Garnets are silicate minerals which occur in all colors except blue.
The crystals can be found embedded and growing on the surface of gneiss, micaschists, eclogite, in calcareous and dolomitic metamorphic rocks, and frequently in sands. Garnets are rare in igneous rocks. Garnets are used as grinding and polishing agents as well as for gemstones. Almondine garnets are brown, red to violet, or black. Almondine is also known as carbuncle.