Combat the Cold of Winter with the Warmth of Garnet

"By her who in January was bornNo gem save Garnets shall be wornThey will ensure her constancyTrue friendship and fidelity."- Poem in the Gregorian Calendar, as re-printed by Tiffany in 1870 Garnet is the traditional birthstone for January, as well as the gemstone associate with the Aquarius zodiac sign. Although mostly known for it's deep, red color it is found in many variations and colors, including green, yellow and black. Within the last decade, small amounts of unusual blue Garnet have even been found in Madagascar and other locations. These colors are more rare, however, and the abundance and affordability of red Garnet, along with it's beautiful appeal, has made it one of the most widely used gemstones. Garnet can be found all over the world, although most commercial, red Garnet comes from mines in the US, Russia and India. Garnet is the official gemstone of New York and Connecticut.Garnets have been used in jewelry for thousands of years. Archaeologists have found the gemstones in jewelry and ornaments dating from Egyptian and Roman times, as well as long before. The Bible even mentions Garnet in a very special way: it is said that Noah guided his Ark at night by the light from a Garnet lantern. The idea of Garnet having luminescent properties carried on throughout the ages, and was carried by travellers and explorers as a talisman to help guide them in times of darkness. Garnets do seem to sometimes give off their own light, and this is caused by the high refractive index of the mineral, bouncing back a high percentage of any light that hits it.Garnet is often used by natural healers. In color therapy, wearing Garnet is said to attract light from the red spectrum. It is believed that this light is then absorbed by our body and can have a healing and strengthening effect on our muscles. Historically, many healers used Garnet to help treat conditions of the blood, lungs and heart. Reiki practitioners use red Garnet to connect with and treat the root Chakra, which governs our basic instincts and sensuality. Many New Age healers or meta-physicists believe that Garnet is the stone of love and passion, and that wearing it has a positive effect on sexuality and romance. All of these ideas point to Garnet as an ideal gemstone to be given as a gift around Valentine's Day, and many jewelers use heart shaped Garnets in romantic designs. Garnets look particularly good when paired with warm, yellow gold. Our Garnet and pearl earrings make a beautiful gift for any woman at Valentine's Day, with heart shaped gemstones and creamy, white pearls set in luxurious 14kt gold settings.
Treat yourself, your girlfriend or wife to a piece of Garnet jewelry to rekindle the romance and passion in your relationship. Even without any mystical properties, buying Garnet jewelry is always a great way to say 'I Love You.'