The deep red color of garnet is reminiscent of Victorian ornament, although its use is thousands of years old.
January birthstone - Garnet
Garnet Gemstone Meaning & History
The word garnet comes from the Latin word for grain. These are believed to refer to the garnet crystals in their raw form or perhaps to the granular form of the red, grainy fruit of the pomegranate. Garnet is mentioned in ancient Egyptian and Roman texts and has been used for thousands of years. Garnet is used not only as jewelry, but also as a protective and healing amulet. Dark red garnet jewelry was very popular in the 18th and 19th centuries.
January birthstone color ~ deep red & various colors
The January birthstone color is usually deep red. It also comes in orange, brown, black, green, yellow, and pink.
Where is Garnet found?
Source, Composition, Jewelry and Variety
The name garnet actually refers to a group of minerals with a similar crystalline and chemical composition. Some of the more popular varieties include Pirope, a black to ruby red variety. The most popular of Victorian era red garnet jewelry, now fiery red compliments in the Czech Republic. In North Carolina the reddish-purple color of the pyrope is called rhodolite. Some sources list rhodolite as a January birthstone as a substitute for garnet, but is actually a type of garnet. The pyrotechnic blue color, which changes color in different types of light, was found in Madagascar in 1998 and is very rare. Tsavorite, a green variety from Kenya and Tanzania, is one of the most sought after garnets. The orange-yellow variety of spacerite is found in Madagascar. Eurovitae is a rare bright green species found in Russia and Finland. Dementoides is a beautiful green variety of the Urals.
Read Also: February Birthstone