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garnet - it's a family affair
Ancient garnets are nearly all of the red variety (almandine, pyrope and almandine/pyrope). This is because reddish garnets are among the most common gems on earth, and because most other varieties of garnet have only been discovered relatively recently -- within the last 400 years.
Many of the names of gems including those in the garnet family evolved from Greek taxonomy. The suffix -lite at the end of gem names such as tsavorite is derived from the Greek litho, meaning "stone."
The palace of the mythical king, Prester John, medieval ruler of Abyssinia, was thought to have a room lighted by the glow of a garnet as well as windows of crystal and tables of gold and amethyst.
Archeologists have found evidence of red garnets in the New World among artifacts of the Saladoid culture in both Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands which also include amethyst, crystal quartz, lapis lazuli, turquoise and other exotic materials.
For Christians, the red garnet is said to symbolize Christ's blood, while for Muslims, garnets illuminate the fourth heaven.
 common but coveted

garnet intaglio ring, bactrian (afghanistan), 300-400 ad

Archeological evidence indicates that garnets were used by many ancient peoples including the Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans, as well as later peoples such as the Celts, Saxons, Franks, and Normans.
Most often they were used in a protectionary capacity, decorating amulets and talismans of travelers as it was believed that garnets "illuminated the night," keeping the traveler safe from real or imagined horrors. Interestingly, today we know that the proverbial luminosity of garnet is caused by its high refraction of light.
the garnet and the great flood
According to Jewish Talmudic mythology, when God's wrath clouded the earth with thunderous storms and endless rain during the Great Flood, a radiant red garnet guided the way for Noah, ultimately leading his ark to salvation.
In addition to its role as a prized gem, in modern times, garnet has served an important industrial function. According to the USGS (United States Gemnological Survey) website,

"The use of garnets as a gem or gemstone can be traced to prehistoric times. However, the first industrial use of garnet appears to have been as coated sandpaper manufactured in the United States by Henry Hudson Barton (founder of Barton Mines Corp.) in 1878.

"Its use has grown from that single sample of garnet coated sandpaper, to world industrial uses of more than 110,000 tons per year. In 1994, United States production of industrial garnet was valued at about $14 million, while gem garnet production was valued at only about $233,000.

silver gilt disc brooch, anglo-saxon, mid-late 6th century ad
the british museum

Until very recently, garnet was considered to be a precious stone along with several others now considered to be semi-precious such as aventurine, agate, turquoise and lapis.
It was only in the twentieth century that stones were classified into standardized categories such as precious, semiprecious, and ornamental -- with garnet being re-classified as semi-precious.
Also known as granade and granada , the Moors brought the pomegranate to Spain around 800 AD. Granada was named for the pomegranate, which became their national emblem.
The French named their hand-tossed explosive -- a grenade -- after the seed-scattering properties of the pomegranate.
Linked with fertility since ancient times (because of its numerous seeds and red color associated with menstruation), the pomegranate (which originated in Persia) appears in the folklore of ancient Egypt -- where it was used in burial -- as well as the myth of Persephone, Demeter and the cycle of the seasons in Greek mythology.
seed of the pomegrante

In myth and legend, garnet is often associated with one of the oldest fruits known to man -- the pomegranate. The names of both stem from the Latin granatus, meaning "seed."
hades and persephone
At the time the world was divided among Hades and his brothers, Hades became lord of the dead and ruler of the nether world, while his youngest brother Zeus took dominion over the upper world and his middle brother, Poseidon gained dominion over the seas.

Hades' niece, Persephone, daughter of Hades' sister, Demeter, and his brother, Zeus, was such a beautiful girl that everyone loved her -- including Hades. Seeing her collect flowers one day, he caused the earth to open up where she walked. Springing from inside his underworld kingdom, he abducted her, taking her down to his realm of the dead. Only Zeus witnessed the kidnapping.

Heartbroken and distraught, Persephone's mother Demeter, goddess of the harvest -- responsible for teaching mankind the art of sowing and plowing -- wandered the earth in search of her daughter. Neglecting her duties, all fertility on earth stopped.

Zeus, who had witnessed the abduction of his daughter ordered Hades to release Persephone back into the care of her mother. Hades grudgingly agreed, but before letting her return he gave her a pomegranate (a common fertility symbol). A trick, when she ate it, it bound her to the underworld forever; from that time on, she had to stay there one-third of the year (which is when the earth is barren as Demeter searches for her).