Another year has come and gone, and now here we are in 2015. Hopefully 2014 was a fantastic year for you, and you had a great time ringing in the new year. Maybe you’ve made an ambitious New Year’s resolution or have big plans for 2015: a new job, a promotion, a career change, a graduation, a new relationship, a wedding or something else amazing. Or maybe you’re just content in the knowledge that you’ve survived another hectic year and are taking it easy and getting ready for whatever craziness 2015 may bring.
For those of you born in the month of January, though, you’re not looking forward. You’re savoring your birthday month! As we’ve been doing every month here on Birkat Elyon’s cubic zirconia jewelry blog, we’re starting out this month with a spotlight on its birthstone. For January, that means garnet, so let’s explore this fiery, royal stone!
From the deepest of reds to the most intense of greens, garnets can be found in a range of gorgeous colors. In fact, it’s even possible to find the gems in browns, pinks, purples, blacks and oranges. Yes, garnets have enough color variety to make a rainbow jealous.
Most garnets, however, bear a resemblance to pomegranate seeds. In fact, the name comes from the Latin word “granatum,” which translate to mean “pomegranate.” Due to the ubiquity of the red variety, most people wrongly believe that all garnets are red. Calcium, iron, aluminum and manganese metals affect the color of garnet deposits, leading to the cornucopia of hues it comes in. It’s even possible for the gemstone to contain mineral fibers that trick the eye into thinking there is a four or six-rayed star within it.
Colorless and emerald green varieties are the most highly sought after due to their high monetary value. Following closely behind are pure red garnets, which are as beautiful as they are valuable.
Garnets are usually found in streams as small pebbles. Their discovery is most likely to occur when – sorry, but this is going to get a little bit technical – igneous and metamorphic rocks in which they are naturally contained have been battered away to reveal the shining gems inside. Their most common locations are North and South America, Australia, Spain, Sri Lanka, India and other parts of Asia.
Evidence of the existence of garnet jewelry has been found in parts of the Czech Republic and Slovakia dating all the way back to the Bronze Age. And that’s not the only part of the world with proof of ancient garnet jewelry, either. It’s been discovered and dated back to 3100 BC in Egypt, 2000-1000 BC in Sweden and 2300 BC in Sumeria. The Greeks viewed garnets as precious treasures during the third and fourth centuries, and the Romans would later adopt that valuing. Finally, the Aztecs and Native Americans commonly used the stones in ornamental pieces in pre-Columbian times.
Long ago, the warriors of old held a superstition that wearing garnets into battle would lead to great victories. They were used during the Crusades as protection against battle wounds and accidents during the long journeys. Oddly enough, some also believed the stones had the ability to inflict extra damage when used as bullets, and they were utilized as such by the Hanza tribesmen – whom I’m certain you all remember from some history book neither you nor I ever read – in Kashmir during 1892 when they fought the British Empire’s forces.
On the other end of the spectrum, the ancients believed that garnets had mystical healing powers, which is something they commonly attributed to many precious gems. During the Middle Ages it was believed that garnets protected wearers against everything from wounds to depression to bad dreams to poisons. Red garnets were even thought to be capable of relieving fevers, inflammatory diseases and hemorrhages.
Ancient and medieval beliefs aside, the stones are today symbolic of many wonderful things: good luck, motivation, passion, faithfulness and truth. Giving a garnet as a gift signifies a commitment to eternal friendship and trust between best friends or lovers. If you have a best friend who was born in January, then garnet jewelry is the perfect gift to give to her.
Of course, if you’re looking for an alternative, Birkat Elyon has you covered. We carry an enormous and varied line of the world’s finest luxury cubic zirconia jewelry. Our cz jewelry uses the “Russian Formula,” which means it’s the only type of cz that is guaranteed to perfectly capture the light and will trick all but the most experienced gemologists into thinking it’s the real thing. Our stones are precisely cut and polished by the hands of experienced artisans and are set in bands of 14k or 18k white or yellow gold.
The great thing about cubic zirconia jewelry is that, while it is most often used as a diamond alternative, it can be made in a great variety of colors, mimicking most gemstones.
Happy birthday to all our January babies and Happy New Year to all Birkat Elyon blog readers!