Garnet is the stone associated with Capricorns – The Goat (strong headed yet down to earth). The Goat derives its energy from its ruling planet ‘Saturn’ and so does Garnet. Hence, I prefer to call both in sync by the name ‘The Garnet Goat’.
There are a lot of myths about the origin of Garnet as a birthstone… but my favorite and in fact the most popular one is the Greek Mythology. Garnet derives its name from the Latin word ‘Granatus’ which means ‘seed like’ and this brings us to resembling it with a pomegranate. As per the Greek Myth, a pomegranate is a symbol of the gift of love and eternity. Thus, Garnet was also given to a beloved before the onset of a journey or even to heal broken bonds between lovers.
“The Garnet is a red gem, but not like the ruby, its red is much more like that of a flame… It forms far in the east… If correctly cut and polished, it will reveal all its beauty and perfection.” – Aristotle, ca.322 B.C. He also said, “And what a surprise… granatus is the most excellent of all these, yet jewellers consider it less valuable.” Not until the 19th century, Garnet was considered as the ‘Gemstone of the Poor’ and almost everyone could afford a jewellery showing the garnet fire.
The garnet energy aids in manifesting a life full of purity, success, truthfulness and creativity. It boosts the bearer with confidence, leadership qualities and inner strength. The stone also has some amazing unique and effective healing properties like curing blood related issues, cardiovascular disease, etc.
Today, the stone is usually borne in the form of a ring or a pendant either adorned in gold or silver.
There are a lot of other birthstones for the Goat like Blue Topaz, Lapis, Onyx, Ruby, Turquoise and Lazuli, however, Garnet is the prime of all. The stone is available in a variety of shades and color like green, pink, brown, purple, grey and black, but the most famous one is dark red. The main source of Garnet is Africa, though its also found in some parts of India, Russia, Brazil and the USA.
