Amazonite
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Amethyst
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Aventurine
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Carnelian
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Coral
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Fluorite
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Freshwater Pearls
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Garnet
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Jasper
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Labradorite
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Mookite
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Obsidian
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Quartz
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Rhodonite
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Turquoise
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ReferencesGemstone Lore - Rena Klingenberg |
Sometimes called "Amazon Stone", Amazonite is a green variety of microcline feldspar whose colour is the result of small quantities of lead and water in the mineral. It is transparent to translucent blue-green to greyish in colour. Its name is given by the Amazon River where it as mistakenly thought to have been found. Amazonite is said to have soothing, balancing and harmonious properties and promotes success, joy and self-expression.
Amethyst is a violet variety of Quartz whose colour is due to iron impurities. It occurs from a light pinkish violet to a deep purple. Ancient Greek mythology provides several possible origins of its name involving Dionysus, the god of wine, and it stems from the Ancient Greek a- ("not") and methustos ("intoxicated"). It was believed to protect against drunkenness by the Greeks and Romans. Amethyst amulets were worn as protection for medieval European soldiers in battle. Amethyst is the February birthstone, the 6th wedding anniversary stone and is said to promote contentment, spirituality, dreams, healing, peace, happiness, love and intuition.
A variety of Chalcedony, Aventurine is characterised by the glistening effect, aventurescence, caused by the presence of platy mineral inclusions. It is most commonly green but may be orange, brown, yellow, blue or grey. Its name derives from the Italian "a ventura" ("by chance" referring to the lucky discovery of aventurine glass or goldstone (with which it is often confused) in the 18th Century. Aventurine is thought to have healing and motivational properties as well as promoting mental agility, visual acuity, peace and leadership.
Carnelian is a variety of Chalcedony coloured by iron oxide impurities. Its colour ranges greatly from pane orange through red-orange to an almost-black. Its name comes from the Latin "carnis" ("flesh") because of the flesh colour sometimes found. It has been found to have been used decoratively by Bronze Age Minoans on Crete dating back to around 1800 BC and was used by the Romans for signet rings as hot sealing wax does not stick to the stone. Carnelian is one of the August birthstones, the stone of Virgo and the 17th wedding anniversary stone. It is said to promote peace, spirituality, precision, analytical capabilities, physical energy and verbal skill.
The hard skeleton of coral is naturally matte but can be polished to a high shine. It can be naturally a pale pink through to deep red but is often bleached or dyed to enhance its colour. Coral has been used decoratively throughout history and often as a charm or talisman. Roman children wore coral branches on necklaces to keep them from danger and even into the 20th Century it was believed to cure female sterility and protect from the evil eye. Coral is thought to promote diplomacy, visualisation and quiet emotions.
Fluorite is a halide mineral composed of calcium and fluorine, which is named after Fluorite. It is found in a variety of colours, often with banding or "zoning", such as purple, blue, green, yellow and colourless. Some samples of fluorite can fluoresce under UV light, a property which is also named after this mineral. The name Fluorite comes from the Latin "fluo" (to flow) referring to its use as a flux in smelting. Fluorite is said to promote stability, impartial reasoning, responsibility, concentration and health.
Cultured freshwater pearls are produced by freshwater mussels, not oysters. Naturally, pearls are formed when a tiny "irritant" such as a parasite or foreign particle finds its way inside the mollusc, which prompts the formation of a "pearl sac" over it to isolate the irritant. This is then covered with layers of nacre which forms a pearl. This process is initiated artificially by grafting in multiple tiny pieces of mantle tissue from a donor mussel. These cause a pearl sac to be formed followed by the cultured pearl. Often a bead is implanted along with the piece of mantle tissue, encouraging a pearl of a certain shape to be produced. Pearl is the birthstone for June and the 3rd and 30th wedding anniversary stone. It is believed to have properties of purity, faith, charity, innocence, integrity, focus, wisdom, spirituality, sincerity and fertility. 
