Pyrope Garnet Pyrope comes from a Greek word meaning “fire like.” The common dark red garnets are a mixture of pyrope and almandine.

One popular garnet is chrome pyrope, whose color rivals ruby. These are found in Arizona, where ants bring them to the surface. Hence, they are dubbed, “ant hill garnets.” While their color is superb, they are very dark in tone. Gems are rarely faceted in sizes over one carat because of this.