Dyed Garnets

Hi there. I recently bought a string of garnet beads from a seller on ebay.
I liked them, I started wearing them. I had some dental surgery done at about this time, and developed hives, swelling and a rash on my face and neck. I thought it was due to the dental surgery, a reaction to the injections maybe.

Because I had a red sunburn looking face, I thought it just doesn’t make sense to wear a string of garnet beads around my neck adding more red to this already inflamed situation. So I took them off and put them aside for a fortnight while I healed up.

I’ve been wearing them again for about 2 days, and tonight I was amazed to see hives and swelling coming up on my face again. I’m starting to suspect that the garnets are dyed and I’m reacting to the dye. Do you think this could be what’s happening? I thought the garnets were heat treated to bring out their maximum colour.

• Have you tried washing them in water? That is how I always test to see if one of my stones have been dyed. Just wash with soap and water then put on a paper towel. If your paper towel has any kind of tint to it, they have been ”color enhanced”. If not could it be the clasp or stringing wire? I know I will break out when the silver/gold plating wears off of certain metals.

• Thanks for your response. When I first got them I washed them, but never noticed any dye coming off them at all. I will do as you say, and leave them to dry on paper towel and see if I can detect any residue.

The only other thought I had, is that if the stones have been heat treated, maybe the energy of the red garnet stone itself is a bit too strong to wear next to my blue throat chakra. LoL.

• Then there is the possibility of very negative energy on the garnets. Or the garnets were once stolen. I would soak the garnets in a jar of Holy water for 3 days.  Garnets are as expensive as quartz points. Very few people would enhance quartz points to make them look better.

• It could have been from where the stones came from. I get items from the Tucson Gem and Mineral show and also direct shipments from China and India. Nasty, Really Nasty. If the person selling them did not practice proper hygiene and you didn’t wipe it down with a disinfectant pad before you started wearing it - you may have their heebie jeebies on you and around your neck.

• Hahaha. Oh god. The heebie jeebies around my neck! Lol.

I washed them under running water when I first got them, dried them, never noticed any dyes, and spiritually cleansed them well.

Does anyone know for sure whether garnet beads would be heat treated or dyed? Which is the most common?

I suppose either way, to be safe I’ll have to try a few different things. Maybe it’s got nothing to do with the garnets? Maybe I’m just having some allergic reaction that has nothing to do with them. Hmmm. I might try some dowsing on this.

Thanks for all your scary responses! Hahaha!

• Garnets are dyed to enhance appearance. The dye is oil based, and heat is used in the dying operation, however not high heat. If they are dyed, you will see that the string they are on is dyed too. Ammonia will remove the dye.

• Melody, Are you sure they are garnet?

No-one in their right mind would dye garnets. There is no point and nothing to gain.

• Actually they can heat treat garnets to give them a deeper ruby-like color. Too bad though, I agree with you Gerry… they are great without… and oftentimes will be just transulscent enough on an end to see the color brilliance without even polishing. But I have never heard of dying.. just recently heat treated.

• No, I think they’ve been heat treated to intensify their colour. I should have done an update, Sorry. I had some dental surgery, and I believe now my symptoms, were an allergic reaction to the preservative in the dental injections. It’s only thing that would explain the 5 stage rash I went through 3 times, with aching muscles, as I detoxed for weeks and weeks, It wasn’t the garnets. They didn’t feel greasy, or have any residue when washed, no colour came out on tissue. I was looking for explanations, and the rash coincided with me wearing the garnets. But it wasn’t the garnets… They may have been heat treated, it would explain their deep uniform color, but, the rash was due to the preservative in the dental injections.

Thanks.