Yes, we’re playing catch-up here; the idea of writing about birthstones wasn’t sent to me until late in January, so I missed writing about garnets during “their” month. And going forward, I’m going to write about each stone a few weeks before it is “in season,” so that if you’re inclined to get something in anticipation of a birthday, you’ll have a chance to plan ahead some.
Since this posts follows so quickly on the heels of the post about the February amethysts, I stuck with the same garments (for the most part) and just found new and lovely accessories!
One of the fun things about garnets is the range of shades of red available – everything from a pretty bright “true” red through to a deep maroon or burgundy shade. That makes it easier for you to find garnets that suit you perfectly.
And if you’re planning to visit Prague, be warned – Garnet jewelry is everywhere there, and maddeningly tempting! The only time I ever visited, I was so overwhelmed that I ended up leaving with no purchases. It’s worthwhile to have a few ideas about what you want before you travel; I was utterly unprepared…
Yes, this is the same bracelet – one with silver, one with gold. I love having that kind of option!
Janice
More from the Birthstone Series:
- January: Garnets
- February: Amethyst
- March: Aquamarines
- April: Diamonds
- May: Emeralds
- June: Pearls
- July: Carnelian
- August: Peridot
- September: Sapphires
- October: Opals
- November: Topaz or Citrine
- December: Turquoise or Tanzanite
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And malachite in Kenya and amber in Krakow and pearls in Hong Kong…
I like that you showed two very different stones with the same clothes. Just shows that whatever our birthstone, we should wear it if we feel like it. Most of them work most of the time.
This is going to be a great series! Love your choices!
Janice,
Garnets are my birthstones, and I would not be without the twin stone diagonal setting ring that I inhereted from my mother-in-law, that she I hereted from her great aunt ! The band is dangerously thin, and someday I'll have to have it reset , but I love it and seldom remove it. With my " warmie" coloring I wear my dark red garnet colored items with tan , brown, and denim blue bottoms.
I am loving that Coach handbag and Tumi backpack! Out of my league financially, but I can still dream ! And the velvet baseball cap– that combination of the rich deep red color and the luscious velvet texture conjures up a story about a romantic, yet confident, intriguing woman ! There's a mystery tale there somehow ! Both modern and Edwardian all at the same time ! Perhaps a time traveler ?
I really do know how to spell inherited, but, alas, my iPad does not !
Thank you for the garnets! Now I may have to adjust my Spring/Summer 5… Sigh.
Love this series and especially the choices for garnets! Thanks for adding in the garnet colored accessories – very helpful!
Garnet is not a single mineral but describes a group- and there is a huge range in colour. The rose to burgundy variety you have shown is Pyrope, the most common. This is important because garnet prices can vary significantly. The greens -Tsavorite, Demantoid and green Grossular garnets (such as the coveted "Merlani mint) are much more rare and priced accordingly. The Pyrope garnet is a good choice for gemmy red colour that is much much cheaper than ruby, and less than spinel, though they do not have the same qualities of light refraction.
I love garnets and they are my birthstone. I don't wear a lot of garnet colored clothing (I have one long cardigan that is garnet and that's it) but I do love accessories in this color. I have a pair of Fluevog heels that are a beautiful garnet color that I wore with navy last week.
Janice – just to give you a heads up – there seems to be an issue with your site and Blogspot this morning – it kept telling me that you didn't exist. I finally found a way around it but others may be having problems. This happened last week with a popular UK site and her new address has been taken over by a Commercial Weightloss site and somehow her address has reverted to one she had previously! Not quite sure what is happening out there…..
While not my birthstone I do love garnets and have a pair of earrings and a ring that was my grandmother's. And I do regret not buying myself something new when I was in Prague – I kept dithering between the garnets and the amber and ended up with nothing!
As a January baby I've had my share of garnets – I have a wonderful Rhodolite bracelet that I wear often with sporty outfits.
But my favorite garnet is my Tsavorite pendant – a deep, deep green with a high refractive rate. It's stunning.
Earrings, pendant, ring . . . Because they were bought in Prague (no hesitation for me!) or Salzburg, they are in fairly formal (curly), almost Victorian settings so I keep them for best and wear them with a dress, or the midnight blue silk velour evening jacket. Then I pretend I'm descended from the Esterhazys and hit the concert hall. They were lovely when I had dark brown hair but now I'm grey I find they still add a special something to the look, just in a different way. Next time you're in Europe ladies, go for it, (My birthstone is pearl.)
Robyn in Tasmania
Hubby just gifted me a beautiful set of garnet and diamond earrings for Valentine's day…they are luscious! My birthstone is peridot, which I've never liked…too yellowish green for my coloring…but maybe you'll find something that changes my mind!!! I hope so, as I have a beloved niece born in August, and it would be fun to share something special with her!
Love the color garnet! And those ballet flats, gotta have them. 🙂 I'm looking forward to this birthstone series. Mine is peridot and I'm just starting to embrace the color, so I'll be interested to see how you use that color.