| For those who are born in the month of January, | | | | gemstones cover the color spectrum pretty well. |
| they should be familiar to their birthstone, which is | | | | Some people would say that one can find any |
| garnet. It is a wonderful stone with great | | | | color of garnet except for blue. In reality, there |
| properties and a variety of uses. It is recognized | | | | has been documented evidence that there exists |
| as the birthstone for January and is used as a | | | | blue garnet. A blue garnet specimen was |
| gem for jewelry, but it is also a material that is | | | | discovered in the last decade in Bekily, |
| used in industrial processes. | | | | Madagascar. |
| Garnet is a wonderful gemstone that comes in | | | | Almandine and Pyrope are popularly known as the |
| many different shapes and colors. But there is | | | | most common types of garnet, and perhaps the |
| more to garnet than being a birthstone of | | | | most affordable ones. Rhodolite is also a popular |
| January. Let's take a look at some of the facts | | | | type and this is usually mined in places like India, |
| about this wonderful gem. | | | | Africa, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Another type of |
| The Uses of Garnet | | | | garnet is the Tsavorite, which is usually found in |
| Garnet is considered to be one of the most, if | | | | Kenya and Tanzania. |
| not the most versatile gems in the world market | | | | History had been witness to the different mystical |
| today. The use of garnet can be traced back to | | | | powers that are associated with garnet. Modern |
| the ancient times, particularly the Bronze Age, | | | | legends would tell us that garnet stones are |
| when it was primarily used as an abrasive and a | | | | associated with night vision and success. In the |
| gemstone. Today, industrial garnet is far more | | | | tradition of the Hebrews, garnet is believed to be |
| valued in aggregate terms than gem garnets. The | | | | one of the twelve stones in the breastplate of |
| production of garnet for industrial processes is at | | | | Aaron. While in Christian tradition, garnet is |
| least 50 times bigger than the production of | | | | associated with the suffering and sacrifice of |
| gemstone garnet. | | | | Jesus Christ and is therefore connected with the |
| The first documented use of garnet for industrial | | | | concept of salvation. It is also believed that in the |
| processes can be traced back in 1878, when | | | | story of Noah, he used a large piece of a |
| Barton Mines Corp. manufactured it as a coating | | | | red-colored garnet to be able to illuminate his ark |
| for sandpaper. Today, aside from being an | | | | during the great storm. The Quoran also refers to |
| abrasive, it is also used to cut steel in water jets | | | | garnet as the light of the fourth heaven. |
| under high pressure. States like Alaska, California, | | | | There are also beliefs that garnet can be used to |
| Arizona, Colorado, Montana and Idaho have | | | | ensure safety during trips. It is also believed that |
| wonderful sources of garnet. | | | | garnet can cure diseases and food poisoning. |
| Garnet is also used as an indicator for determining | | | | Garnet is a gemstone that got its name from the |
| the stages of rock formation. It is used in the | | | | Greek word "granatus" which literally means grain. |
| process of defining the metamorphic stages of | | | | It refers to the likeness of the structure of the |
| rocks. It is also used to detect the formation of | | | | gem to a group of grains. It is also associated |
| igneous rocks. | | | | with the pomegranate fruit, which resembles the |
| Pure garnet crystals are commonly used as | | | | color of the most common garnets and whose |
| gemstones for jewelries. Let's take a look at the | | | | seeds resemble the structure of the gemstone. |
| different qualities of a garnet as a gemstone. | | | | No matter what kind or what color of garnet we |
| Garnet Gemstones | | | | might prefer, one's thing for sure- that garnet |
| Garnet gemstones come in different colors and | | | | stones are definitely versatile and beautiful. One |
| can change colors if they are placed against | | | | doesn't need to use a microscope to be able to |
| different kinds of light. The more popular colors of | | | | appreciate the beauty of garnet. The people who |
| garnet gemstones are pink to purple red or | | | | were born in January are very lucky to have |
| brownish red. Actually, the colors of garnet | | | | garnet as their gemstone. |