January Birthstone - Garnet

January is the month where many resolve to start the year with ambitious New Year's resolution, so it is only apt that its birthstone is said to bring the wearer increased willpower, self-esteem and stimulation of the metabolism. A birthstone that heals and regenerates, just what we need after a busy and hectic December month.

Garnet comes in a variety of colours, from the deep red colour to the vibrant green colour (tsavorite) found not so long ago in the 1970 in Kenya's Tsavo National Park. The name garnet comes from the word pomegranate, because the deep red varieties of the gemstone resemble the seeds of the pomegranate fruit.

At the auction of the estate of Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis at Sotheby's in 1996, a garnet flower brooch from the 19th century was sold for USD145,000.