January Birthstone - Garnet
The garnet has been dubbed the gem of faith, constancy and truth. Accordingly, the garnet is a symbol of friendship, love and devotion. It is the birthstone for January and the suggested gift for the second anniversary. Garnet happens to be my son’s birthstone as he was born on New Years’ Day, January 1, 2005. It is one of my favorites and graces my Mother Bracelet.
Garnets are most commonly red in color but can be found in a variety of colors, including purple, red, orange, yellow, green, brown, black, or colorless. So what makes a garnet a garnet and not an emerald, or amethyst? The garnet group of minerals shows crystals with rhombic dodecahedrons and trapezohedrons. The chemical elements in garnet include calcium, magnesium, aluminium, iron2+, iron3+, chromium, manganese, and titanium. The hardness is 6.5-7.5 and the specific gravity is 3.1-4.3.
The word “garnet” appears to originate with the Latin word granatus which means “grain.” This is possibly a reference to the Latin phrase granatum malum which means “pomegranate.” Pomegranate a red fruit with seeds (grains) similar in shape, size, and color to some garnet crystals.
