January Birthstone

January Birth Stone
George F. Kunz, a historic American Mineraologist, once stated that the Garnet brings those born in January, “constancy, true friendship and fidelity.”
How the January stone received its name, is a testament to the extensive history and symbolism of the stone. Garnet is a conglomerate of the Middle English work “gernet” meaning ‘dark red’ and the Latin phrase “pomum granatum” meaning ‘pomegranate.’
The history of this beautiful gemstone being used in jewelry began thousands of years ago as Egyptians and Ancient Romans wore garnets as a symbol of status and power.
In the Middle Ages, Garnets were considered to bring those who wore it protection. Both Christian and Mulsim soldiers wore garnets to ensure security throughout the gruesome battles of the Crusades.
This gemstone naturally occurs in a variety of colors consisting of, green, red, yellow, and orange. Between House of Stones and Julz, we have beautiful Rhodolite Garnets that have a raspberry hue; or Mozambique Garnets that present a saturated, dark red/orange color.
House of Stones also has a rare variety of garnet known as the Demantoid, which is a beautiful green stone.
The Demantoid garnet was first discovered in 1868 in a Russian mountain range. Because this variety of garnet has a highly refractive nature, the miners compared it to the sparkle of a diamond- hence how the Demantoid received its name. Since it is rare to observe so much fire and brilliance from a green stone, we are extremely proud to have this exceptional find in our collection!
As the Greeks used pomegranates as a symbol to represent a gift of eternal love, the gift of a Garnet carries its namesake, and a beautiful tradition from throughout the ages.