garnet

The "Seedy" Origins of Garnet

The deep-red color of this gemstone reminded the French of a red-skinned fruit. In early French the fruit was called pomme grenate, which means “seedy apple.” This later became pomegranate in English. The early French word grenate, meaning “seedy,” is the source of the adjective grenat, meaning “red like a pomegranate.” This word was then used as a noun to refer to the deep-red gemstone. When borrowed into English, grenat became garnet.