HESSONITE

Hessonite Garnet
Hessonite is an orange-brown variety of garnet popular with the Greeks and Romans for jewelry. It was also believed that hessonite illuminated the night, therefore preventing evil from harming the wearer. Garnet is also the January birthstone, and derived its name from the Latin word "granatus", meaning "like a grain". In Madagascar, hessonite is often referred to as "cinnamon stone". The color is from traces of manganese and iron.