January birthstone – garnet, may your New Year be full of blessings!

Those born in January are lucky because the birthstone for this month is garnet. The Spring Festival is coming, and there is a festive atmosphere everywhere, and everyone can think of good luck when they mention garnet. In fact, garnet has a huge family, in addition to the red garnet, other colors of garnet are also responsible for the appearance.

Garnet’s English name is “Garnet”, which is derived from the Latin word “Granatum”, which means “like seeds” or “many seeds”, because garnet crystals have a similar shape and color to pomegranate seeds. For thousands of years, garnet has been considered a symbol of faith, fidelity and simplicity.

Garnet has a wide variety of colors, almost all other colors except blue, which can be divided into red, yellow and green. Among them, the more famous garnet varieties are pyrope, fenta, demantoid, tsavorite and so on. Today, the editor will take you to focus on appreciating the red garnet dominated by pyrope and almandine.

Pyrope garnet

Pyrope garnet is mainly produced in the United States, the Czech Republic and other places, the color is mainly purple-red to orange tones, gem-quality pyrope garnet often has purple-red, maroon-red, pink, orange-red and so on. Some pyrope garnets with a color-changing effect appear deep red under incandescent light and purple in daylight. Since garnet cleavage is not well developed, fractures are rarely seen in pyrope. This is also a point that is more “friendly” to collectors.

Almandine

Almandine is a very common garnet variety, also known as “cinnamonite”. Its color is mainly dark and dark, often brown, maroon, and purple-red (also known as “purple tooth black” in business). Compared with pyrope, which is cleaner on the inside, almandine often has needle-like inclusions, crystalline mineral inclusions, etc., which usually have intact crystal forms. Spessartine garnets from Sri Lanka also have a “zircon halo” inside them, in which tiny zircon crystals are encased in an almandine garnet with a halo around it. So the presence or absence of inclusions inside can also be used as a way to distinguish pyrope garnet from almandine.

Maintenance of garnets

There are several things to do about the maintenance of garnet: first of all, avoid exposing garnet to chemicals and acids and alkalis, and avoid long-term exposure to the sun. If conditions permit, it is recommended that you wash the garnet regularly, if only the surface of the garnet is stained, you can wash it with water and wipe it with a softer cotton cloth. It should be noted that when storing garnets, try to store them separately to avoid scratches.

The above is the auspicious and festive red garnet. As the saying goes, “wear red and wear red, you will never be poor”, red jewelry can set off the atmosphere of the Spring Festival, add joy, and make people prosperous all year round. As the “women’s stone” in everyone’s hearts, the red garnet is gorgeous and solemn, and women can wear it elegantly and generously, and it can also set off the fair skin and good complexion. In addition, pomegranate also has the meaning of “many children” in our traditional culture, and women wearing garnet will also have the effect of promoting family harmony and consummation. If you like it, you might as well get a garnet or a bunch of garnets and let it plant your New Year’s wishes like a seed!