Hessonite (Gomed)

About this Hessonite (Gomed)

A single hessonite garnet of 6.00 carats, described by the supplier as Ceylon Hessonite, with an origin of Sri Lanka and a treatment of natural and untreated, both as described by the supplier. The listing describes its colour as honey-amber, the warm orange-brown typical of hessonite, which is a variety of the garnet species grossular. Under magnification hessonite often shows a swirled, slightly treacly texture that gemmologists describe as heat-wave effect. In Hindi and Jyotish it is called Gomed or Gomedak.

In Jyotish, hessonite is the gem of Rahu, the north node of the Moon. Rahu is a shadow planet: it has no physical body, and astrologers read it through the sign it occupies, the planets it joins and its dasha. Classical and later texts associate Rahu with foreign lands, the unconventional, obsession, illusion and sudden change. By tradition Gomed is set in silver or panchdhatu, worn on the middle finger, and first put on on a Saturday evening, often with a Rahu mantra.

You receive the loose stone; no setting is included. Hessonite is softer than sapphire and can chip on a hard knock, so a bezel setting that covers the edges is worth asking your jeweller about, and the stone is better suited to careful wear than to heavy manual work.

Node gemstones are approached with more caution than most in Jyotish, and many astrologers prefer mantra or charity for Rahu. Please have your chart read by an astrologer before you wear Gomed.

Astrological significance

Rahu has no house lordship of its own in most systems, so astrologers judge it by sign, house, conjunctions and the lord of the sign it occupies. Gomed is classically considered during a Rahu mahadasha or antardasha, or for a prominently placed Rahu, but node gemstones are approached with more caution than most, and some astrologers prefer other remedies. No ascendants are recorded for this listing; have your chart read before wearing it.

Care & first wear

Clean in lukewarm soapy water with a soft brush, rinse and dry. Avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaners and sudden temperature changes, which can stress the stone. Hessonite scratches more easily than sapphire or diamond, so store it in its own pouch and take a ring off for manual work.