Carbuncle (gemstone) used by the Greek to translate the Hebrew נֹפֶךְ ("nōphek") in two of its four occurrences in the Old Testament. The etymology of the Hebrew term is uncertain, though Koehler-Baumgartner suggests a connection to פּוּךְ ("phook"), used in the Old Testament as a term for eye makeup, and probably implying a colored powder most likely made from a crushed mineral. For נֹפֶךְ ("nōphek") itself they suggest the gloss "semi-precious stone" (of uncertain color). Carbuncle (gemstone) A carbuncle is any red gemstone, most often a red garnet. The word occurs in four places in many English translations of the Bible. The
Garnet, California Garnet, California Garnet is a census-designated place in Riverside County, California. Garnet sits at an elevation of . The 2010 United States census reported Garnet's population was 7,543. In 1875 Garnet was a railroad station for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Since then it has had various names: Palms (original name), Seven Palms (1889), Palm Springs (1900), Pierce (1906), Gray (1917), Noria (1918), and finally Garnet (1923). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 11.4 square miles (29.6 km²), 98.82% of it land and 1.18% of it water. The 2010 United States Census reported that