Jewelry blog from Jewelrymall.com

Though there are many birthstones, the most popular birthstone for January is Garnet. The name “garnet” is believed to have come from the Middle English word “gernet” which means “dark red,” or the Latin “granatus,” which means “grain,” possibly in reference to the pomegranate (Punica granatum), a plant that bears red seeds and fruit. Garnets indeed are most commonly known to come in a red hue, although there also are colorless, pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, and black garnet stones, blue being the rarest of the colors. They can be found in Africa, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Brazil, India, Canada, and the United States, particularly the states of Arizona, Utah, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, New Hampshire, and Virginia. Aside from their color they also differ in “species,” and their chemical compositions vary so there is a difference in atomic bond strength among them. Using the Mohs Scale, garnets range from 6.5 to 7.5 in terms of hardness. Care of garnet jewelry should be taken by using a soft, dry cloth when cleaning, and as with all other gems, by protecting from blows, scratches, chemicals and extreme temperatures. Garnet jewelry is said to attract prosperity and to symbolize goodness and fidelity.

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