Whenever I do Birthstone presentations, I always start with the first month of the year and remind those January babies that they are so fortunate to choose from 38 different species of garnets.  Yes, this is not just your father’s boring root beer color gemstone.  Supposedly Noah lit the inside of the ark with a red Pyrope garnet.  Varieties like Rhodolite discovered in North Carolina and named for the Rhododendron are the perfect “Gateway Gem” for jewelry mavens.  The dusty rose goes with everything.  Tsavorite garnet was named for Tsavo in East Africa where “Out of Africa” was filmed and is a brilliant green.  Spessartite garnet is usually Fanta orange. There is even a dramatic color change garnet that goes from rich raspberry to vivid teal. Because red is the color of most garnets, in antiquity, it was believed to heal blood disorders. Typically untreated, this is a birthstone for all seasons.