Garnet

Garnet is a mineral used since the Bronze Age as a gemstone. There are six common species of Garnet: pyrope, almandine, spessartite, grossular (including hessonite and tsavorite), uvarovite and andradite. Colors range from typical deep warm red (wine), to a wide variety covering the whole color spectrum (the rarest of all is blue). Its name comes from the Latin granatus, for “grain”, and likely refers to the pomegranate. Garnet is the birthstone for the month of January.