January = Garnet
Those born in January have lucky to have a whole complex family of gems for their birthstone!
The colour range in the Garnet group is enormous. Mostly known for deep rich red there are also black, orange, pink and many shades of green and even colourless stones in this family.
I said it was a complex family! These crystals tend to be found in mixed states; that is, rarely is a Garnet 100% one type, there will be traces of a few together.
This family is split into 2 groups, aluminium rich Pyralspite and calcium rich Ugrandite. In the Pyralspite arm we have Pyrope, Almondine, Spessartine and we see red through pink and orange, due to the presence of manganese and iron. Pyrope garnets are always red with Almondine often having a red/brownish tone. Spessartine ranges from yellow through orange to orangey red, with the most prized being bright neon orange.
In the Ugrandite side of the family we have Uvarovite which is an amazing green due to the mineral chromium. Confusingly, Grossular garnets exist in a whole range of colours from colourless through yellow, reddish orange, orangey red and the vibrant green of Tsavorite. Andradite has its own three varieties which are Colophonite (reddish brown), Demantoid (vivid green) and Topazolite (yellow/green and rare).
Chemical composition –
Garnets are such a diverse group, the general formula is X3Y2(SiO4)3, where X and Y are various metal ions. The family exists in different combinations of these ions.
Hardness (mohs scale) –
7 to 7.5
Mineral group –
silicates
Crystal system –
cubic
Historical –
The name Garnet is derived from the latin ‘Granulum’ meaning pomegranate, as the crystals resemble the red seed fruits.
It’s association with protection is seen in many ancient cultures, including Astec and Eastern Asiatic tribes, who carried them into battle, believing that Garnets would bring them victory. Some tribes would fashion arrowheads from Garnet, believing that the wounds inflicted would lose more blood and be more deadly. Garnets have a high refractory index, meaning they are super sparkly! This led to explorers and travellors carrying these gems with them to ward off evil and light up the night.
The ‘Lion of Merelani’ is a record breaking 116 carat Tsavorite Garnet. It is now on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, USA. A truly exceptional gemstone, it is more than 100 carats bigger than their previous prized Tsavorite.