Garnets are a form of silicate mineral that have a vitreous (glass-like) or resinous (amber-like) lustre.
The name garnet is derived from the 14th century English word ‘Gernet’ meaning dark red and the French word ‘grenate’ and Latin ‘granatus’, meaning grain and seed.
The term garnet is typically used to describe the red variety due to their visual similarity with the seeds of pomegranate fruit.