This months short blog is all about the wonderful stone the Garnet.
Garnet is the birthstone for January and is most commonly found in red but can be found in green, orange and colourless shades, the second most popular is green, seen in the Demantoid Garnet.
They are a hardy gem and come in at around 6.5 - 7.5 on the Mohs scale, they can last for thousands of years with careful care and attention and have been used in jewellery for many, many years, revered for the durability they possess and were even used in ancient Egypt, they are said to promote friendship, health and protection from evil.
The name is thought to be derived from the old English word gernet which means dark red, they were especially popular in the Georgian and Victorian eras.
There are many different varieties of garnet including; Rhodolite, Almandine, Hessonite, Demantoid, Andradite, Pyrope, Spessartine and more and it is very rarely treated so most garnets you find in jewellery will be natural.
It can be found in many places across the world, in many varieties and shades so it is truly a chameleon of a gem and remains a popular choice today for jewellery owing to its impressive statistics, after all if it was good enough for the ancient Egyptians then who are we to argue!
You can find plenty of wonderful garnet pieces in the shop and if you are lucky enough to be a January babe then plenty of birthday gift hints too.
We hope you enjoyed these quick garnet facts.
Until next time, much love from StolenAttic xoxo