January Birthstones
The topic of birthstones can be tricky for some to understand. Especially if one is not too familiar with the zodiac signs or the whole concept of associating a precious stone with a person’s month of birth. Traditionally these precious stones were assigned in line with the zodiac sign which meant that someone born in the month of January could either be under the sign of Capricorn or Aquarius. The Zodiac sign, the Capricorn rules from the 22nd of December till the 2oth of January, from where the sign Aquarius takes over until the a9th of February. While the Ruby is tied to the sign of Capricorn it is the Garnet that is tied with Aquarius. This confusion together with other matters resulted in the modern list being formulated by the Jewelers of America organization. According the modern column, thus the official January birthstone is the Garnet. This precious stone has been in use since the Bronze Age and is believed to mean ‘dark red’.
A famous poem associated with topic has a verse that refers to January birthstones as follows: By her who in January was born – No gem save garnets shall be worn – They will ensure her constancy – True friendship and fidelity. Also known to mean grain or seed, it closely resembles the deep, juicy red of pomegranate seeds. Many are the stories and legends that surround the January birthstone. One of them tells the tale of Noah hanging a garnet in the front of his arc, to light the way ahead as all around fierce storms rolled and darkened everything in sight. Yet another myth speaks of a young Greek goddess, Persephone, the goddess of sunshine to be exact. It is woven around her abduction by Hades who held her underground and released her much later and sent her off with pomegranate seeds.
Believed to be first mined in the resplendent island of Sri Lanka, located off the southern coast of India, the garnet is believed to be found far off places that include Africa, South America the United States of America and Russia. Those interested in this topic might want to hold this January birthstone quite close to their being. So if you are interested in carrying this precious stone around, you could incorporate them in your necklace, bracelet or ring. Because these are not particularly expensive you could look at more elaborate designs that feature numerous amounts of these January birthstones. It is believed that the garnet, the January birthstone was picked for this month so that its colorful warmth could contrast with the coldness associated with the month. It is believed that this precious stone brings friendship, loyalty and sincerity for those born in the month of January and that it has the power to protect its owner during travel and bring about general good health.
