GARNETS are the birthstone for January, although that does not stop those of us with other birthdays from enjoying them. The Bohemian garnet is only found in Bohemia and was valued for it's beauty and supposed curative and uplifting effects. Garnet jewelry is varied in style and garnets themselves range from multi-faceted reflectors of rich deep reds to cabochons, juicy as pomegranate seeds. They also come in almost all colors except blue.

Garnets were mounted in low and higher karat yellow gold, gold plate and mixed metal settings and more recently in sterling. The history of garnet jewelry goes back hundreds of years and it is no wonder when you see how glorious they are. Bohemian garnet jewelry is known for it's encrusted close-set stones which are often rose cut and sometimes combined with larger cabochons and faceted stones. (Bohemia became Czechoslovakia after WWI.) Examples of the different varieties of garnets can be seen HERE.
 

VICTORIAN garnet cabochons brooch and earrings set in 14k yellow gold flowers and leaves, gilt backs, all in original box marked "John Young, late Turnbull & Young, goldsmith & watch maker, 1 & 3 Buchannan St., Glasgow", brooch 1-5/8" by 1-1/3", earrings body only 7/8" by 3/4", total drop 1-1/4".   View   View   View   View   View   View   #V34218

VICTORIAN 9ct yellow gold pendant with garnet cabochon, pearl starburst center, photo locket on the back, marked on the clasp "375, 15ct, Birmingham" and other illegible hallmarks, in a box marked "To His Majesty the King, Edward, diamond merchants, 92 Buchannan St, Glasgow", chain 16", pendant 1-1/3" with loop by 1" and chain, tests 14k.  View   View   View   View   View   View  View   #V34322

VICTORIAN Bohemian garnet brooch and earrings with rose cut garnets, original box fitted just for this set, brooch 1-1/8" by 1", earrings total length 1-1/4". The unusual original box adds to this lovely treasure.   View   View   #V34077

    VICTORIAN Bohemian garnet brooch star shaped, replacement pin back, 1-1/4".   View   #V28216   

VICTORIAN Bohemian garnet necklace, with both rose cut and faceted oval stones, a lovely combination, 18" with 2" front drop. Necklaces like this can be seen in the 1899 Benjamin Allen Company Catalogue. Bohemian garnet jewelry can be seen on page 88 of Romero's Warman's Jewelry, Ed. 3.   View   View   View   #V28221  

   VICTORIAN Bohemian garnet brooch, 3-tiered rose cuts with an oval cabochon center, 1-1/4".   View   #V28217

BOHEMIAN garnet round pierced earrings, rich deep wine red colored stones set in 10 karat yellow gold, 3/4".   View   #V34701

VICTORIAN Bohemian garnet silver gilt hinged bracelet with creamy satin lined box, all rose cut stones with rich red color, 6-3/4" by 7/8" at front and1/4" at back, safety chain.   View   View   View   View   #V34395

BOHEMIAN garnet ring in gilt setting, marked "800 KA" inside the band, wonderful color, size 8-1/2, 1" by 5/8" front.   View   #V34760  

BOHEMIAN garnet necklaces, bracelets, cross and hair pins shown in the 1899 Benjamin Allen Company Catalogue.

   BOHEMIAN garnets set in sterling gilt necklace with graduated floret links and front drops, garnet set box closure,  18-1/2" by 1-1/3". See a similar necklace in Romero's Warman's Jewelry Ed. 3 on page 88.  View   View   View   #V29371

 BOHEMIAN garnet goods shown in the 1899 Benjamin Allen Company Catalogue..

BOHEMIAN garnets in a 1" wide bow pin.   View   #V23372

   VICTORIAN 14k yellow gold knot brooch with garnets, hair compartment on back of lower dangle, 1-3/4" by 3". This is a lovely high-relief piece and a very unusual type of hair jewelry. The knot is a symbol for unending love. The center dangle has a fox tail end, and the overall design is detailed, three-dimensional and elegant. See Bell's "Collecting Victorian Jewelry" page 149.   View   View   View   #V30099

  BOHEMIAN garnet bow brooch, 1".   View   #V26941  

    VICTORIAN Bohemian garnet brooch, 3-tiered oval with cab top, 1-1/8".   View   #V28218

    VICTORIAN Bohemian garnet brooch, round with mark on pin stem, 1-1/4".   View   #V28219  

     VICTORIAN Bohemian garnet brooch, unusual square brooch, 1-1/2".   View   #V28220

VICTORIAN 9 carat yellow gold snake bracelet with red and green garnets set in embossed head. The bracelet has two hinged sections so it is easy to get on, and one has a replacement pin, repaired long ago in it's history. It comes in it's own fitted box, 6-1/3" and 1" wide at the front. The snake was a symbol of eternal love.    View   View   View    View   View  #V34762

 ENGLISH 9k yellow gold, flat cut garnet and seed pearls necklace with closed back settings, 16" necklace with 1-7/8" front drop. This has a lovely Georgian flavor but was made in the 20th century. It is marked "9kt" on the back of the clasp.  View   View   View   View   #V35003

GARNET 10k yellow gold and gypsy set garnet ring, marked "MST 37.5" and an unknown hallmark inside the band, size 8, 1/3" wide.    View    #G35255

