Happy Birthday….January!

A little birthstone history, fact, lore and legend.

The origin of birthstones is believed to date back to the breastplate of Aaron, which contained twelve gemstones representing the twelve tribes of Israel.

There are numerous legends and myths about birthstone healing powers and their therapeutic influence. According to these legends, wearing a gemstone during its assigned month heightened its healing powers. For the full effect, individuals needed to own all twelve and alternate them monthly.

Most months have more than one birthstone, the modern and traditional, and the mystical.

January’s modern birthstone is the garnet. It signifies eternal friendship and trust. The word garnet is derived from the Latin word granatus, which means seed, and is called this because of the resemblance to a pomegranate seed. Reference to the gemstone dates back to 3100 B.C.

Myth suggests that the garnet originated with Persephone, the Greek goddess of sunshine. Persephone was captured by Hades, the god of the underworld. Before Hades released Persephone, he wanted to guarantee her return, so he gave her some pomegranate seeds.
Hummm…I like pomegranate, but it would take more than that…anyway.

The garnet is said to hold the powers to stop hemorrhaging, cure inflammatory diseases, and cure anger and discord. It also balances yin and yang energies. Place under your pillow to ward off bad dreams and evil spirits.

Although the Garnet is traditionally red in color, the stone ranges from a colorless hue to black.

Since the garnet signifies eternal friendship and trust and is the perfect gift for a friend!

The traditional birthstone for January is the rose quartz. The rose quartz is associated with emotional balance and forgiveness. Some call the rose quartz “The Love Stone!”

Rose quartz is one of the most desirable varieties of quartz. The pink to rose red color is completely unique, unlike any other pink mineral species. The color is caused by iron and titanium impurities.

The garnet and the rose quartz necklaces pictured here are now available on Etsy.

The mystical birthstone for January is the Emerald. To be fair to all those May birthdays I will save that for later!

Stay tuned, next month for Happy Birthday…February!

“Supernatural powers have long been attributed by astrologers to certain gemstones. Wearing the gem associated with one’s birthday is commonly thought to bring good luck or health.”
—Encylopedia Britannica

*Happy New Year Everyone!*