GARNET is the birthstone for the month of January. Garnets are a very complex family of minerals, all having very similar structure but varying enormously in chemical composition, properties, color and price. In reality, the human eye doesn’t really care about chemical composition or properties of garnet but what we care about and notice right away is their color. The variation of colors and their shades in garnets is incredible. Garnet comes from the Latin word, “granatus” which means grain, possibly a reference to the Punica granatum (“pomegranate”), a plant with red seeds similar in shape, size, and color to some garnet crystals. By the term ‘garnet’, the gemologists understand a group of more than ten different gemstones of similar chemical composition. the red color is the most often encountered, but the garnet also exists in various shades of green, yellow, orange, purple, brown and nearly colorless. The garnet group includes a group of minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. Garnets are also found in jewelery from early Egyptian, Greek and Roman times. Garnet’s powers include healing, strength, and protection and it is often worn to relieve inflammations of the skin. It is also believed to regulate the heart and blood flow and aid in curing depression.