  BOHEMIAN rose cut garnet starburst brooch, circa 1900, 1-1/3".   View   #Q27933

VICTORIAN yellow gold lover's knot brooch with Bohemian garnets and seed pearls, 2". A similar piece can be seen on page 82 of Bell's "Collecting Victorian Jewelry".    View   #V31467

VICTORIAN garnet bangle, 8-3/4" by 1/8" wide, a 2-3/4" circle.    #V31550

  VICTORIAN 15 carat yellow gold garnet cabochon poison ring with a hinged compartment, a large size 9-1/4, front 5/8" back band 1/8". The garnet cabochon was called a carbuncle in the 1800s, and the ring may have held a memorial piece and certainly not poison.   View   View   View   #V33365

BOHEMIAN garnet heart cabochon hinged bangle bracelet with safety chain, a lovely garnet heart cabochon surrounded by rose cut garnets all set in gold washed metal, 6-2/3" by 1" front and 3/8" band. Rich color and close-set stones typical of good Bohemian garnet jewelry.  View   #V33325

BOHEMIAN garnet star earrings, for pierced ears and with 14k backs and posts, 1/2" wide. Earrings like this can be seen in the 1892 RCF & Co. Catalogue and in the 1899 B. Allen Catalogue.     View   #V33255

VICTORIAN garnet superb hinged bangle set in 830-marked silver gilt with maker's mark "HE" on clasp, 7-1/4" with 1" front 1/3" back. One of the best garnet bracelets I have ever seen.    View   #V33549

14K BOHEMIAN garnet ring set in karat yellow gold, size 6 and 5/8" across the front in vintage ring box.  View   View   View   View   View   #G33668

VICTORIAN Bohemian garnet hinged bangle with starburst front, 7" with 3/4" front 3/16" back.   View   #V33548

VICTORIAN Bohemian garnet double-row hinged bangle with safety chain, 6-2/3" by 1/4". A similar bracelet can be seen in the 1889 SFM & Co. Catalogue.   #V31779

VICTORIAN 10k yellow gold with unusual hollow floral and scrolls etched links bracelet with garnet cabochon etched scrolls padlock, bracelet 7" by 5/8", padlock 1-1/2".   View   View   View   #V31568

   BOHEMIAN garnets set in 10k yellow gold pinkie ring, illegible hallmark inside, size 3-3/4.   View   #G31380

VICTORIAN garnet swirl brooch with flower sprig in the center, a dainty and lovely pin circa 1900, 2-1/8".   View   #V32288

VICTORIAN early 1800's 14k yellow gold, garnet and pearl lace pin with hair enclosure, 3/4" by 5/8".   View   #V32198

VICTORIAN Bohemian garnets brooch and earrings set, pin 1-1/3" by 1/2" deep, earrings 5/8". A catalogue page from E. V. Roddin, 1887 shows pieces of this garnet jewelry.  View   View   View  View   #V32435

    BOHEMIAN garnet dome brooch.   View  #V23834

BOHEMIAN rose cut garnets and garnet cabochon bar brooch, circa 1900, 2".   View   #Q27934      

    BOHEMIAN GARNETS brooch with a flip-up loop for a pendant, 1-5/8".  View   View    View   View   View   View  #V18669    

A catalogue page from E. V. Roddin, 1887
"Genuine Red Bohemian Garnets.
The material in which the above goods are mounted can not be called gold, but it is a very fine composition metal, particularly adapted in color to the settings, and made especially for the purpose of mounting Bohemian garnets."

   RING of Bohemian garnets in gilt setting, size 7-1/2.  View   View   #G29424

Bohemian Garnet Brooch. On page 3 of the EV Roddin 1887 catalogue, "GARNETS- There are two species of garnets- the Oriental and the Bohemian. The lustre and beauty of the Oriental Garnet places it far above the other in commercial value; the tint most esteemed is violet-red. It is composed of a double silicate of Lime and Alumina. They are found in Pegu, in Asia, Brazil and Ceylon. The Bohemian Garnet is composed of a double silicate of Alumina and Iron, and are found in great abundance in Bohemia, Saxony and other parts of Germany."

       GARNET cabochon pinky ring with embossed sides, circa 1890.   View   View  #G22930  

BOHEMIAN GARNETS set in sterling vermeil necklace, 18-1/2".   View   View   View   View   View   #V18979

BOHEMIAN Victorian garnets set in yellow gold ring circa 1900, size 9-1/2.  View   #G29438

VICTORIAN 9k rose gold and garnets snake ring, hallmarks inside of band, size 13, weight .16oz.   View   View  #V34624

VICTORIAN silver buckle bracelet with garnet cabochons, total 9" wearable 7-1/2" by 1-1/4" buckle and 3/4" band.   View   View   View   View   #V33616

BOHEMIAN garnet oval brooch, beautiful color, 1-1/2".   View   #Q34849

REFERENCES:
Warman's Jewelry by Christie Romero, Ed 3
EV Roddin, 1887-9
Daniel Low Catalogue, 1901
S.F. Myers Catalogues, 1885-1889
Benjamin Allen & Co., 1899
A.C. Becken Catalogue, 1902
National Czech & Slovak Museum
Garnets on Wikipedia