The name Garnet refers to a family or group of related mineral species that has been popular for thousands of years. Garnets are mostly known as a beautiful warm, red stone that can have translucent crystals or look grainy in appearance.

However, the Garnet comes in a myriad of colors including red, green, violet, yellow, and earthy colors such as cinnamon. One of the reasons Garnets are held in high esteem is the way that they shine and give off light. This is due to their exceptionally high refractive properties. The Garnet gemstone is a great stone to make ornamental jewelry with. It has a hardness score of 7.5 to 8 on the Moh’s scale and can be crafted into almost any shape. They are generally stable and will keep their color for generations as long as they don’t come into contact with intense heat or radiation.

Garnets are found in all regions of the world; however the finest are found in East Africa. The word Garnet comes from Latin meaning “granatus” or grain. Some Garnets are very grainy and similar to pomegranate seeds. During ancient times, garnets were used as protection from evil and sailors also used them to stay safe when at sea.

Emperors from Rome to Egypt found them fascinating and lots of jewelry pieces were created from these beautiful stones. Today they are given as gifts for birthdays, most notably for birthdays that fall in January.