When one thinks of January, only one gemstone springs to mind - Garnet

 

GARNET

A beautiful stone with a polished, glassy  glow

Garnet is one of a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones.  It has that wonderful glassy glow which makes it one of the most beautiful stones that you will ever see.  It is the birthstone for January, is associated with both Aquarians and Leos and with 2nd and 6th wedding anniversaries.

The word garnet comes from the 14th century Middle English word gernet, meaning 'dark red' but has its origins in the Latin granatus loosely meaning grain seed (possibly a reference to the pomegranate with its vivid red seeds.)  Garnet species are found in many colours including red, orange, yellow, green, purple, brown, blue, black, pink, and colourless, with reddish shades most common.

Spessartine or spessartite is another form of garnet.   An orange-yellow form is found in Madagascar, violet-red in Colorado and Maine.  Blue pyrope–spessartine garnets were discovered in the late 1990s in Madagascar as well as in parts of the United States, Russia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Turkey.  It changes colour from blue-green to purple depending on the temperature of the viewing light.  Other varieties of colour-changing garnets exist.  In daylight, their colour ranges from shades of green, beige, brown, grey, and blue, but in incandescent light, they appear a reddish or purplish/pink colour. This is the rarest type of garnet.  

Garnet has the power to cleanse the body, mind, and spirit.  It can promote self-empowerment and higher thinking and harness your creativity which can help in all your pursuits.  It will give you the confidence to move forward in your life without fear or trepidation.

Garnet is an excellent stone for meditation and its protective energies can keep you safe from nightmares and night terrors.  Garnet is recognised as a spiritual mineral that can heal and strengthen you if you are undergoing transitions in your life. This stone symbolises permanence, stability, and security.

 

Keep an eye out for Kristaval’s garnet pieces as you scroll through our pages…