Gemstones

"Over the centuries, many cultures have contributed to the legends and lore surrounding gemstones. These rare products of nature have inspired philosophers and mystics to attribute unusual powers to these special minerals.

The best compendium of gemstone lore is undoubtedly that found in George Frederick Kunz's book The Curious Lore of Precious Stones published in 1913. But Kunz was no mystic crystal-gazer. Rather he was the leading gemologist of his time and, in his role as the resident gem expert at Tiffany & Co. in New York, helped create the modern market for colored stones. He was also instrumental in putting together some of the greatest collections of rare gemstones, including the famous J.P. Morgan-Tiffany collection, now in the American Museum of Natural History.

Kunz believed that we can learn a great deal by studying the ways in which gemstones were used by different cultures and the beliefs that people at different times formed about rare gems. But for Kunz this study wasn't just sociological curiosity, it was a way of learning about gemstones themselves: "Many of these ideas may seem strange enough to us now, and yet when we analyze them we find that they have their roots either in some intrinsic quality of the stones or else in an instinctive appreciation of their symbolical significance."

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Agate

Considered a protection stone. It is believed to attract strength and offer protection form bad dreams, stress and the draining of energy. Agate is said to balance energies and awaken talents. 

Amazonite 

Believed to have a soothing and calming effect. It accomplishes this by dispelling negative energy and allowing us to let go of sadness and grief.

Amethyst

Calms the emotions, creates clarity of thought, and assists in attaining wisdom. Amethyst is a stone of the mind; it brings calmness and clarity, helps you to get in touch with your intuition, feelings and values. It has long been regarded as an aid to sobriety and useful for combating alcohol, food, and other addictions. It eases compulsive/obsessive behaviour.

Apatite

A gemstone of communication. It is believed to help stuttering and hypertension, and helps one overcome sadness and grief. Apatite is said to aid in fighting viruses and assists in blending the old and the new in one's life.

Aquamarine

Associated with courage and the release of anxiety and fear. It is thought to soothe, calm and alleviate fears and to help relaxation on long journeys. Many believe that it protects sailors at sea, and prevents seasickness. Tradition holds that it gives insight and aids in mental clarity.

Aventurine 

A stone of opportunity; believed to attract prosperity. Some advise to keep an aventurine in your left pocket when you are buying a lottery ticket or playing any game of chance.

Blue Topaz 

Associated with courage and overcoming fears and obstacles. It is a traditional stone for writers, scholars, artists, and intellectuals; and used for aiding higher thinking. It is said to ease mental anguish and promote fidelity, friendship, gentleness, and integrity.

Chalcedony 

Considered a sacred stone by the Native American Indians, chalcedony nurtures and promotes brotherhood and good will. Chalcedony is said to alleviate hostility, irritability and melancholy.

Citrine

Said to open the mind to new thoughts and balance impatience and restlessness. Citrine is long thought to promote optimism. It also attracts abundance, and is known as the "merchant's stone," to be placed where one conducts business, not only to acquire positive wealth, but to maintain it. Good for mental focus, endurance, and self-esteem.

Diamond 

Believed to absorb and amplify the thoughts of its user, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of other gems and their wearers. The ancients also used the diamond for detoxification as it is said to protect from poisons.

Diopside 

Thought to be a cathartic stone since it is believed by crystal healers to heal trauma by bringing forth cleansing tears. Diopside is believed to foster creativity and promote love and commitment.

Emerald 

Tradition is that emerald aids fertility, improves eyesight, and gives the wearer psychic powers. Believed to lift depression and relieve insomnia. Promotes self-knowledge, peaceful dreams, and helps you achieve balance and patience.

Fluorite

Thought to balance and stabilize intuition. Regarded as an aid to learning and lateral thinking. Fluorite is believed to improve the ability to concentrate.

Garnet

Regarded as the stone of passionate devotion: to your family, your friends, yourself, and your own purpose in life. Believed to stimulate the senses, and increase vitality and stamina. Garnet is thought to attract good luck in business ventures.

