Czech pomegranate belongs to Bohemian jewelry stones and is one of the most popular and most beautiful in the world. The origin of its name originates from the Latin word "granular" (Granum), which was invented by medieval alchemists. This type of pomegranate was proclaimed the Czech national stone and a symbol of the whole kingdom, thanks to the efforts of the founder of the national museum Fr. Zippa.
History of stones
Jewelery from Czech pomegranate began to be made by jewelers in the 10th century. Not only jewelry was created from it, but it was also used in magic and for healing, for which it was crushed and added to medicinal ointments. The first deposit was discovered on the banks of the Vltava. The increase in its production and mass processing occurred only at the beginning of the 17th century, during the reign of Emperor Rudolph the 2nd. It was during this period that there was an intensification of field development in the Czech Middle Mountains and the Podkrkonoše, since then the stone has been actively used to create beautiful pieces of art.
The name of the bright red mineral was given by the writer A. Magnus in the 13th century, who called it the “pomegranate apple”, drawing an analogy with this fruit.
Its correct name in mineralogy is “pyrops”, which means belonging to garnets of red tones. Translated from Greek, the words are translated as fire or light pyr and ops eye, that is, literally “fire eye”. For the first time this name was used by the physician Anselm Boethi de Booto, who served at the court of Emperor Rudolph (1576-1610 reign), in his book on precious stones.
Over time, jewelers began to use Czech garnet in combination with other stones, so from the 19th century. jewelry made of it became available not only to rich people, but also to ordinary citizens.
The production of pomegranate jewelry in the 19-20 centuries.
The popularity of Czech pyrope increased sharply after the Vienna Congress in 1815, which was attended by the Russian Empress, wearing a beautiful set of such stones. In the 19th century, interest in garnets caused the emergence of numerous workshops and the creation of a jewelry school in the city of Turnov in 1884. Jewelry created by local craftsmen was a great success in the Czech Republic and abroad and was shown at world exhibitions. They were exported to Russia, France, Italy, Spain and the countries of the East. According to historical data, Prince Rudolph of Habsburg presented a garnet necklace to his sister, ex-Duchess of Giselle.
The largest collection of antique Czech pomegranate items is collected at the Museum of the Applied and Decorative Museum of Prague and at the Moravian Gallery in Brno.
The cooperative enterprise Granat, which owns a trade name and a brand, was founded in 1953 in Turnov after the merger of small small firms. Now 260 jewelers and other employees work in it. The cooperative solely owns the right to extract pyrope in the country and the Czech Pomegranate trademark (Turnov).
Physical properties and description
Czech garnets are transparent gemstones of dark red color of small sizes: from 2 to 8 mm, large specimens are an exception. The most famous grenades, which are presented in the museums of Trebnitsa and Dresden, weigh 633 and 468 carats, but the largest stone of 700 carats discovered in the 17th century mysteriously disappeared and has not yet been found.
Czech pyropes are very hard, second only to diamonds in this indicator: on the Mohs scale of 7-7.5, their density is 3.65-3.8 g / cm 3 . Its color does not depend on heating, and the stone itself can withstand temperatures of + 1600 ° C. When exposed to sunlight, it flashes brightly with scarlet flowers. In terms of mineralogy, it is a magnesia-clay silicate that is resistant to alkaline conditions.
During processing, small stones are usually polished mechanically, and large stones are processed manually. The shape of the cut is star-shaped, less often round, rude or diamond.
Checking the stone for naturalness
Due to the presence of metallic components in this mineral, there is a simple way to verify its authenticity. You need to pour water into a shallow plate and put a piece of polystyrene foam, on top - a decoration from Czech pomegranate in silver or gold. If you bring a magnet to the foam, then the garnet product will be attracted to it. This means that it is natural. Indeed, the precious metals of the frame (gold and silver) do not have the property of magnetizing.
Another check may be a visual inspection of the pomegranate under the rays of light: natural stone is very shiny, its color is uniform.
The magical properties of stone
Grenades are rightly attributed to amazing and even mystical stones, about which whole legends and tales are composed. Medieval knights often decorated them with their weapons and armor, because it was believed that the stone adds valor and courage to their character, and also protects them from getting wounds.
Ornaments and pyropes themselves are often stored as family talismans, inheriting from one generation to the next. Moreover, the newly purchased stones acquire their magical properties only after a few years, gradually getting used to their new owner. Because of this, it is not recommended to buy antique grenades, which can have a negative effect after wearing by previous owners.
As a symbol of love, pomegranate jewelry is often presented to a beloved woman. The stone is also able to add optimism and vigor to its master, revealing his strengths and emotions and longings. Therefore, wearing calm pomegranates can have a negative effect on calm people.
Healing properties
The healing properties of pomegranate are a positive effect on memory, heart disease, its ability to relieve nervous tension and eliminate insomnia. These qualities were used by medieval healers, who advised using it to lower the body temperature (when putting the patient in the mouth). Pomegranate powder was used to treat nasopharyngeal diseases, burns and headaches.
