January Birthstones. The idea of the birthstone is said to go back to Biblical times. Moses created a breastplate for his brother Aaron, with each gem representing one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Today, people cherish a stone that is special for their birth month. It helps give us something unique that has a wonderful significance. Over the years, more and more gemstones have been chosen as birthstone. Most months have quite a few different stones. That allows you to have some choice, so that if you don’t like a particular stone, you can go for another one.
Well, for January, there are exactly twelve gemstones that represent the wintry month.
Birthstones for the calendar month of January are Garnet and Emerald.
January birthstones for the zodiac signs of Capricornus (Goat, December 22–January 19) and Aquarius (Water Bearer, January 20–February 18) are Agate, Ruby, Lapis Lazuli, Onyx, Amethyst, Turquoise, Jasper, Moss Agate, Opal and Sugilite.
Discover everything you need to know about each month's birthstone: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December.
January Birthstones #1. Garnet
Image by Selfridges
What a lovely gem is garnet. They are mostly known for their rich and alluring red and purplish hues. They come in a variety of these, and they can also come in colors such as ranging as far as green and yellow.
Garnets are awesome for faceting and cutting into cabochons. Some common shapes are: oval, radiant, triangle, marquise, and pear.
Garnet can be a great accessory for everyday fashions.
2. Emerald
Image via Tiffany
You may have heard that Emerald can be breakable and scratchable, making it not great for rings. That can be true, but this world-class gem can be used in a wide variety of jewelry, and emerald necklaces are particularly stunning.
One thing to consider is pairing an emerald gemstone with eye shadow of the same color, or even your dress!
January Birthstones #3: Agate
Image via Monica vinader
The agate is a sort of silicate. Here’s a cool new word—cryptocrystalline. Now, this has nothing to do with the cryptocurrency that your dork officemate keeps babbling about. No, cryptocrystalline means really fine crystals that show up in super-fine patterns.
A lot of these stones have concentric banding which allows you to feel as though you are staring into the magical eye of Mother Nature.
Many agates are in some variety of orange or orange-brown tone, but can also be variations on blue.
While it’s possible to use agate for fengshui, a more likely use is to get spiritual benefits from wearing the stone. It is known as “the stabilizer” and will be there for you when you need some steadying and grounding. Sometimes a person can feel a bit off balance—it’s great to have a pretty gemstone there to help you. Even if you weren’t born in January, go for it.
4. Red Ruby
Image via Harry Winston
Ah, the ruby! What a saucy and confident gem she is! She stuns with her natural beauty and winks at you when the light strikes. This is our why our friend ruby gets the highest per-carat price of any gem.
Ruby is a type of corundum (we know that’s not a pretty word) and it gets its stunning color from trace amounts of Chromium.
Ruby goes very well with any red outfit, but also with black or white.
As the looks of ruby would indicate, it’s the color of fiery emotions, such as lust, passion, arousal, and anger. It what is now Myanmar, warriors wore rubies believing they would make them invincible.
Today, we know it’s associated with the heart chakra. It encourages joy and spontaneity. You know, if you’re wearing such a precious, gorgeous stone, there’s no reason to not feel joy!
January Birthstones #5: Lapis Lazuli
Image by Jmdolle via Shutterstock
This striking blue gemstone is composed of lazurite, with minor amounts of sodalite and calcite mixed in. The main source is Afghanistan, but it’s found in smaller amounts all over the world.
Sometimes, Lapis stones without calcite will show up. This means no white marking, just a clear blue stone. While all Lapis Lazuli stones are a shiny blue, those with no calcite are pure, and they are very valuable. This stone is perfect for beading, which is why it’s way popular to use in necklaces.
Image by Splurge via Etsy
You may have noticed that some of your friends have used this pretty stone in necklaces as part of their cosplay. Well, it does encourage self-awareness and self-expression.
6. Onyx
Image by Cartier
One of the main things onyx has going for it is a nice, clean shine. It doesn’t necessarily throw of light very aggressively, but it has an understated classiness.
