January Birthstone: The Garnet
Garnet
A Garnet ring
Meaning: When given as a gift the garnet symbolizes deep friendship and trust.
History: The garnet was discovered as early as the Bronze Age. It comes in a gorgeous array of colors, but they all match in hue. While the garnet can be found in golden yellows, royal purples, fire reds, and forest greens, these colors carry the same rich, earthy, glowing tones. The most popular and common color of the garnet, however, is the blood red pyrope garnet, (Greek ‘pyropos’ for ‘fire-eyed’), and in ages past, (much like the Zircon of the December birthstones), the garnet was often confused with another precious stone, the ruby. Royalty of Egypt and Medieval Europe loved to stud their amulets and necklaces with red garnets, and it is believed that, due to the prolific number of garnet necklaces found entombed with the mummified remains of pharaohs, that the gemstone was believed to be a prized possession in the afterlife. The Romans used the garnet in their signet rings to stamp the wax on important documents. (Hmmm…)
Name Origin: the origin of the name ‘garnet’ is actually from the Latin ‘granatus,’ which means ‘seed from a pomegranate’. (That seems like a brilliantly apt name!)
A raw, uncut garnet
Sources: The green garnet was mined in the Ural Mountains of Russia and prized by the Czars in the 19th century. The red (or pyrope) garnet was found primarily in Bohemia in the 1500-1800s, but now Africa mines most of the world’s garnets. Several other mining sites are located in Sri Lanka and India.
Fun Facts:
· Legend says that Garnets “light up the night” to ward off nightmares. (I like that image; a garnet glowing like burning embers at my bedside…might be slightly creepy though…)
· As a part of their National Gem Collection, the Smithsonian Institute carries a famous pyrope garnet hair comb from Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). Each garnet on this Victorian head piece is cut like a rose. It is a gorgeous piece!
· Indian Astrology says that the Garnet will help eliminate feelings of guilt and depression and instill confidence, restore peace of mind, and initiate a creative spirit.
· Similarly, in the Middle ages, the garnet was thought to soothe anger and help cure inflammatory illnesses.
· Once upon a time in Asia, garnets were made into bullets because it was believed that it would make the victims bleed more.
