January Birthstones – Garnet
Anyone born in January knows their birthstone is a warm deep red garnet. My first thoughts are of Bohemian garnets used in antique jewelry from the late 19th century. Found in the old European kingdom of Bohemia, these were small fiery blood red stones with a slight hint of brown. They were typically set close together and frequently used in Victorian jewelry, often resembling a sparkling pomegranite when many stones were used.
Garnets have a long history. It's believed that Noah used a garnet to guide his ark during the dark nights. And frequently garnets are found in ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman jewelry.
Most people don't realize that garnets are found in almost all colors except blue. Some other names for garnet stones are almandine, which is a purplish color; demantoid, which is one of the most valuable varieties of green garnet, and spessartites, otherwise known as mandarine orange garnets.
These colorful stones are mined in Africa, India, Russia, Central and South America. They measure 7 to 7.5 on the Moh's Scale, making them uncomplicated to work with and excellent for everyday wear.
I found this lovely garnet poem on the internet and dedicate it to my January born readers. It comes to us from a blog writer named Night-Flyer. I wish I could find the author's real name as it's an enchanting poem.
The Garnet Star
Look up, behold the garnet star
High up in starry heavens far
Bright amber jewel that shines pristine
What ancient secrets have you seen
Over a distant desert void
Its crumbling castles, long destroyed
And ghostly armies passing by
Naught could escape your piercing eye
Bold crimson star, we're far apart
But your deep gaze enchants my heart
So radiate your mystery
That through the night, calls out to me
And please impart, I do appeal
Your mystic secrets to reveal.
Category: Birthstones
About the Author (Author Profile)
Wanda Fitzgerald is a Florida native and an vintage charm collector who loves to share her adventures in an e-commerce jewelry business with anyone who is interested.Subscribe
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