It may not be January anymore (unless of course you're reading this 7 months after I've written it!) but if I'm going to start writing about Birthstones, it seems to make sense to start at, well, the start!
When Birthstones began
Birthstones are said to trace back to the bible, and whether you are religious or not, it's safe to say this idea has stuck around pretty well since then. While different religions and belief systems don't always agree on the same set of stones, there are many that are widely agreed on in the (Western) jewellery world.
January's Birthstone: Garnet
The most widely recognised birthstone for January is Garnet, which is so much more complex than you may realise. Known typically for its rich deep red colour, it was named after granatum (pomegranate), due to its resemblance to the seeds of the fruit. It however has since been discovered it can be found in every colour, including black and clear.
Family of Garnets
The term Garnet is not for one specific stone, but instead it refers to a family of minerals that share the same crystal structure and similar properties. They display a huge range of features, most noticeably their colour. They are divided into six different 'species':
- Almandine
- Pyrope
- Spessartite
- Grossular
- Andradite
- Uvarovite
Garnets are usually found as blends of these different species, rather than pure examples.
Rhodolite Garnet
One of my personal favourites has to be Rhodolite Garnet, a mix of Pyrope and Almandine. If you've seen me work with deep berry reds and rich pink tones before, there's a good chance you've already seen one without realising it. Its name is taken from Rhodon, the Greek word for rose. The first discovery of Rhodolite Garnet was in Macon County, North Carolina in the late 1890's. Stones found there are usually under 1-2 carats, but new finds in Africa have weighed over a whopping 75 carats!
Mandarin Garnet
Another garnet prized for its colour is the Mandarin Garnet, aptly named due to its distinctive orange colouring. Made up of mostly Spessartite, with a little Pyrope & even smaller proportion of Grossular Garnet, it is a rare and highly desired blend that was first discovered in Namibia in the 1930's and gets its colour from the Manganese content in the stone. It is a very rare mix, and facetable stones are even rarer still.
Uvarovite, Grossular & Andradite
Uvarovite, Grossular & Andradite species of garnets can all flaunt similarly vibrant colouring, this time in green; the latter being the most rare and displaying more light dispersion than any other garnet and more 'fire' than even the finest Diamond. Green demantoid (a variety of Andradite Garnet) is especially prized for it's stunning refraction of the light, and was named after the German demant for Diamond.
Discovered in Russia in the early 19th century, it had been thought only to be found there until as recently as the 1990's when new sources were found, yet it remains to be a incredibly rare gem.
Colour Change Garnet
An unusual variation that is similarly known for it's colour - or more specifically its ability to change colour - is the (rather unimaginatively named) 'colour change Garnet'. A blend of Pyrope & Spessartite, it has been recently discovered (late 1990's) and is very rare indeed.
Depending on whether it is viewed in natural or incandescent light, the colour can appear quite different. Most colour change garnets change from a brown/yellow colour in daylight to a pinky purple colour in incandescent light, but in some very rare stones, artificial light can even make them appear blue, which was previously thought never to exist with garnets: an exciting discovery in the gemstone world.
Whichever garnets are your favourites, for their colour or rarity, these are all beautiful stones that some, if cut well, can surpass even the finest Rubies, Emeralds and Diamonds.
Perhaps a little underappreciated in mainstream jewellery fashion, Garnets are a fascinating stone that have an incredible depth of colour and sparkle. A regular resident in my gemstone collection that I will no doubt be working into more of my jewellery designs over the coming months.
But, there is one Garnet in particular that means more to me than all the others. I'll save that for another time though!
In the meantime, you can check out all my jewellery with Garnets here.
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