Garnet, the birthstone for the month of January, has a mysterious history, which permeates through the centuries. The word “Garnet” originates from Latin word “Granata,” which means pomegranate. It is easy to trace the analogy here because Garnet’s dense red color is similar to the one of the pomegranate.
Garnet’s allure possibly originated in Ancient Egypt where it was used for the variety of ceremonial purposes by the pharos. Later, during the times of Ancient Rome, garnet was widely traded around the region and used in jewelry. Around 16th century, large deposits of Garnet were found in Bohemia (modern day Czech Republic), which greatly influenced European fashion of that time. Bohemia since lost its title as the center of Garnet production. The new hotspots for mining this gemstone are USA, Kenya, Tanzania and Turkey to name a few.
Many of you know garnet for its rich red color. However, its color can range from black to many shades of green, or it can even be colorless. Like with all gemstones, the rarity of garnet commands its price. Whatever the color of Garnet you choose, we hope it will warm up your heart and brighten up your mood.