January's birthstone is a symbol of faith, constancy, truth and fidelity. Legend had it that Garnets eliminated sadness and depression. The Garnet is a family of gems, rather than a single gemstone. Most commonly used birthstone Garnets are the orangey red, brownish red, and deep red almandine and pyrope Garnets. A new, popular addition is the rhodolite Garnet, which has a pink or violetish-red hue like a glass of rose wine.
Garnets also come in stunning shades of green, orange and gold.
Legend has it that in ancient Rome a beautiful maiden, Amethyst, was turned into a pillar of white stone to save her from a vengeful god. Regretting his vengeance, the god of wine poured the juice of a grape over the stone maiden, creating Amethyst. Once thought to protect you from becoming intoxicated, this beautiful deep purple member of the quartz family is familiar as February's birthstone. Amethyst and Citrine, both a type of quartz, are basically the same stone, and Amethyst is often heat treated to change the color to the lovely golden colors of Citrine. Whichever shade you prefer, the ancient Greeks were right when they said this stone aptly captures the true spirit of the sea.