Iolite 

Said to be the stone of inner vision. Believed to assist one to live at a higher awareness level; and useful for the elimination of debt and to increase financial responsibility.

Jade
A stone of serenity. Thought to alleviate anxiety and fear and promote good luck. Jade not only brings prosperity , but allows you to hold on to your money. A traditional charm for gardeners, jade is said to ensure bountiful harvests.

Jasper
Is associated with relaxation, contentment, compassion, nurturing and consolation. Jasper is said to relieve mental stress and help you achieve balance in your life.

Kyanite
A calming stone, it helps to quiet the mind, dissolving emotional or spiritual confusion. Kyanite is said to be particularly good at dissolving anger and frustration.

Lapis Lazuli
An ancient stone said to represent friendship and truth. Lapis is said to help bring about harmony in relationships. It is a stone of wisdom and awareness.

Moonstone
Aids communication by promoting clear thinking, inspiration or receptivity; assists in the fulfillment of one's own destiny. Long regarded as the gemstone of psychic abilities, wish fulfillment and balancing the emotions, moonstone is said to help in wish fulfillment, but tends to work better on things that are needed versus things that are just wanted.

Onyx
Black onyx is said to repel negativity and deflect the negativity of others. It is a gem thought to enhance determination and perseverance.

Opal
Regarded as a stone strongly associated with the emotions, including love, passion and spontaneity. Opal is said to aid in visualization, imagination, dreams, and healing.

Peridot
Thought to strengthen life, bring about prosperity, growth, and increase openness. Peridot is also believed to help one to understand relationships, and to alleviate depression, anger, fear, jealousy and anxiety.

Prehnite
A gem with a mystical aura, prehnite is said to be the stone of remembered dreams, meditation and prophecy.

Rose Quartz
Known as the stone of "gentle love," rose quartz brings peace and calm to relationships. Excellent for healing emotional wounds, removing negativity and restoring harmony after conflict. Promotes appreciation of art, music and the written word.

Ruby
Famous as a protection from misfortune and bad health, ruby is also used to open the heart and promote love. Given as a gift, ruby is a symbol of friendship and love. The ruby is also a symbol of vitality and royalty.

Rutile Quartz
Said to intensify the power of quartz crystal. Rutile quartz is thought to assist one in getting to the root of a problem.

Sapphire
Long associated with peace and happiness, and believed to help with communication, insight, intuition, inspiration, and prayer. The ancients believe that sapphires would help them in predicting the future.

Smoky Quartz
Believed to be nature's stone of endurance, fostering serenity, calmness, and positive thoughts.

Spinel
Since spinel was confused with ruby for centuries, it has not acquired the richness of meaning associated with other important gems. But it is said that spinel aids one in relaxation and releasing worry. Since spinel is one of the very few singly refractive gems, it has a purity of color that may be the basis for its symbolic meaning.

Tanzanite
A recently discovered gemstone, but said to be traditional with the Masai tribe, who give tanzanite to their newborn children as a bearer of good fortune.

Tigers eye
Said to help convert anxiety and fear into practical logic and action. Believed to promote balance and strength in difficult times, and to relieves doubt.

Topaz
Thought to calm a bad temper and give strength. Topaz is said to improve mental clarity and focus, and increase confidence. It is also recommended for mood swings, insomnia, worries, fears, depression and exhaustion.

Tourmaline
Tourmaline is said to strengthen both body and spirit. It is believed to attract inspiration, aid concentration, encourage balance and promote understanding. It is also thought to calm nerves, sooth grief, promote balance and build self-confidence.

Turquoise
Believed to attract money, success and love, turquoise is a stone of friendship in many cultures. Native Americans associated the colors of the turquoise stone with the blue sky and the green earth. It is still seen by many today as being symbolic of mankind's source in nature.

Zircon
Since the Middle Ages, zircon has been believed to aid in spiritual growth and the promotion of wisdom. He who wears zircon, it is said, will find beauty and peace.

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