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GARNETBIRTHSTONE REPORT
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The Garnet birthstone is associated with January. Throughout thecenturies, human beings are known to develop personal beliefs andvalues for inanimate objects that they consider as lucky charms.Myths and legends surrounding the stones resulted in the associationof the gemstones with the birth months. It is argued that the garnetbrought most luck to the people born in January such as healing themof heart, lungs, or blood-related illnesses (Brannan, 2015). Hence,it was regarded as the birthstone of January, a belief that continuesto thrive in the present world.
The history of the birthstone indicates that it originated from theancient Greek. One of the myths is that Persephone, the goddess ofsunshine, was issued with pomegranate seeds by Hades, who isconsidered the god of the underworld, to guarantee of her return tothe underworld (Burke Museum, 2016). Therefore, during the winterseason, the Greeks argued that the goddess of sunshine haddisappeared into the underworld. In the Middle Ages, individualsstopped seen the garnet as a stone for the gods and began using it intheir lives especially during weddings and among friends.
Some of the facts about the garnet stone are that its hardness rangesfrom 6.5 -7.5 on the Mohs scale, which implies that if one bites it,the teeth can easily be injured. Garnet is mainly found inmetamorphic rocks and rarely, in granites and volcanic rocks in areassuch as the US, South Africa, Brazil, and Australia (McPherson,2011). Garnets are formed in deep underground levels that enable thegemstones to endure high temperatures and pressures. This featureallows the geologists to use the stone to determine the temperatureand pressure of surrounding rocks.
References
Brannan, A. (2015). Get to know Garnet: The January Birthstone,Exploring life’s mysteries, Online, Retrieved fromhttp://www.exploringlifesmysteries.com/january-birthstone/Accessed on 9/6/2016
Burke Museum. (2016). January: Month of Garnet. Birthstones,Online. Retrieved fromhttp://www.burkemuseum.org/blog/january-month-garnetAccessed on 9/6/2016
McPherson, A. L. (2011). State geosymbols: Geological symbols ofthe 50 United States. S.l: s.n.