ANYONE WHO LOVES what is pure and natural and the warm, sun-drenched colors of late summer would, I expect, love me. But that apparently didn’t include the austere A.H. Church, one of the fathers of modern gemology, who gave me my name, derived from the Greek word for “inferior” due to my lower hardness and density compared to my garnet relatives. For a long time, my often plentiful inclusions discouraged my use in jewelry, but as designers have chased a more organic look in recent years I have found some affection at long last. So, hold me up to the light the way you would a fine glass of scotch, admire the shimmering waves within, and think kind thoughts of life’s underappreciated wonders.
Who am I?
