January Birthstone: Garnet
Birthstones corresponding to a person’s birth month has both modern and historical ties. Historically twelve gemstones tied in with biblical times and in the 1st and 5th centuries they were linked to the zodiac. Modern associations with birth stones came about between the 16th and 18th centuries. A list of “traditional” birthstones originated in Poland during this time. In the United States the National Association of Jewelers released a list of “modern” birthstones in 1912. The lists differ somewhat with traditional birthstones including a mix of transparent and opaque gemstones while the modern list only includes transparent gems. For the first birthstone of the year however, both lists have garnet as the representative for January.
Diversity of Colors
While a deep red is the variety of garnet most people are familiar with, garnets actually appear in a diverse range of colors including orange, yellow, dark pink, purple and several shades of green. There are even garnets that change color from blue to purple in different lighting. Garnets can also range in appearance from completely opaque to transparent.
Garnet is actually a group of several minerals: pyrope, almandine, spessartine, grossular and andradite.
Pyrope – range from purple, red to dark pink.
Almandine – range from deep red to brownish red, purple and black
Spessartine – mostly found in shades of orange and yellow
Grossular – widest range including colorless, through yellow to reddish orange and orange-hued red, as well as a strong vibrant green called tsavorite
Andradite – can be red, yellow, brown, and green
History / Folklore
This birthstone for January has a long and storied history with folklore stemming from a diverse range of cultures and time periods. The word garnet originates from the Latin word granatus, meaning “seeds,” likely due to its resemblance to pomegranate seeds. In early French, grenat was used as a noun to refer to the deep-red gemstone. Then, when borrowed into English, grenat became “garnet.”
Garnets were discovered in the Bronze Age and have been used in jewelry since ancient Egypt making them one of the oldest known gemstones. In the Middle Ages, deep red garnet jewelry was a favorite of nobility and clergy. The blood-red gemstone varieties were also particularly popular in the Victorian era.
The Smithsonian’s antique pyrope hair comb is one of the most famous pieces of garnet jewelry, fashioned during the Victorian era (1837–1901). Pyrope is from the Greek pyrōpos, which means “fiery-eyed”. The pyrope garnets incorporated into this stunning comb, including a large rose-cut garnet at the crest came from the historic mines in Bohemia.
In many cultures garnet was viewed as a symbol of love and friendship as well as a way to promote protection and healing. Native American healers believed garnets possessed the ability to protect against injury and poison while ancient Egyptians thought it could cure depression. Romans used the stones as talisman going into battle or making dangerous journeys. According to ancient Indian astrology, the garnet is believed to eliminate negative feelings and instead instill self-confidence and promote clarity of the mind and creative thinking. Modern symbolism suggests trust, loyalty of the heart and success in business.
Where are garnets found?
While garnets used to predominately come from Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic), current garnets mostly are sourced from various regions of Africa. Namibia produces demantoids and most of the rare green tsavorites come from Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar. Namibia and Tanzania also produce spessartine orange and yellow garnets. Some other countries where garnets can be found are Brazil, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and portions of the United States.