Garnets are a group of nesosilicate minerals, with species found in many colours including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black, pink and colourless. The name Garnet probably comes from the Middle English "gernet" ("dark red") but may derive from the Latin name for pomegranate, "Punica granatum", because of its resemblance to pomegranate seeds. Garnets were commonly used by the late Romans, European Barbarians and Anglo-Saxons. Garnet is the January birthstone, the stone for Aquarius and the 2nd wedding anniversary stone. It is thought to promote health, removing negativity, awareness, commitment, regeneration, order and insight.
An opaque form of Chalcedony, Jasper is usually red, yellow, brown or green but can be virtually any colour. The different colours are formed by the differing mineral content of the silica-rich sediment or ash from which it is formed. Its different patterns are caused during the consolidation process, often giving a flowing appearance. The many varieties of Jasper are named after the locations or geographic features in which they are found or by descriptions of their appearance. Jasper was a favourite gem of the ancient world and its name can be traced back in Hebrew ("yashepheh"), Persian ("yašp"), Latin ("iaspis"), Greek ("iaspis") and Old French ("jasrpe"). It means "spotted or speckled stone". Jasper is one of the July birthstones, the stone of Aires and is said to promote nurturing, joy, awareness, protection and the balancing of physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual energies.
Labradorite is a grey feldspar mineral which is most noted for displaying a play of colours called labradorescence or the schiller effect. Its name comes from the province of Labrador in Canada, where it was first found. Labradorite is thought to have properties of alignment, spiritual connection, transformation, clarity, peace and progression.
Mookite or Mookaite is a variety of Jasper found in Western Australia. Its name comes from the locality in which it is found, Mooka Creek, from the Aboriginal "mooka" which means "running waters". Mookite is thought to promote emotional protection, balance of the internal and external and stability of health.
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass usually dark in appearance and typically dark green to brown to black in colour. Inclusions of small white crystal clusters of cristobalite produce the blotchy pattern in a variety called Snowflake Obsidian. Because of the lack of crystal structure it could be fractured to produce blades an arrowheads by Stone Age peoples, was used by Mesoamericans in sharp weapons and even by Easter Islanders as the eyes of their Moai statues. It was polished to create early mirrors and in modern times is used for scalpel blades. Obsidian is named after Obsius, a Roman who discovered a similar stone in Ethiopia. Obsidian is said to promote clarity, protection, healing and deflect negativity.
After feldspar, Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust. There are many different varieties of Quartz, from clear Rock Crystal to yellow Citrine to pink Rose Quartz to purple Amethyst to grey-brown Smoky Quartz. The word Quartz is derived from the German word "quarz", in turn derived from the Middle High German "twarc", which originated in the Slavic words "tvrdy" and "twardy" meaning "hard". Quartz has been regularly found in ancient pagan burials and its name in Irish, "grian cloch", means "stone of the sun". It was used commonly for decorative items in Europe and the Middle East throughout history. The Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder, wrongly believed that Quartz was water ice frozen permanently after great lengths of time. Clear Quartz is said to promote spiritual development, healing, raising consciousness and intensifying energy, while Rose Quartz is said to promote love, peace, happiness, gentleness and the healing of emotional wounds.
Rhodonite is a manganese inosilicate mineral with a rose-red colour, often tending to brown due to surface oxidation and sometimes with black manganese oxide inclusions. Its name derives from the Green "rhodos" meaning "rosy". Rhodonite is thought to promote peace, generosity and attention to details.
Turquoise is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium. It is opaque with colour ranging from powder blue to sky blue to blue-green to yellowish-green and often with black limonite veining. Its name stems from the French "turquie" used for the Iranian turquoise imported through Turkey. Turquoise has been an important stone to many great cultures through history. It was used by the Ancient Egyptians, Aztecs, Native Americans, Persians Mesopotamians, Mughals and Chinese among others. Turquoise is the birthstone for December and is the 11th wedding anniversary stone. It is thought to possess cleansing, healing, soothing and protective properties as well as promoting spiritual attunement, peace of mind and romantic spontaneity.