Lapis Lazuli

Lapis lazuli or lazurio is considered a rock, not a mineral. The word lazurio is derived from the Persian word «Lazward» (= blue). The word Lapis means stone and lazuli comes from the Arabic «Azul» which means blue. Theophrastus mentions it as “Sapphire” and “Cyan”. The Egyptians used Lapis for making seals, ground it for an eyelid cosmetic and often carved it into vases and figurines. Chinese called it the stone of ‘heaven’. It combines various minerals, mostly lazurite, but also contains calcite (white), sodalite (blue) and pyrite (fools’ gold, a metallic yellow) and to be considered a mineral it would have only one component. Its color is a strong blue, sometimes with a hint of violet, with the presence of white patches (calcite) that decreases lapis lazuli’s value, while small veins of pyrite are often prized. Lapis is a 5.5 on Mohs scale of hardness. Top quality lapis lazuli comes from Afghanistan where is has been mined for more than 7000 years, but is also found in Siberia, Chile, the U.S., Pakistan, and Canada. Lapis Lazuli according to tradition, brings optimism, longevity and serenity. It creates a sense of strength, vitality and vigor. It relaxes the nerves and...

Obsidian

Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. That means, it is the rock formed as a result of cooled magma, which is the parent material. It is an acidic rock , dark with glassy texture (is regarded as natural glass) and has been used due to its formation and durability, since the end of the Upper Paleolithic period to manufacture blades with sharp edges, used for knives and razors. It is a 5-5.5 of hardness at the Mohs scale. Obsidian can be found in locations which have experienced rhyolitic eruptions, such as Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan,Canada, Chile, Greece, El Salvador, Guatemala, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Scotland and the United States. Obsidian, according to tradition, is a very powerful and creative stone. It increases self-control. It aids the digestion and detoxifies. It reduces arthritis pain, joint problems and cramps. Zodiac: Scorpio, Sagittarius.

Sodalite

Sodalite, which name reflects its sodium content is found in all shades and hues of blue and is a major constituent of the rock lapis lazuli, therefore these two stones are easily confused. However, unlike lapis, sodalite very rarely contains the brassy pyrite specks, and it has a lower specific gravity. Sodalite will likely contain white streaks of calcite and is often carved as well as used for jewelry.It is a 5.5 of hardness at Mohs scale with a cubic crystal structure. Sodalite according to tradition brings order and calmness to the mind. It encourages rational thought, objectivity, truth and intuition, along with verbalization of feelings. It balances the metabolism, boosts the immune system and overcomes calcium deficiencies. It combats radiation damage by soaking up electromagnetic smog. Sodalite treats the throat, vocal cords, larynx and helps with hoarseness and digestive disorders. Zodiac : Sagittarius.

Fluorite

Fluorite (also called fluorspar) is a halide mineral composed of calcium fluoride. The word fluorite is derived from the Latin root fluo, meaning “to flow” because the mineral is used as a flux in iron smelting to decrease the viscosity of slags at a given temperature. This increase in fluidity is the result of the ionic nature of the mineral. Fluorite comes in a wide range of colors and has subsequently been dubbed “the most colorful mineral in the world”. The most common colors are purple, blue, green, yellow, or colorless. Less common are pink, red, white, brown, black, and nearly every shade in between. Color zoning or banding is commonly present. The violet variety is often mistaken with amethyst, from which it is distinguished by the lowest hardness, which is in the range 4 at Mohs scale hardness. The great variety of color result Fluorite to be among the most coveted by collectors of minerals and, because of its shade variations, it is used as a semiprecious stone, despite low hardness .The great variety of colors result fluorite to be among the most coveted minerals by collectors and, because of its shade variations, it is also used as a semiprecious stone, despite of...

Aventurine

Aventurine is a translucent to opaque variety of quartz. It contains small inclusions of shiny minerals which give the stone a sparkling effect known as aventurescence. Aventurine ranges in color from green, peach, brown, blue and a creamy green. Besides its uses in jewelry, aventurine is also used for ornamental purposes like vases, bowls and figurines.It is interesting that the name for the stone is derived from an accident. Sometime during the 18th century, Venetian glass workers were preparing molten glass when copper filings accidentally fell into the batch producing a glass with sparkles. The name aventurine comes from the Italian “a ventura,” which means”by chance”.In Ancient China Aventurine was called the Stone of the Emperor and was used as an amulet that brought happiness, renewal and clarity of mind. Aventurine is found in India, Chile, Spain, Russia, Brazil, Austria, and Tanzania. It has hardness 6.5 on the Mohs scale . This mineral is often mistaken for amazonite or jade. There is a rumor that before jade became popular, imperial seal of Ancient China was carved on an aventurine stone, for the reason that all the green stones are considered Divine and Heavenly....

