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With its origin from the Latin language, garnet evolved from the term ‘granatus’ to mean ‘seed’ or ‘grain’. This is because this January birthstone closely resembles the seed of the luscious pomegranate fruit. The hardness quality of a garnet however, is far from that of a pomegranate, as this jewelry ranks 6.5 to 7.5 in Moh’s scale of hardness.

A popular myth involving the garnet is that of a story from the Bible about Noah. It was said that this gem was hung by Noah on the ark that he made in order to use its sparkle as a guide and source of light during the dark stormy night. Another story is from a Greek legend where Hades, the underworld god, abducted Persephone, the goddess of sunshine. Persephone was released only after she was offered pomegranate seeds by the wicked Hades, as a potion to guarantee her return.

This January birthstone is also popularly known as the red gemstone. However, garnet also exists in a variety of other colors such as violets, lime greens, vibrant oranges and rosy pinks. Every gem of garnet is composed of manganese, calcium and iron, and the different element combination varies in each piece, accounting for the variety in its hues.

Garnet jewelry is worn as a protection for the travelers. As a gift, it is known to popularly symbolize love and the sincere wish for the beloved’s safety during travel. With this power of protection and affection, garnet is not only preferred as a January birthstone but also as a precious piece of jewelry to be worn the whole year round.

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