Garnet (name) Garnet (name) Garnet is a name of Middle English origin, derived from the dark red gemstone, which was in turn named for the pomegranate that the garnet crystals resemble. The surname Garnett comes from an Old English occupational surname referring to a seller of hinges. It is both a surname and a given name. The name came into occasional use along with other gem names during the late Victorian era. Garnet was among the top 1,000 names for girls in the United States between 1884 and 1944. It was most popular in 1911, when it was the 376th most popular
Gemstone irradiation Gemstone irradiation The gemstone irradiation is a process in which a gemstone is artificially irradiated in order to enhance its optical properties. High levels of ionizing radiation can change the atomic structure of the gemstone's crystal lattice, which in turn alters the optical properties within it. As a result, the gemstone's color may be significantly altered or the visibility of its inclusions may be lessened. The process, widely practised in jewelry industry, is done in either a nuclear reactor for neutron bombardment, a particle accelerator for electron bombardment, or a gamma ray facility using the radioactive isotope cobalt-60. Irradiation has