Short answer: garnet is the January birthstone. Most people picture deep red, but garnet is a group of related minerals that also comes in orange, yellow, purple and vivid green, and even stones that change color. Its name comes from the Latin for pomegranate. Garnets rate 6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale and are rarely treated.
What is garnet?
Garnet is not a single mineral but a group of silicate minerals with the same crystal structure and different chemistry. Five are important as gems:
- Pyrope and almandine: purple-red to red, the classic garnet colors.
- Spessartine: orange to yellow.
- Grossular: the widest range, from colorless through yellow and reddish orange, and a vivid green called tsavorite. Hessonite is an orange to brownish grossular.
- Andradite: mostly yellow to green, including the brilliant green demantoid.
Some garnets change color, from blue to purple, depending on the light.
Where does the name come from?
The name comes from the medieval Latin granatus, "pomegranate", after the resemblance of red garnet crystals to the fruit's seeds. Pyrope comes from the Greek pyrōpos, "fiery-eyed".
A long history
Garnets have been used as gems and as abrasives since the Bronze Age. Necklaces of red garnets adorned the pharaohs of ancient Egypt, and signet rings in ancient Rome held garnet intaglios used to stamp the wax sealing important documents. The clergy and nobility of the Middle Ages favored red garnet. In the Victorian era, red pyrope from the historic mines of Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic, was hugely popular; a famous Victorian pyrope hair comb is in the Smithsonian's National Gem Collection.
Where does garnet come from?
Bohemia was the main source of the red pyrope of Victorian times. Today Africa supplies much of the world's garnet: Namibia produces demantoid, Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar supply most of the bright green tsavorite, and Namibia and Tanzania are key sources of orange spessartine. Garnet also comes from Myanmar, Brazil, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and the United States.
Garnet is also a common rock-forming mineral. Small red and brown garnets grow in metamorphic rocks such as schist, and garnet is used industrially as an abrasive.
Garnet in rocks and in Indian tradition
Garnet is also an everyday rock-forming mineral. Almandine, the most common gem garnet, grows in metamorphic rocks such as mica schist, alongside minerals like staurolite and kyanite, often as neat twelve-sided crystals sitting in the rock. Andradite forms in skarns and some igneous rocks. Because garnet is hard and has no cleavage, crushed garnet is used industrially as an abrasive.
In Indian literature, hessonite garnet is known as gomed and is one of the nine jewels of the Vedic tradition.
What is garnet traditionally associated with?
Garnet has long been associated with wealth, happiness and good fortune, and in medieval times red gems were believed to soothe an angry heart. In modern crystal traditions, garnet is associated with passion, commitment, courage and devotion. It is the gem of the second wedding anniversary.
These are traditions and beliefs, not properties of the stone.
Which garnet should you choose?
| Garnet | Color | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Almandine and pyrope | Purple-red to red | Classic January red, affordable |
| Spessartine | Orange to yellow | Bright and lively |
| Tsavorite (grossular) | Vivid green | Rarer, valuable |
| Demantoid (andradite) | Green | Very brilliant, highly prized |
| Hessonite (grossular) | Orange to brown | Warm, honey tones |
| Color-change garnet | Blue to purple | Rare |
How do you care for garnet?
- Store it carefully. At 6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale, garnet can be scratched by harder gems such as diamond, ruby and sapphire, and it can scratch softer gems such as opal and pearl.
- Clean it with warm, soapy water and a soft brush, which is always safe.
- Ultrasonic cleaners are usually safe, except for stones with fractures or fracture filling. Steam cleaning is not recommended.
- Choose settings with care. Garnet suits earrings, brooches and pendants well; a ring worn daily will show wear over time.
Most garnets are untreated. Rarely, a stone may be fracture filled with a glass-like substance to improve its clarity, which calls for gentler care.
Browse garnet and other crystals at Digital Towns Market
Digital Towns Market
Garnet in stock
Hessonite Garnet Cluster 2.6KG WA State, USA$400.00
Melanite Garnet Cluster w/ Quartz 164g$75.00
Melanite Garnet (MD) Mali, Africa$20.00
Melanite Garnet Cluster 100g$75.00
Melanite Garnet (SM) from Kayes Region, Mali, Africa$15.00
Melanite Garnet Cluster 153g$80.00
Green Garnet (Unpolished)$35.00
Garnet in Black Tourmaline$125.00
Frequently asked questions
What is the January birthstone color?
Deep red is the traditional January color, but garnet also comes in orange, yellow, purple and green.
Is garnet always red?
No. Garnet is a group of minerals. Pyrope and almandine are red, spessartine is orange, tsavorite and demantoid are green, and some garnets change color in different light.
What does the January birthstone mean?
Garnet has long been associated with wealth, happiness and good fortune, and in modern crystal traditions with passion, commitment and courage. These are traditions rather than measurable properties.
Is garnet expensive?
Most red garnet is affordable. Rarer varieties, such as fine tsavorite and demantoid, can be expensive.
Are garnets treated?
Rarely. Most garnets are untreated. Occasionally a stone is fracture filled to improve its clarity, and such stones need gentler care.
Sources
- GIA, January Birthstone: https://www.gia.edu/birthstones/january-birthstones
- GIA, Garnet: https://www.gia.edu/garnet
- Wikipedia, Garnet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garnet
- Wikipedia, Hessonite: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hessonite