January Birthstone: Garnet

January’s birthstone is the garnet, which most people think of as a deep red stone. That makes sense, given that red is the most common color of garnet, which is one of the most common gemstones. Garnet is found in metamorphic rocks (which are altered by heat and pressure) and can be found on every continent. But, did you know that garnets come in other colors, too? Lots of them, in fact!

Garnets come in green (sometimes called tsavorite, grossular or demantoid), orange (also called spessarite), pinkish orange, purplish red (also called rhodolite) and even some blues. They can also have the color-change phenomenon. There are over 20 categories of garnet because they vary in chemical composition. While the red varieties are very reasonably priced, the green varieties are rare and can command high prices.

Interestingly, demantoid garnet often has horsetail inclusions in the stone that actually increase the gem’s value! That can’t be said about many gems. Garnets have been found in jewelry in ancient Egyptian ruins and is also the gemstone of the 2nd anniversary.

The name garnet comes from the Latin word “granatus” which means pomegranate. They were very popular stones in Victorian jewelry. No matter what your preference is, you’re very likely to find a garnet variety that you like. We love this stone – and it makes great “Game Day” pieces – especially for the Aggies and the Bama fans! Shop our garnet collection on the website here.