Malaia Garnet	Rhodolite Garnet	Grossulur Mali Garnet	Green Grossular Mali Garnet
Spessartite Garnet	Pyrope Garnet	Mandarin Garnet	Tsavorite Garnet

Garnet is January’s birthstone.  The history of Garnet dates back to the Bronze Age (more than 5,000 years ago), when it was a very popular gemstone.  According to Christian and Jewish mythologies, when God's wrath clouded the earth with thunderous storms and endless rain during the Great Flood, a radiant red Garnet guided the way for Noah, ultimately leading his ark to salvation.

The name "Garnet" is believed to have derived from "pomegranate" with its red, "Garnet colored" seeds. While the name Garnet has long been associated with a rich red color, the gemstone actually comes in a much wider array of color variations including: reds, oranges, greens and color change. Garnets are a group of related minerals, containing cubic crystalline structure with slight variations in their chemical compositions. In all, there are 7 major types of Garnets, which include Almandite, Pyrope, Spessartite, Grossularite, Andradite, Rhodolite and Malaia.  Garnets are found in a wide variety of locations including: Kenya, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Brazil, India & Arizona (USA), however the bulk of today's Garnet supplies come from Africa.

When evaluating Garnets, color is the most important characteristic. The color must be intense and uniform with a tone that is not too light or too dark. Fine Garnets should be eye clean with minimal inclusions under magnification.