Eilisain Jewelry

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Gemstones and Birthstones and Their Meanings

Since the dawn of time, humans have been fascinated with stones, colorful gems and creating objects/adornment with them.

Even more fascinating are the meanings and how gems can have an affect on the wearer and their feeling.  In this blog series I'll be giving you insight into how gems can help you and give you clarity.  I'll also point you towards our new Pinterest board that shows the beautiful colors and quality of gemstones. 

In the first part of this blog post I'll give you a more personal insight into how gems and their color have affected my own life. 

The colors red and garnet have always held a deep fascination for me; there is this mysterious quality to the stone.  I began working with garnet when I was first beading.  I loved mixing it with darker stones such as peridot and other agates.   And one of the first necklaces I strung held these gorgeous stones.  I was so proud of this necklace and ironically enough it was one of the first necklaces I sold.   

Here is a bit of history and meaning behind the name:

The name "garnet" comes from the Medieval Latin word, "granatum", which is an adjective meaning "dark-red". It is thought that this adjective could have been extracted from the word "pomegranate", due to the colour of the seed coats or shape of the seeds. However, the word could also have come from another Medieval Latin word; "granum", referring to red dye. The use of red garnet dates back thousands of years, when it was used by Egyptian pharaohs for both decorative and ceremonial purposes.

As always, thank you for reading!
xo - Lisette