If you were born in January, congratulations! You have one of the most beautiful gems to represent your birth month – the garnet. The gem has an interesting background in general. What is the history of birthstones? According to Wonderopolis.org, we’ve held gems sacred to us since biblical times. Scholars trace it back to the passage in Exodus 28, in which Moses gives instructions on how to make special clothing for Aaron, who is the High Priest of the Chosen People. In particular, Aaron’s breastplate is mentioned to have twelve gemstones, which represent “the twelve tribes of Israel” (“How”). As