As we embark on a new year and look forward to new beginnings, I thought it would be the perfect time to start a monthly blog post focused around birthstones. The tradition of giving or wearing your birthstone has been part of history since ancient times, but the modern list of birthstones has only been around since 1912 when the Jewelers of America published what has become the Standard or Modern list of birthstones.
Most people know what their birthstone is, but a betting person will wager they don’t know the other eleven and won’t know that there are alternative birthstones! When you are shopping for the perfect gift, like a beautiful necklace or ring with a birthstone, you need to know what your options are!
Birthstones are part of modern society, but each gem has had special significance since ancient times. There are many interpretations spanning across different cultures, even different civilizations, but each month we will focus on the most popular interpretations from traditional and modern as well as non-traditional, including what stone corresponds to each month’s astrological signs.
So, without further ado, let us start with January!! Garnet is both the traditional, modern, and ancient birthstone for January. More specifically, the dark red variety (garnet comes in an array of colors from deep red to pale yellow as seen here).
The word garnet comes from the Latin “granatus” which means having many seeds. Picture the inside of a pomegranate and you will see how this gemstone got its name.
This beautiful stone is thought to symbolize peace, prosperity and good health. Some say it even has the power to give the wearer eternal happiness, health and wealth. Now that sounds fantastic to me!
Let’s look at an alternative birthstone derived from your birth sign.
January is the month of Capricorn and Aquarius. The stone for Capricorns is Ruby (do you notice a color theme here?) The stone for Aquarius is you guessed it, Garnet! It seems that Garnet spans many interpretations of the birthstone for January!
