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Garnet Birthstone



















GARNET BIRTHSTONE




Garnet Birthstone










The rich colour of garnet is one of the oldest known gemstones, first thought to have been used in 3100 BC in the Nile Delta.



The Egyptians created beads and jewellery but it was the Ancient Greeks who named it garnet after orgranatum, the pomegranate seeds whose luscious pink-red it resembled. It is a very hard stone and this gave it another, less ornate, use with some Asiatic tribes using it as bullets.










Garnet Birthstone


Royal robes


Garnet has always been popular, although often mistakenly thought of as a cheaper alternative to ruby.

It has an illustrious past, used during the Renaissance and late Victorian times, as well as the Art Nouveau period. It was also favoured by royalty; court portraits show its use throughout the ages. In the 12th century, Queen Edith, wife of Henry I, used to wear garnets and Queen Elizabeth I used the deeply-coloured stone to decorate her Coronation robes in 1559. Red, amber, green


The most common colour is red-brown: the deeper stones should be held up to the light to allow the red to show through.


It is only recently that one of its more potent colours from Africa, a vibrant green, was first used in Europe and America.




The African Tsavorite was discovered by miners in pods which are known as 'potatoes' and from which lapidarists (jewellers working with the raw material) created the stunning green ' which is much desired, although often mistaken for emerald. It was first introduced by Tiffany & Co as late as 1974 and is very desirable.





Another k version of the green garnet, which has been used for longer, is known as the Uralian emerald because of its richness of colouring. The African red garnet is so red that it is sometimes known as the Cape Ruby. Garnets vary in colour from brown, through red, pink, orange and yellow to green, black and even clear.




It is a very versatile stone, a silicate mineral,the common colour known as Pyrope (meaning fire-like) Carbuncle. It is generally assumed that the red stones mentioned in the Bible are either garnets or rubies, although they are not actually named.







Garnet Birthstone

A stimulating stone



Garnet is believed to have healing properties. It is said to stimulate the bloodstream and spleen and is also claimed to relieve rheumatism and the pain from arthritis, as well as fighting depression (common for most birthstones) and lethargy.

Interestingly, it both promotes the sex drive and conquers impure thoughts (this being a system of beliefs, not a science), but it is also said to enhance the imagination and creativity as well as promote energy and courage.





Worn by travellers for protection, the stone symbolises fire, vitality, faith, truth, courage, passion and fidelity. They are also the sign of affection and are a popular gift between friends as well as the perfect present for January.
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