January's Birthstone

Garnet is believed to get its name from Latin for "seed" (granate) due to red garnet's similarity to a pomegranate seed. Red is the most commonly encountered garnet, however few people are aware that the world of garnets is far more colourful with a surprising number of hues. You will find various shades of green, a faint to intense yellow, a fiery orange and some fine earth-coloured tones. 

Not only do garnets have many colours; they also have many names: almandine, andradite, demantoid, grossularite, hessonite, pyrope, rhodolite, tsavorite, spessartine, and uvarovite. The best known green garnet is the tsavorite, like all garnets, it is particularly brilliant.

The garnet represents constancy, it is also a stone of positive thoughts which is said to dispel and relieve depression, which makes it a rather befitting stone for the month of January!

At Alfies our dealers have an impressive selection of garnet jewellery on offer. Below is an array of garnet in it's most prominent shade; red.

15 carat gold and foil backed garnet cufflinks, offered by Gareth Brooks.

18ct garnet Victorian buckle, retailed by Storr & Mortimer. Original box. Offered by Kieron Rielly.

Bohemian garnet bracelet featuring three rows of garnet stones set in 6ct gold. Offered by Naneen Brooks.

9ct Victorian snake ring with garnet. Offered by Kieron Rielly.

Garnet bangle set in 6ct gold. Circa 1910.Offered by Sheila Cameron.