January Birthstone is Gorgeous Garnet

Many people identify with their birthstone and birthstones provide a way to personalize your jewelry wardrobe. Chances are that most ladies own or have owned a piece of jewelry with their birthstone in it. It somehow makes it more special and symbolic of whom you are. It is a lovely tradition to give a piece of jewelry with a birthstone of choice to a young lady as their first piece of jewelry.

The birthstone for the month of January is the Garnet. The beautiful gemstone is typically found out in the retail market in a deep red color although the garnet can be found in other colors that are much rarer than red.  The Garnet was first mined over 2,500 years ago in Sri Lanka but can also be found in Africa, Australia, Russia, India, South America and the United States. The Garnet is rated 6.5 to a 7.5 on the hardness scale, so it's a great gemstone to have in your jewelry wardrobe that you can wear on a daily basis, plus its lovely color will mix well with clothing choices.

Caring for your Garnet is rather easy. Just like with any semi-precious gemstone you will want to take care of your Garnet gemstone with a good gemstone jewelry cleaner that you purchase from a reputable brand. We recommend you try to find jewelry cleaners without harsh, abrasive chemical cleaners. Store your pieces carefully in a lined jewelry box or velvet jewelry bags sot the stone does not scratch other jewelry you own.

The selection of jewelry choices with Garnets is very large They can effectively accessorize your outfits with beautiful bracelets, rings, watches, necklaces and other fine jewelry pieces. The Garnet is a popular stone for its beautiful color and affordability as a gemstone. You will be able to wear any of your Garnet items for many years and pass some down as heirloom pieces.

by Gregg Nosaji, Contributing Editor for ChasingTreasure.com, online retailer of jewelry boxes, jewelry armoires and jewelry related gifts. Gregg is an event consultant and writes about gift ideas and special occasions.