In the Middle Ages, women often wore grenades as a talisman: he was considered a healer of wounds, able to help give birth to children, stimulate their energy and state of health. Such a talisman helped to avoid unhappiness, betrayal, black thoughts and real danger.
Interesting Facts
There is a lot of data not only about Czech pyrope, but also about other types of pomegranate, which everyone will be interested to know:
- such precious stones cannot be stolen, because they can transfer the negative energy of the previous owner and kill the new one;
- according to ancient legends, it was such a stone that illuminated the way of Noah's ark;
- in Persia, grenades were called "royal" and carved portraits of their rulers on them;
- in the era of feudalism in Europe, pomegranate was considered a symbol of love and bore the name of the “frozen flame of the human heart."
Industrial application
Pomegranate stones are used not only in jewelry. Durable grinding wheels and sanding tools, components of building cement are made from small pomegranate chips. Its ferromagnetic properties are used in the electronic and optical industries; lasers are made from it.
Pomegranate jewelry
Czech jewelry with garnet gained great popularity in the era of romanticism and are in demand today. The most common form of the product: a heart surrounded by small grains of stones. Moreover, in such products grenades of various shades and types are used that emphasize and emphasize the beauty of each other.
In modern jewelry stores you can see a wide range of products: Czech earrings with garnet, bracelets, necklaces and small pendants. They are performed in silver or gold. The largest necklace exhibited at the Prague Museum, it was donated by a famous composer to his wife.
All Czech garnet stones bear the factory mark in the form of the letters G or G1, which certifies their origin and quality.
Prices for products start from 150 euros (from 10,600 rubles), but there is an opportunity to purchase them at a discount. Cheaper jewelry is more likely to be fake.
In the Czech Republic, you can buy large garnet stones, however, they are of non-local origin. They are exported from Mongolia or Africa. Grenades of other colors are also found in the world: green, yellow, orange. Their deposits are located in Russia in the Urals, on the island of Madagascar.
Museums in Prague and Turnov
Geographically, the Czech Pomegranate Museum, which opened in 2009, is located in the Josefov quarter on ul. Panska, 6 and is called "Magic Garnet" (Magic Garnet). This street is located in the pedestrian zone. Here are all types of minerals that are part of the group of pomegranates. On the walls you can see old engravings demonstrating the stages and mechanisms of stone extraction, as well as products of the 19th century, made by old masters.
The most beautiful is the collection of jewelry brought from the museum in Trebonica, which includes household items and beautiful Czech silver jewelry with garnet and a gold frame, which were dressed by the famous noble persons of Europe.
Those who want to do their own search for precious stones can try their hand at a special sandbox stand, where among the various mixtures you can find “surprises” buried in advance. Every tourist who visited the Museum of Pomegranate in the Czech Republic receives a small pebble as a gift.
Museum opening hours: on weekdays from 10.00 to 19.00, on weekends 11.00-18.00, ticket price 80 CZK.
There is a shop at the museum that sells finished products from Czech pyrope. Modern pendants and rings are decorated by designers and inserted into frames of silver and gold, certificates are attached to them.
In Turnov, Czech garnet is represented at the Center for the Cooperative of Applied Arts, which is organized specifically for visitors. Here is a retrospective exposition telling about the process of mining, grinding and making jewelry. The stands show old and modern product designs. There is a shop selling jewelry made from this beautiful semiprecious stone.
Where can I buy Czech pyrope?
It is not recommended to buy Czech gems in the markets of Czech cities or from private individuals, as one can easily make mistakes and run into deceit. Czech television recently decided to check the naturalness of garnet stones and jewelry, for which journalists and experts visited retail outlets in the central part of Prague and bought products for which certificates were even presented. A subsequent assessment by gemologists revealed that all the stones are fake: either glass or replaced with rhodonites (cheaper garnets).
Therefore, it is recommended to buy Czech grenades in Prague only in the Turnov chain of stores. They have a signboard Granat and are located on the street. Dlouha, 28; and Panska, 1.
In Russia, you can buy products from Czech garnets in St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg), where there is a specialized jewelry salon. It is located on the street. Marata 22. Collection jewelery made by Czech craftsmen is presented here.
Tips for Buying Pomegranates in the Czech Republic
In order to purchase Czech garnet jewelry in Prague in silver or gold, you need to know some of the features of such a natural stone:
- the color of the original pyrope is burgundy, the shape resembles pomegranate seeds;
- the size of the stones in jewelry is 3-5 mm, and with large numbers, most likely, they are fake;
- the seller must present a certificate for a natural gem printed on pink paper;
- visually, you can count the number of faces on the grenade being inspected: fake ones have only 12, and the real ones have 56. You can distinguish this difference with an external examination.
Czech pomegranate is one of the most beautiful and rare minerals in the world. Products from it are inferior in price to expensive jewelry made of precious stones, so it is considered a great success to buy real pyropes in the Czech Republic, because they will bring luck and love to their owner.