Garnet Is The Birthstone For January But There’s No Need To Settle For Traditional Red
Garnet was named by the ancient Greeks because its traditional red color reminded them of the “granatum,” or pomegranate seed. Noah used its inner fire as a lamp on his bow as he cast about on the ocean. Garnet’s roots trace back to the Nile Delta in 3100 B.C., where Egyptian artisans would craft it into beads or inlay it into hand-wrought jewelry.
Most people are surprised to learn that garnet is not actually a gem species, but rather a group of gem species. While garnets share essentially the same crystal structure, their chemical compositions vary slightly.
Traditionally red garnet is the birthstone for the month of January, however, red need not be your color of choice if you are born in this month. Did you know garnets also come in a variety of rich orange and golden hues, striking greens, petal soft colors of violet and lavender?
Gemstones in the garnet group create a virtual rainbow of colors, from the deep red Bohemian Garnet to the vibrant greens of the Russian demantoid and African tsavorite. The oranges and browns of spessartite and hessonite hail from Namibia and Sri Lanka and the subtle pinks and purples of the rhododendron flower, are also yours to explore.
My personal favorite is the brilliant green tsavorite garnet, which makes a fabulous compliment to so many other gemstones, such as tanzanite and amethyst.
Much of this information is provided by the American Gem Trade Association. For more information about gemstones or the AGTA please visit www.agta.org
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