A deep red or purple-red variety of garnet (iron aluminum silicate mineral) used as a gemstone and in industrial abrasives.
From medieval Latin 'almandina,' derived from Arabic 'al-qalqand' or possibly from the city of Almandal. The stone was named either for its origin or from a corrupted place name, showing how gems acquired medieval names.
Almandine garnets have been prized for 3,000+ years—Egyptian pharaohs wore them, medieval crusaders carried them as talismans, and today they're so durable they're used on sandpaper and cutting wheels!
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