January birthstone – Garnet, The fabulous red gemstone

Garnet is a deep red to bright red gemstone, also including purple, green, and other spectrums. This is a very ancient gemstone, used in Egypt, Rome, and Europe for centuries. Ancient tiaras have been found made of red garnet, and modern designer jewelry often includes large, exceptionally beautiful gemstones.

Garnet as a birthstone

Garnet is believed to provide an extraordinary range of benefits, including clarity of thought, elimination of negative thoughts, a cure for inflammation, and even peace of mind!

Garnet in jewelry design

With such a long history and so many color variants it's not surprising that garnet is one of the most popular gemstones in design. Variants of garnet include:

• Pyrope – Purple and red
• Almandine – Purple and red
• Spessartine – Orange, yellow and white
• Grossular – Yellow and red
• Andradite – Yellow and green
• Tsavorite – A range of strong green gemstones

Gemstone quality is a measure of scope in design. Some types of garnet are excellent for multifaceted latched gemstone designs. Large garnets are often used for rings and other major elements in jewelry design.

The very broad range of colors of garnet is another major asset for designers. Different colors can be used for creating complex jewelry, with multiple contrasts, cuts, and styles.

Shopping for garnets online

1. When shopping for garnets, you will find a truly vast range of different sizes, styles, and, of course, prices.

A few useful tips:

• Basic shopping doesn't need to be difficult. If you're looking for garnets for custom jewelry, it’s a good idea to shop by size and price.
• You'll notice many online offers include collections of multiple smaller garnet gemstones, cut or uncut. These collections can be very useful, and offer very good deals in terms of price. Take a little extra time to explore these choices.
• Shopping by color simplifies searching. Because of the very wide range of colors available, you can narrow down your search quite easily. It is also a good way of checking the entire range of gemstones in that spectrum.
• There's a big difference in prices for large gemstones. Large garnets are very much in demand and they are comparatively rare. You may need to contact a supplier directly for large carrot gemstones.
• Bigger suppliers offer better deals. This is important if you're looking for a specialist supplier. A broad range of gemstones is an indicator of a supplier able to deliver at good prices.
• Window shopping is a very good idea when searching for garnets. Because garnets for so many choices, it will be well worth your while to just browse, and see what's available. It is possible to get excellent gemstones at excellent prices.

Looking for something special?

When you're shopping for birthstones, naturally you want the best, at the best price. It's often a very useful option to get a bit of assistance. RMC is here to help with expert advice, gemstone certification, and practical advice. We are one of the largest online gemstone suppliers in the world, and we can definitely help. Give us a call or call us online we'll be happy to assist.