The birthstone popularly associated with January is Garnet. I’ve incorporated Garnet beads into necklaces, bracelets and earrings throughout the Fire Element collection.
Since ancient times, garnet's traditional red colour was associated with the heart and blood. People believed garnet had a mystical power to counter melancholy, stir the heart to great deeds, prevent haemorrhage, and improve circulation.
The word "Garnet" actually originates from the Latin word granatus for seed or grain. This is probably a reference to the seeds of the pomegranate fruit. In fact, some garnets do resemble pomegranate seeds in colour, size, and shape.
Saxon and Celtic kings favoured garnet inlaid jewellery because of the belief that garnets had the power to shield their wearers from harm. Native American healers also believed that garnets had protective powers against injury and poison. According to Judeo-Christian tradition, King Solomon wore garnets into battle and during the Crusades, Christian and Muslim warriors both wore garnets.
Archeologists have recovered garnet necklaces and talismans from Ancient Egyptian tombs and mummies and the Ancient Greeks and Romans also highly valued this gem
It was also believed that Garnet's colour and inner fire could stir a person's creative energy. Garnets have been symbolically associated with life force, especially the feminine life force.
