Garnet is the birthstone for the month of January.
The term “garnet” comes from the Latin granatum, which means pomegranate, because of the strong resemblance of red garnet crystals to the seeds of the pomegranate.
In the Bible, at the time of the great floods, it is said that Noah used the shine of the red garnet to find his way in the darkness. Garnet is often associated with enlightenment, a stone that helps one find one's way. Thus, the Vikings were buried with garnet jewelry to facilitate their journey to Valhalla.
Garnet is believed to have great healing powers; it would be good for the heart and; absorbed in powder form in water, it would make melancholy disappear. In the Middle Ages, knights decorated their shields with garnet to protect themselves from injury.
