January Birthstone: Garnet
The January birthstone is garnet. Garnet is a group of related minerals rather than a single one, so it comes in almost every color, though deep red is the classic. Below: where it is mined, how to choose it, treatments to ask about, its history and how to clean it.
Garnet facts
| Color | Deep red, also other colors |
|---|---|
| Mineral | A group of minerals; pyrope, almandine, spessartine, grossular and andradite are the important gems |
| Hardness | 6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale (diamond is 10) |
| Main sources | Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Myanmar, Brazil, Sri Lanka |
| Anniversary gem | 2nd wedding anniversary |
Choosing garnet
- Garnet comes in almost every color: red is the most common, rhodolite is purplish red, spessartine is orange, and tsavorite and demantoid are rarer greens.
- Color matters most to its value. Demantoid is known for its fire, and its horsetail-shaped inclusions are one of the few inside features that raise a gem's value.
Garnet treatments and lab-grown garnet
- Garnet is rarely treated. A few stones have surface-reaching cracks filled with a glass-like substance to make them look clearer, and a filled garnet needs gentler care.
- Garnet is also one of the gems that can be grown in a laboratory, so ask whether a stone is natural or lab-grown before you buy.
Is garnet good for everyday wear?
At 6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale, garnet is softer than ruby, sapphire and diamond, and GIA says not every garnet suits daily wear. Earrings, brooches and pendants are safer than a ring worn every day. Store it apart from harder gems, which can scratch it, and from opals and pearls, which it can scratch.
Garnet history
- Red garnet necklaces were worn by the pharaohs of ancient Egypt.
- Bohemia supplied the red pyrope garnets of Victorian jewelry; today much of the world's garnet comes from Africa.
How to clean garnet
- Warm, soapy water and a soft brush: always safe.
- Ultrasonic cleaner: usually safe, except for fractured or fracture-filled stones.
- Steam cleaner: not recommended.
January birthstone and birth flower
January also has two birth flowers: the carnation and snowdrop, which stand for love, fascination and hope. The Birth Flower Finder covers every month.
Buying for someone not born in January? The Birthstone Finder shows every month's stones and colors in one chart. Garnet is also given for wedding anniversaries; the Anniversary Calculator shows which one is coming up next. If the gift is a surprise, a birthday countdown counts down to the day.
Birthstones for other months
January Birthstone questions
What is the January birthstone?
Garnet. It is the only birthstone for January on the modern US list.
What color is the January birthstone?
Garnet: deep red, also other colors. Garnet comes in almost every color: red is the most common, rhodolite is purplish red, spessartine is orange, and tsavorite and demantoid are rarer greens. Color matters most to its value.
Is garnet an anniversary gem?
Yes. GIA gives garnet for the 2nd wedding anniversary.
Published October 7, 2026. Last updated October 7, 2026.