A soft, shiny, yellow metal which occurs as nuggets or grains. 100% pure gold is too soft to be practical for use in jewellery so other metals (alloys) are added to make it harder wearing. 

Sometimes these will maintain the yellow colour but they can also be used to change the colour of the gold, for example copper is added to make rose gold. 

We use 18ct yellow, white and rose gold in our pieces which is the usual standard for fine jewellery, it is hallmarked with ‘750’, meaning that 75% is gold and 25% is a combination of other alloys. 

Gold is a highly malleable metal, 1 gram can be beaten into a sheet large enough to cover 1 square meter and it does not oxidize in air or water, making it ideal for use in jewellery.

Theo Fennell has an ongoing collaboration with Gemfields, the world’s leading coloured  gemstone producer.  Both the design and quality of raw materials is fundamental to the creative process and finished pieces. 

By collaborating with Gemfields, Theo Fennell is able to access a consistent supply of rare coloured gemstones, and is able to partner with a company that, in addition to making every step of the process ethical and transparent, is committed to protecting the surrounding local communities and the natural landscape from which the gems are sourced.

At Theo Fennell we use many of these beautiful stones including Spessartine which is a deep fiery reddish-orange in colour and Tsavorite which is a rich grass green. The name ‘Garnet’ is derived from the Latin ‘granatum’ meaning pomegranate as the small red crystals of the variety Almandine were thought to resemble pomegranate seeds. 

Garnet has long symbolised the bringing of light into darkness. For example, the Vikings were buried with garnet jewellery to help light the way to Valhalla and Noah is said to have used a beautiful cut gem on the ark to light his way through the dark and stormy nights.

Description: Garnets are a large family of gemstones and whilst typically thought of as being red, actually have a broad spectrum of colour and price. They are found all over the world, including Great Britain.

Hardness: 7.5 – 8.5 on Mohs Scale

Birthstone: January