Garnets are the birthstone of January. I think it is one of the most beautiful family of gemstones as it comprises gems with strong and diverse colours and it is hard wearing so is good for jewellery (6.5-7.5 on the Mohs scale).

Georgian foiled back garnet gold pendant

The best known garnets are the dark red almandine and the pyrope. The almandine garnet was usually presented as a cabochon and, in antique jewellery, was often described as a carbuncle. The pyrope garnet was the stone used in Bohemian garnet jewellery. These red stones gave the family its name as the word garnet comes from the 14th‑century Middle English word gernet, meaning ‘dark red’ which in turn is derived from the Latin word granatus, from granum (‘grain, seed’),  believed to be associated with the pomegranate which has red seeds.

Georgian mourning brooch with foiled garnet surround

Gem quality garnets come in lots of colours though, not just red. Besides dark purple red (almandine), deep red (pyrope), purple red or rose pink (rhodolite), there is also orange red brown (spessarite), brown red (hessonite), black (melanite) and green (tsavolite and demantoid). 

Victorian garnet bead bracelet with engraved gold clasp

There is no doubt, though, that it is the red garnet that gets the most attention.