January's birthstone is the garnet, a beautiful red wine-colored stone that can be opaque to translucent and is found all over the world. Garnet is often dyed to create consistent color. I purchased my current garnets as "natural", meaning they have not been dyed.
From the Latin word, granatus, meaning 'seedlike', possibly because of a resemblance to the delectable & juicy pomegranate.
I can see the resemblance!
Ruby, onyx, agate and lapis can also be powerful stones for the Capricorn, as these are sun/star, planetary and talisman stones for this sign. I know little about astrology, so this information is for those of you who might. I've also seen rose quartz as an alternate birthstone, which looks fabulous with garnet.
Garnets form under high temperature, pressure or both. They are used as 'indicator minerals' to locate diamonds. Used historically for thousands of years, it is considered to be the beacon stone that Noah used to guide the ark through dark nights. Soldiers have used them for protection, embedded into shields and carried as amulets.
Representing courage, truth, fidelity and compassion; thought to heal depression and increase productivity, garnets should be worn close to the body to maximize their peaceful energy.
I have some new garnets arriving shortly and will post new designs as soon as they are ready!
