BIRTHSTONES
JANUARY BIRTHSTONE: GARNET
Rose gold Square Pendant with garnet star
The month of January traditionally marks a time for new beginnings. At its most basic, it marks another year where the Earth has circled around the Sun. However, many look at January more intuitively and emotionally and for those born in January (Happy Birthday!), you may find that your birthstone, the garnet, reveals insights into your personality; there is a hardiness, sensuality, work ethic and sense of luxury to both this stone and to those born in January.
A symbol of guidance, peace, trust and deep friendship, garnets rank 6.5 - 7.5 on the Mohs scale (a scale of hardness based on the ability of one mineral to scratch another). Here are our favourite 5 facts about garnets:
- The Garnet crystal meaning is rooted in ancient history and comes from the Latin word ‘granatum’, meaning pomegranate, a reference to its intense red colour that resembles the glistening, deep red seeds of the fruit.
- According to Indian astrology, a garnet will help eliminate feelings of depression and instil greater self-confidence and mental clarity, promoting creative thinking and peace of mind. In ancient and medieval times, garnets were also through to be remedies for inflammatory diseases and soothe an angry heart.
- In 3800 BC, a stylish red garnet bead necklace was found in an Egyptian grave more than 5,000 years old. It is believed that red garnet necklaces adorned the necks of Egyptian pharaohs and were entombed with their mummified corpses as prized possessions for the afterlife.
- A garnet is also the gemstone for a second wedding anniversary.
- Red garnets are perhaps the most famously known but today, garnets can be found in greens, oranges, pinkish oranges, deeply saturated purplish reds and even some blues. However, a red garnet still remains one of the most common and widespread of gems found in metamorphic rocks (rocks altered by heat and pressure) across the globe.
Moon and Star Oval Signet Ring with garnet moon and diamond star
White gold Tiny Signet Ring featuring a flush-set garnet
Did you know? You can personalise many of our pieces with your choice of stone, including garnet. Shop and customise your piece here or contact us to talk about incorporating garnet into your unique, handmade heirloom.
