The modern notion of the January birthstone is garnet. Unlike other gemstones like amethyst that only come in one color garnets come in every color except for blue. Each color type has its own name and description for that particular type of garnet.

 

 

Almandine is the most common of the garnets are deep in a rich red to purplish red in color. The more valuable Almandines have less of a brownish or orange hue in their color. Demantoid is quite rare and range from a medium green to a yellowish green color. Because of its rarity, many gem collectors seek out this rare form of garnet. Hessonite garnets come from Kenya, Sri Lanka and Tanzania and range from a bright yellow to a yellowish brown. Pyrope garnets are deeply rich in its red to slightly purple color. Rhodolite garnets include shades of pink with a slight hint of reddish lavender. Spessartite garnets range from standard orange to a reddish orange hue. Tsavorite garnets are also quite rare and valuable. They range from a medium green to a slightly yellow green. Uvarovite is a bright green shade and contains fine crystal clusters.

 

Bernardine Fine Art Jewelry states, “The name Garnet appears to originate with the Latin granatum malum which means pomegranate. Pomegranate is the name of the bush which produces a red fruit with seeds. Jewelry made with garnet has been found as early as the Bronze Age (3000 BC) in burial sites. It is thought that early communities valued garnet and believed that it offered protections in the afterlife.”

 

 

The deep red color was often misconstrued by primitive people to symbolize the help with curing blood disorders, infections and even stopping blood loss. The American Gem Society states, “References to the gemstone dates back to 3100 BC when the Egyptians used garnets as inlays jewelry. Garnet is the name of a group of minerals that comes in a rainbow of colors, from the deep red of the pyrope garnet to the vibrant green of tsavorites. Today, the most important sources for garnet are Africa, Sri Lanka, and India.”

 

Although there are some garnets that are quite rare and valuable, many think of garnets as inferior in comparison to other gemstones. Because of their abundance in number and widespread use, garnet jewelry is usually inexpensive in modern jewelry. Because of their variances in color, garnets are popular due to their inexpensive cost and wide variety of colors to choose from.