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Greetings!
While best known for its deep, wine-red hue, garnet, January’s birthstone, is actually a family of gems that spans vivid greens, warm oranges, rich purples, and even color-change varieties.
Garnet has been treasured for thousands of years as a symbol of strength and vitality and has adorned many civilizations across history. Egyptian pharaohs wore red garnet necklaces, Roman officials used garnet intaglios to seal important documents, and the Victorians loved garnet jewelry, importing large quantities of garnet from Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic).
More recent discoveries of demantoid, spessartine, and tsavorite have broadened the appeal of the garnet family, keeping this classic gem group at the forefront of jewelry design and collector interest. What’s your favorite garnet color?
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