The Garnet Group consists of gemstones of similar chemical composition separated into Varieties within the group which are based on specific chemical elements. The Color Change Garnet beads have chemical properties of several garnet varieties so that when different parts of the garnet structure are seen the color shifts from green to blue, red to purple and brown to orange. The red of almandine-pyrope is the color most often encountered, but garnet also exists in various shades of green (grossularite, tsavorite), yellow (hessonite), orange (spessartite,hessonite) purple red (rhodolite) and fine earth-colored hues (grossularite, hessonite, tsavorite, spessartite ). The only color Garnet cannot offer is blue. Due to their high refractive index, Garnet`s offer great brilliance. Garnet means `the grainy one`, coming from the Latin `granum`, for grain. In the Middle Ages, the red garnet was also called the `carbuncle stone`. Noah, it is said, used a garnet lantern to help him steer his ark through the dark night. (red lights are known to keep the iris of the eye from expanding to light) Garnets are also found in jewelry from early Egyptian, Greek and Roman times. Garnets mostly come from African countries, but also from India, Russia and Central and South America. Garnet treatments are rare which along with their exceptional brilliance, their wide color range, their stability and their durability makes garnet unrivaled by most semi-precious gemstones. Clean Garnet bead strands with warm water and mild soap using a soft cloth then lay flat to dry.