Whether you're celebrating a loved one's birthday (or your own), or embarking on a new endeavor, garnets make thoughtful, elegant gifts.

GARNET

January opens the door into a brand-new year, and then invites you in for a moment of reflection. This is a time to contemplate what you've been up to, and what you might like to do next.

January's birthstone is garnet. Similar in shape, size, and color to the pomegranate seed (from which the gem takes its name), its delectable, candy-like red crystals certainly do look good enough to eat. Garnet is classically associated with the color red, but this beautiful and diverse stone can be found, to a lesser extent, in almost every color, with blue being the rarest. Some varieties can even change color under incandescent lighting.

A precious stone consisting of vitreous silicate material, garnet has a Mohs hardness of 6.5-7.5 out of 10. The crystals grow suspended in hot viscous rock, so every facet is well defined, with the absence of any attachment point, such as with crystals from a geode. Garnets come from many different regions and countries, and have been treasured for their beauty and symbolism since the Bronze Age.

Some associate garnet with a stable, balanced energy that inspires courage, good health, happiness, and passion. Perhaps manifesting strength in its wearer—to chart a new course, or let go of old patterns. The two zodiac signs of January are Capricorn and Aquarius, and so whether you're celebrating a loved one's birthday (or your own), or embarking on a new endeavor, garnets make thoughtful, elegant gifts.

Image credit: GIA.edu