"Ancient Pendant - Conjoined Twin Birds - Southern Ukraine Region", 400 Romisch-Germanisch Museum, Cologne (Koln), Germany

Among the most popular stones was Almandine (often incorrectly called almandite), from the garnet Group. The name is from alabandicus, applied by Pliny the Elder to a stone popular in Alabanda, a town in Caria in Asia Minor. It may also be called "Ceylon-Ruby" or "Syrian garnet". The stone is from iron alumina producing a deep red color (purple). When cut with a convex face is then known as "carbuncle" (burning coal like or a skin boil due to a serious infection - anthrax) (anthracite is mineral or stone coal).