January Babies start your New Year with the colorful garnet gemstone! Not only is it the birthstone for January, it is also the gemstone to celebrate your 2nd wedding anniversary.
Wearing garnet is said to grant the wearer eternal happiness, good health, and fortune. It has been referred to as the "Gem of Faith" because some people thought that wearing it and doing good would bring more good their way.
On the other hand, some folks had the opinion that wearing garnet while engaging in bad deeds would bring about terrible luck.
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Garnet was also referred to as the "Stone of Health." Some believed that garnet could cleanse the blood and essential organs while clearing negative energy from the chakras. Warriors using it as a talisman for protection and those hoping to fend off illnesses were both doing so. In order to promote its healing properties, some ancient healers even inserted garnets into wounds.
Due to the resemblance of the red color to pomegranates, the term "garnet" is derived from the medieval Latin granatus, which means "pomegranate." Since the Bronze Age, garnets have been utilized as abrasives and jewels.
14K Rose Gold Garnet ring with diamond halo available at Morris Jewelry.
Garnet mineral (left) and pomegranate (right) Courtesy of google creative commons license.
Garnet mineral (left) and pomegranate (right) Courtesy of google creative commons license.
The ancient Egyptian pharaohs were decked with crimson garnet-studded necklaces and rings similar to the one shown below.
Egyptian gold serpent ring with garnet ~ Roman Period ~ 30 BC-323 AD. Courtesy of google creative commons license.
Ancient Roman signet rings contained garnet intaglios for stamping wax seals on important documents. Red garnets were favored in the Middle Ages by the clergy and nobility.
Ancient Roman Gold Intaglio Signet Ring with Sol Invictus. Courtesy of google creative commons license.
One of the most well-known examples of garnet jewelry is the old pyrope hair comb housed in the Smithsonian (pyrope is derived from the Greek word pyrpos, which means "fiery-eyed"). The crest is topped with a large rose-cut garnet that looks like a queen serenely observing her court. The historical Bohemian mines in Bohemia—which is now a part of the Czech Republic—provided the pyrope garnets that adorn this tiara-like jewel. These deep red beauties were very fashionable during the Victorian era (1837–1901), when this piece was created.
Victorian mourning brooch containing the hair of a deceased loved one. Courtesy of google creative commons license.
Did you know that the garnet mineral family includes a variety of hues, from vivid green of tsavorites to the deep red of pyrope garnet? Uncommon garnets can be blue, colorless, or—most incredibly rare of all— depending on the light will change color. The most popular garnet hue, however, is a stunning variety of reds, from rust to deep violet-red.
Image sourced from GIA.Several minerals make up the garnet mineral group. Five of these are significant as gems: pyrope, almandine, spessartine, grossular, and andradite. Almandine and pyrope range in color from purple to crimson.
Pyrope (left) and Almandine (right) minerals. Courtesy of google creative commons license.
Spessartine is a vibrant orange and yellow mineral, whereas and radite is mostly a yellow to green mineral (the gem variety demantoid).
Spessartine mineral (left) and Andradite mineral (right) Courtesy of google creative commons license.
14K Yellow Natural Orange Garnet Bee Necklace Center. Pendant available through Morris Jewelry.
The color spectrum of Grossular, which ranges from colorless to yellow to reddish-orange and orangy red, as well as a potent vivid green is known as tsavorite, maybe the broadest.
Grossular mineral (left) and Tsavorite (right). Courtesy of google creative commons license.
Garnet can be found in Wyoming, the Czech Republic, Greece, Russia, Tanzania, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and India. Mandarin garnets, often referred to as Mandarin spessartite garnets, are said to be the most valuable and uncommon garnet gemstones.
14K Yellow 14 mm Natural Tsavorite Garnet Hoop Earrings available at Morris Jewelry.
With a Mohs hardness range between 6.5 and 7.5, this indicates that compared to rubies, sapphires, and diamonds, this birthstone is more prone to damage. Although not all garnets are suitable for everyday use, they are perfect for pendants, brooches, and earrings. Think about how you want to keep your garnet jewelry. It can be scratched if you allow it to touch against tougher gems, such as sapphires, diamonds, and rubies. Garnet can also scratch softer gems like opals or pearls.
To properly care for your garnet jewelry you should polish the garnet before cleaning with a microfiber cloth or other soft cloth, wash in warm, sudsy water, and gently scrub with a soft-bristle toothbrush then dry with a soft cloth. Avoid using hard bristle toothbrushes to clean your garnet. Don’t steam clean, or use an ultrasonic cleaning machine. Don’t use toothpaste, salt, bleach, or any other chemical to clean your garnet.