January - Garnet

Garnet received its name from the Latin word for pomegranate, "granatum," because crystals in rock reminded earlier scientists of pomegranate seeds. The Persians considered garnet a royal stone, and primitive cultures believed garnets could be used to stop bleeding and cure inflamation. Asias and North American tribes used garnets as bullets, believing the stone would inflict fatal wounds. Garnet occurs in all colors with the exception of blue, and all garnets - not just red - are birthstones for the month of January. Of the many types of garnets, the most familiar are pyrope, almadite, rhodolite, spessaratite, and tsavorite.