The rich birthstone of January is the garnet.
The name “garnet” came from the Latin word granatus, which refers to the red seeds of a pomegranate. Garnet actually represents a group of minerals with a similar crystal structure but different chemical composition. Depending on the type of garnet, its hardness ranges from 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. This means that garnet is pretty resistant to scratches.
Contrary to popular belief, garnet comes in more colors than red. Garnet can be any color from dark red to yellow-orange to deep green to purplish-red.
Its origins are traced back to ancient Egyptian times when pharaohs would be adorned with garnet jewelry.
Garnet symbolizes protection, as Saxon and Celtic kings would wear garnet jewelry for that reason.
With that said, garnet has often been associated with royalty. English nobles often incorporated the gemstone into their robes, crowns, and jewelry sets.
Happy birthday, January babies! We hope you get treated like royalty.
