Natural irregular red garnet bracelet, stainless steel, 15.5+3.5 cm

The red of garnet has something warm about it, especially as the days grow shorter. This bracelet pairs it with stainless steel, featuring an irregular natural garnet.

It measures 15.5 cm, plus a 3.5 cm extension, and closes with a spring ring clasp. The 3 mm garnet stays slim and light: wear it alone to let its color speak.

Garnet is not a single stone but a family of minerals, which form mainly in rocks transformed by the heat and pressure of the depths. Its name comes from the Latin granatum, the pomegranate: its small red crystals recall the seeds of the fruit. Most often deep red to reddish brown, it also exists in orange, green or purple. Worn since Antiquity, it adorned the necklaces of the pharaohs, and the Romans engraved it into signet stones to seal their documents; then came the cloisonné gold ornaments of the early Middle Ages and, in the 19th century, Bohemian garnets, which made the jewelry of Central Europe famous.

The stone in your jewelry comes from Brazil.

In lithotherapy, garnet is a stone of energy and courage. It is credited with a strength that may help regain self-confidence, overcome obstacles and rediscover the joy of living. A stone of grounding and protection, it may also help keep negative thoughts at bay, and it is readily associated with love and passion. Tradition links it to the Root Chakra, to the signs of Aries, Capricorn and Leo, and makes it the birthstone for January. These virtues belong to the beliefs of lithotherapy, without scientific proof, and are in no way a substitute for medical advice. Garnet is worn first and foremost for its warm hues, from deep red, the best known, to orange, green or purple.

Stainless steel owes its resistance to corrosion to the chromium it contains. Wash your jewelry in lukewarm, soapy water with a soft cloth, then dry it. After contact with seawater or chlorinated water, rinse it in clean water. Avoid abrasive products and chlorinated household products, which can damage its surface.

Garnet is a fairly hard stone that copes well with everyday wear. It can, however, chip under a sharp knock, and sudden changes in temperature do not suit it. Store your jewelry separately so that it does not rub against other stones, and take it off for manual work. To clean it, gently scrub the stone with a small soft brush and lukewarm, soapy water, rinse, then dry it with a soft cloth to avoid limescale marks. Avoid steam. In lithotherapy, it is purified under running water or with white sage smoke, and recharged for a few hours in the sun, placed on a quartz cluster, an amethyst geode or a flower of life.

Each piece of jewelry comes with its certificate of authenticity. Stainless steel does not darken and can handle contact with water: a piece of jewelry that goes everywhere with you, compliant with the European REACH regulations on nickel, lead and cadmium. As steel is not a precious metal, it does not bear a fineness hallmark, in accordance with standard practice.

For you if you like dark reds and jewelry with character, or for a warm, adjustable gift. Stainless steel is hypoallergenic and complies with REACH regulations: it suits most sensitive skin.