A lot of people think of black onyx when they think of this gemstone, and they should. Black onyx has a high luster, plus a hardness of 6.5-7 (on a scale of 0-10). It’s becoming a more and more popular stone for fashion.
However, for a change of pace, onyx can be a bright red or even a pretty, humble green.
Onyx goes well with sheath or v-neck dresses, and is perfect for somewhat casual gatherings.
Spiritually, Onyx can give great mental clarity. It helps us forgive ourselves and others.
7. Amethyst
Image via Daniquejewelry
Please do yourself a favor and snag some jewelry made with this classic and classy gemstone. Originally a cardinal gem, the Amethyst was on par with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. Then, huge mines were found in Brazil, making Amethyst easier to come by, but no less gorgeous.
Amethysts are all some lovely shade of purple, ranging from light to grapelike and dark. They have a hexagonal crystal structure and a hardness number of 7 (out of 10).
Image by Sebastian Janicki via Shutterstock
Here’s a great wrinkle: there are a lot of banded Amethysts available, which have V shaped bands called chevrons. These markings gives the stones plenty of character.
One of the great benefits of Amethyst is its ability to break mental blockages, and get a person in the right spiritual frame of mind.
January Birthstones #8: Turquoise
Image by AACTV via Shutterstock
Turquoise’s blue-green color can sometimes be described as robin’s egg blue or Persian blue. It is often mined in Iran (formerly Persia), which is where the name Persian blue comes from. Many people find themselves comforted by the friendly and warm tones of this gemstone.
Turquoise is soft, with a less-dense structure, making it great for carving. It’s often cut into cabochons. When you find a turquoise stone with no matrix (the cross-hatchings) these are the most valuable.
Image by Nyura via Shutterstock
One of the biggest things turquoise does for the wearer is to cleanse the energies and reassure the mind.
9. Jasper
Jasper is a gorgeous opaque gemstone that comes in colors such as yellow, red, maroon, green, orange, and black. A cool thing about jasper is its intricate color patterns, including mottled, striped, and ringed. This January birthstone boast a hardness score of 6.4-7, meaning good durability.
There are tons of different varieties of Jasper, including Owyhee, agate, Egyptian, Cave Creek, and leopard to list a few.
Jasper gives us great tranquility, mending the spirit.. It’s a nurturer that balances our all-important yin and yang.
10. Moss Agate
Image by Bonbonstones via Etsy
Moss agate is a quirky, unique gem stone with a rich history. Various ancient cultures saw moss agate as a healing stone. Due to the inclusions looking like said vegetation, moss agate was also considered a stone of agriculture in the 18th century. For example, farmers hung it from the horns of oxen while plowing to improve crops.
Some modern jewelry lovers appreciate this type of agate because of its mottled and pebbled appearance. It gives it nice texture and a somewhat mystical look. You need something for super-casual wear, and this is it.
January Birthstones #11: Opal
Image by Mivr via Shutterstock
Another January birthstone is Opal, a classic and well-respected gemstone. As a species, opal is so distinctive that it has its own vocabulary. Each opal is distinct from all others. The common Opal is found in various hues and degrees of opacity, while the precious opal is the same, just to a larger degree.
Image by NickKnight
Over the centuries, Opal has come to symbolize innocence and purity. It sends wisdom throughout our limbs, moving us to the right path in life.
12. Sugilite
Image by Artysun via Etsy
Sugilite is another January birthstone that is purple or lavender. However, it does sometimes range into different purple-like hues, such as mauve, magenta, and reddish-purple.
This pretty stone generally doesn’t have individual crystals and is found in very big samples. Most of these stones are opaque, and they often are cut into cabochons.
Sugilite is 5.5-6.5 in hardness, with an indistinct cleavage.
This purple stone is a nice spiritual guide to the wearer, helping her be positive and to focus on and achieve goals.
Well, there you have it, a rundown of the various stones for January. Nothing makes a better gift for that special someone than a birthstone. For one thing, they’ll know you remembered their birthday!
Some of the fanciest and sparkiest gemstones are included as options for January. You can dive right in and take your pick. And you can learn more about the various colors of your favorite gems on our other pages.
Discover everything you need to know about each month's birthstone: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December.
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