The dawn of the new year greets us with one of the most exciting gemstones of them all, the garnet. Why exciting you ask? The garnet family is extensive, from red garnets, to orange, purplish, and green. Even with green garnets, you can choose between demantoids and tsavorites. If red is just not your colour, but you do want to wear your birthstone, you may consider tsavorite. With its deep green that rivals emerald, the brilliance of tsavorite will take your breath away.

It is still a young gemstone. The first discovery was in Tanzania in 1967. It is 200 times rarer than emerald. An added bonus is that it requires no colour enhancement at all thus you will always know it is the real deal.

It is said that spiritually the tsavorite garnet will help you get your life back on track and bring prosperity to those who wear it. But too afraid to wear it every day? No need to worry! It is 7 to 7.5 on MOHs scale of hardness so if looked after properly, tsavorite will give pleasure to the wearer for many generations.

Author: Rhead Morrison