Our inventory has long been popular, and it includes earlier versions that date to the 19th Century and newer variations that were made as recently as the 21st Century. Pieces in our collection of garnet gems made by
Artisan jewelers — as well as those associated with
Contemporary — are very popular. Versions of these items have been a part of the life’s work for many jewelers, but those produced by
Sarosi By Timeless Gems,
Merkaba and
Cartier are consistently popular. A selection of
oval cut,
round cut and
cushion cut can be found today on these pages. Most of our garnet gems for sale are for
women, but there are 129 pieces available to browse for
men.
Vintage and antique garnet jewelry has been around for a long time.
Garnets have been used for adornment going all the way back to the Bronze Age. While we will never know if garnets can be used to prevent plagues or heal warriors, as has been suggested, we do know that both the Egyptians and the Romans felt that it was a worthy stone to set in gold for their nobility. In more “recent” times, garnets were ubiquitous in Victorian jewelry. The “G” in REGARD rings, the equivalent of the modern-day engagement ring, implied garnet.
Garnets were also highly valued in the region of Bohemia. The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History has in its collection an antique hairpin with Bohemian pyrope garnets from the Czech Republic. Bohemian pyrope got its name from Bohuslav Balbín, sometimes referred to as the “Czech Pliny,” in 1679. Abundant in the region, it was used often in jewelry during this time. In fact, it became so popular that in 1762, Empress Marie Terezie forbade its export. Stonecutting workshops opened in several regions across Bohemia, and pyrope became the country’s mineralogical symbol. While there was never a decline in its popularity, it was only in the mid-20th century that garnets enjoyed a revival.
Garnets can come in many shapes and sizes — one of the largest ever discovered is a 68.82-carat Tsavorite garnet. This stone is also in the collection of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
According to the Gemological Institute of America, Brazil’s mines are rich in garnets, including spessartine, which can also be found in the Myanmar area, recognized for a specific shade of reddish-orange. While red garnets are the most popular, garnets actually come in a medley of colors.
Find a collection of antique and vintage garnet rings, necklaces and other jewelry today on 1stDibs.
