[Rock Type] Garnet [Description] 
Most Piedmont garnets are a dark-red, iron-rich variety called almandine. They usually occur as 12-sided crystals that vary in size from crystals so small they can be seen only under a microscope to crystals of an inch or more across. Garnets are considered semi-precious stones, but in the highly deformed rocks of the Piedmont they are usually fractured and not suitable for jewelery. Garnet is also used as an abrasive.