January Birthstone - Garnet

January Birthstone - Garnet

Clarity Blog

Did you Know...

January's birthstone is Garnet!

The word “garnet” comes from the 14th century Middle English word gernet, meaning “dark red.” The garnet is a very durable gemstone and it is found all over the world, including Wyoming, Czech Republic, Greece, Russia, Tanzania, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and India.

Garnets come in a rainbow of colors, from the deep red to vibrant green. Some rare garnets are even blue, colorless, or—most rare of all—change colors in different lights. But the most common garnet color is a beautiful range of reds, from rust colored to deep violet-red.

Red and brown garnets are usually red and brown because of the presence of iron during formation, orange and pink from manganese, green from aluminum, chromium or vanadium and yellow from calcium. These mineral impurities can occur in combinations too (much like mixing paints), so an iron and chromium mix may produce a purple garnet.

Garnets are an ancient symbol of friendship – an exchange of a gift of garnet between friends would safeguard their meeting again. It was worn as an amulet to keep the wearer healthy on the road and protect them from disease or attack. There are a wide variety of garnets available today and in general they are a cleansing crystal, a balancing stone and will help you feel safe and protected.

(Sources: https://www.americangemsociety.org, https://www.gemselect.com)

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