Garnet: The Birthstone for January
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Are you treating someone special for their birthday in January? Spoil them with a garnet.
Signifying eternal trust and friendship, garnets have been popular for centuries; their spectrum of deep, mystical hues are always in fashion and make a change from a bright diamond or sapphire. The name “Garnet” derives from the Latin word “granatum”, meaning seed or seeded, and this is most likely due to the gemstone’s resemblance to a pomegranate seed. Although garnet is characteristically deep red, there are colours ranging from sultry auburn to vivid green.
In fact, more than ten different types of closely related mineral are attributed to Garnet’s name. Pyrope, a deep red, transparent gemstone, is the type most commonly used in jewellery. Close to Pyrope is the Rhodolite stone, which is a lighter, purplish rose colour, and as for the vivid green type, this falls under the Andradite variety. Arguably, the most spectacular form of garnet is the recently discovered colour change garnet, which changes its hue under different types of light. Shine an artificial light, for example, and the gemstone will appear blue, whereas in daylight it will remain a pinkish red.
Throughout history, garnet has been used for aesthetic, symbolic and practical purposes. It is thought that Noah used a garnet lantern to guide the ark during the great flood. The stone’s luminosity meant that it was carried by many early explorers, along with the belief that it protected the owner from harm. Later, science proved that garnet’s glow is caused by its high refractive index.
Well-known for their love of jewels and grandeur, Egyptian pharaohs would wear elaborate garnet necklaces, and were even buried with them as treasures for the afterlife. Meanwhile, if we look back to the bible, the sacred breastplate worn by the High Priest of the Israelites featured 12 stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel – one of these was carbuncle, which could be another name for garnet. On a more practical level, in ancient Rome carved garnets were used in signet rings which would seal the wax on important documents.
Garnet jewellery is characterised by its warmth – it’s an ideal gemstone to be worn with autumnal colours, or to bring some colour on a dreary January day! Falling on the Mohs scale at 7 to 7.5, the stone can endure many different cuts and is easy to work with, although it is perhaps most commonly seen in a round cut.
If you would like to find out more about garnet jewellery, or if you are looking for a birthday gift in January, why not come and see us at Cuttings? We’d love to show you our current range of new, antique and pre-owned jewellery.