January 2008
Community Paper

JANUARY BIRTHSTONE - GARNET!
by Phyllis Stewart-Tuell, Gemologist, Stewart Jewelry
2212 Edgewater Drive, 407-425-1496
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The January-born person who dislikes the color red will usually be surprised to learn that their birthstone, Garnet, occurs in virtually every color of the spectrum, except blue. Also, the stone is perfectly correct and permissible to wear any of the colors to symbolize their birth date. It could also be a revelation when the person is shown by example that even the comparatively common red and purplish-red species can be exceeding attractive and desirable in their finer qualities.

The name garnet comes from the Latin “granatus,” meaning “seedlike” or “having many seeds,” because the garnet crystals in a rock reminded early scientists of the shape and color of pomegranate seeds.

The Garnet was considered the gem of faith, constancy and truth, but it was also believed to have curative powers. One practice was to grind it into powder and use it as a poultice. Asiatic people used garnets as bullets, in the belief that their color would cause them to inflict a more deadly wound. It’s unfortunate that it is referred as a “semiprecious” stone.

The Garnet is actually not just a single gemstone, but is a group of species. The stones are mined in South Africa; Brazil; Australia; Argentine; Ceylon; Mexico; Burma; U.S.S.R; Czechoslovakia (Bohemia) and here in the United States. Garnets should appeal to purists, since none of the color varieties is routinely treated to enhance its appearance.

Have your jeweler show you the bright green Tsavorite garnet and compare the stone with the brilliance of an emerald.