Amethyst

Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz.Its colors range from dark purple, light purple to lavender. The deep purple color has established amethyst as a stone of royalty. It has been used since the dawn of history. Amethyst was favorite to the Egyptian kings, Catherine the Great etc. Also it was encountered in the breastplates of the high priests of Israel, british crown etc. It has hardness 7 on the scale of Mohs. The ancient Greeks drank wine in glasses of amethyst to stay sober no matter how much they drank. Hence the name. Amethyst may be found in Canada, Brazil, Uruguay, Ontario, Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Colorado. Amethyst, according to tradition, guards against drunkenness and it is thought to be helpful in overcoming addiction. Relieves stress and strain, balances mood swings and dispels anger, rage, fear and anxiety. Alleviates sadness and grief, and dissolves negativity. It calms and stimulates the mind, helping you become more focused, enhancing memory and improving motivation. It attracts real love. It boosts hormone production, tunes the endocrine system and metabolism. Zodiac: Aries, Scorpio, Aquarius, Pisces.

Tiger eye

Tiger Eye is a translucent variety of quartz, with a golden color. The interesting feature of this stone is a streaked opalescence that looks like a silky glow moving. These lines are alternately gold and brown color and their composition is fibrous crocidolite. The characteristic visual phenomenon is known by the French word chatoyancy, which means in Greek the “cat’s eye”. It has a hardness 7 on the Mohs scale. Tiger eye deposits can be found in the USA, South Africa, Namibia, Brazil. A type of Tiger Eye in darker color, is called Hawk’s eye. There is also Bull’s eye (Eye of Buffalo), which is almost black and Dragon’s Eye which due to increased concentration of hydrated iron oxide its color results to red with attractive stripes. Tiger Eye, according to tradition, brings good luck to the wearer. It is particularly useful for healing psychosomatic illnesses, dispelling fear and anxiety. Tiger Eye stabilizes mood swings and releases tension. It treats eyes, throat and reproductive organs, releases toxins, and alleviates pain. Many people consider tiger eye as the stone of luck. It symbolizes wealth and abundance. In India they believe “eyes” generally have the power to control...

Quartz

Quartz is a very common mineral, the second in quantity mineral in the continental crust of the earth. Quartz comes in many different forms and types, which are refered below. In chemistry, quartz is a silicon dioxide and has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale. We often refer to quartz with the word crystal, or rock crystal, or with the international designation, quartz. We hear the word quartz as a characterization for modern electronic watches. This is because quartz is used for the construction of the mechanisms of electronic watches. The word crystal has the same root as the word cryos (cold). The Roman writer Pliny the Elder (Gaius Plinius Secundus) said the prevailing theory of the time that the quartz is ice mountain, which over the years has stabilized. So it was called rock crystal (from the mountains). People believed this theory until 1600 AC. Rock Crystal or Clear Quartz, according to tradition, draws off negative energy of all kinds, neutralizing background radiation, including electromagnetic smog or petrochemical emanations. Cleanses and enhances the organs and subtle bodies and acts as a deep soul cleanser, connecting the physical dimension with the mind. Clear...

Chrysolite

Goldstone in its current form, is a mineral that has been created artificially. The Alchemist priests were the first to manufacture it. It was a secret formula that they used to make gifts to gods and kings, thus seeking for their favor. Its chemical composition is silicon dioxide (in this case, man made glass) by injecting powdered metal bronze in it. During the Victorian era people called Goldstone, chrysoberyl. In antiquity, they meant the mineral olivine and peridot (Chrysolite that means goldstone). The olivine and the transparent quality of peridot have colors in shades of green. The name Goldstone probably came because people believed that this stone contained gold. Before about 100 years, glassmakers from Murano island, constructed a quality glass, which contains copper filings, has a brown color, and displays the iridescence of aventurine. This glass is called Goldstone, which is still popular today. It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale. Υou will find Goldstone in orange-brown and dark night blue colourings. It is the only one of the technical gems that due to its chemical composition, energy properties are imparted to it. Goldstone according to tradition is said...

Color-based energy properties of stones

Red: Life, Love, Prosperity, Protection, Creativity, Circulatory, Insomnia, Eyes, Reproductive system. Pink: Love, Friendship, Protection, Hope, Anxiety, Digestion, Digestive, Respiratory, Heart. Orange: Balance, Power, Creativity, Concentration Depression, Rheumatism, Circulatory. Yellow: Wisdom, Abundance, Calmness, Energy, Memory, Depression, Migraines, - Thyroid, Ears. Green: Calmness, Health, Good Luck, Happiness, Tissue Regeneration, Headaches, - Heart. Lavender: Calmness, Good Luck, Protection, Optimism, Joy, Kidneys, Glands, Fertility, Heart, Insomnia. light Blue: Calmness, Hypertension, Mental Illness, Absorption of Negative Vibrations, Circulatory, Migraines, Neck, Activation of Metabolism Blue: Protection, Positive thinking, Calmness, Insight, Kidneys, Lungs, Blood, Headaches, Hypertension Purple: Calmness, Balance, Insight, Protection, Nervous System, Pancreas, Cervical Black: Mental and emotional balance, Protection, Spiritual clarity and self-awareness, Circulatory, Hair, Skin, Ears, Arthritis

Gemstone qualities