Birthstone - Garnet is the Birthstone for January

Anniversary - Garnet jewellery is often given to mark a 2nd Wedding Anniversary

Mohs' scale - 6.5-7.5 (The Mohs' scale 1 to 10 indicates a gem's scratch hardness, with 10 Mohs the hardest)

Varieties - Pyrope Garnet, Rhodolite, Spessartite Garnet, Demantoid Garnet and Tsavorite 

Garnet is widely known as a deep red gemstone, however it can be found in a variety of colours, with valuable stones often coming in green and orange shades. We have a long association with this gemstone: beads of garnet turn up in prehistoric graves and red carbuncles (cabochons) have been appearing in jewellery for the last 500 years. Garnet is famous for its prominent use in Victorian jewellery, where it was often fashioned as ‘roses’. The lustre of garnets can range from adamantine (like diamond) to vitreous (like glass) to resinous (like amber).

A few interesting facts about Garnet

Garnet is believed to have been named by the ancient Greeks, as the colour reminded them of pomegranate seeds

Garnets occur naturally in every colour except blue