Jade

Jordan's Jewelry Designs

Jade is an ancient stone that has historically been used to attract love. Carved into a butterfly, in China it is a powerful symbol used to draw love.

Jade has been known for more than 7000 years. The name jade goes back to the time of the Spanish conquest of Central and South America and derives from "piedra de ijada," hip stone, as it was seen as a protection against and cure for kidney diseases. Because of its beneficial effect on the kidneys, the stone was also known as "lapis nephriticus". It wasn't until 1863 that mineralogists in France discovered that jade consists of two separate, distinct minerals, jadeite and nephrite. Jadeite is very tough and resistant because of its tight growth of tiny interlocking grains. Nephrite, a variety of the mineral actinolite, is even tougher, due to its composition of fibrous crystals inter-twinned in a tough compact mass.

The toughness of jade is remarkable. It has strength greater than steel and was put to work by many early civilizations for axes, knives and weapons. It was only later that jade became a symbolic stone used in ornaments and other religious artifacts.

Today jade is highly valued for its beauty. Its many colors are appreciated, but it is the emerald green color of jadeite that is highly sought after by collectors. As a jewelry stone jade is used for pendants, necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings.

The Jade zodiac, myth & legend

In the pre-Columbian period, the Mayas, Aztecs and Olmecs of Central America honored and esteemed jade more highly than gold. New Zealand's Maoris began carving weapons and cult instruments from native jade in early times, a tradition which has continued to the present day. In ancient Egypt, jade was admired as the stone of love, inner peace, harmony and balance.

As early as 3000 B.C. jade was known in China as "yu", the "royal gem". In the long history of the art and culture of the Chinese empire, jade has always had a very special significance, comparable with that of gold and diamonds in the West. Jade was used not only for the finest objects and cult figures, but also in grave furnishings for high-ranking members of the imperial family. Today, too, this gem is regarded as a symbol of the good, the beautiful and the precious. It embodies the Confucian virtues of wisdom, justice, compassion, modesty and courage, yet it also symbolizes the female-erotic.

Jade can be used to bring money into your life. Create a positive attitude towards money and visualize yourself using money creatively and productively while holding the stone in your power hand. When making an important business decision, use the prosperous energies of jade by holding it while contemplating your course of action. Jade strengthens your mental faculties and assists in clear reasoning.

Jade is also a protective stone, guarding against accidents and misfortune. Place a piece of jade between two purple candles and let the candles burn for a short while. Then carry the jade with you as a protection amulet.

Symbol of successful love

A butterfly carved from jade holds a special romantic significance. Ancient Chinese legend tells of a youth who wandered into the garden of a wealthy mandarin in pursuit of a multi-colored butterfly. Instead of being punished for trespassing, his visit led to marriage with the mandarin's daughter.

In Antiquity, as well as in the Middle Ages people believed that the cosmos is reflected in gemstones. Jade is assigned to the planets Jupiter and Pluto. The esoteric movement revived the ancient belief and the gem industry made it another marketing tool to promote certain gems.

The healing powers of gems remain a controversial issue, but are mentioned for centuries by healers, shamans and medicine men. Whether it's a fact or a placebo effect doesn't matter, if it helps. The safest approach is to wear the gemstone in skin contact to the troubled part of the body. Jade is said ever since to be of help for kidney diseases.

Today, a jade butterfly symbolizes successful love.

Healing properties of Jade

The soothing green color of jade makes it a wonderful healing stone. It helps the body in self-healing while working through underlying, non-physical reasons for a precipitation for disease. It is particularly helpful for kidney, heart and stomach complaints.

Jade gemology

Color

In both minerals, the way the color is distributed varies a great deal. Only in the very finest jade is the color evenly distributed. In the West, emerald green, spinach green and apple green are regarded as particularly valuable. In the Far East, on the other hand, pure white or a fine yellow with a delicate pink undertone is highly esteemed.

Clarity

In both minerals, the way the color is distributed varies a great deal. Only in the very finest jade is the color evenly distributed. Both, nephrite and jadeite often have veins, blemishes and streaks running through them, though these may not always be regarded as flaws. On the contrary, some of these patterns are considered particularly valuable.

Species: Jadeite/Nephrite

Color: Green, also other colors

Chemical composition: NaAlSi2O6 sodium aluminum silicate/ Ca2(Mg,Fe)5(Si4O11)2(OH)2 basic calcium magnesium iron silicate

Crystal system: Monoclinic, intergrown, grainy aggregate/ fine fibrous aggregate

Hardness: 6.5 - 7 (Mohs scale)

Specific gravity: 3.30 - 3.38/ 2.90 - 3.03

Refractive index: 1.652 - 1.688/ 1.600 - 1.627

Birefringence: 0.020/ -0.027, often none

Color of streak: White

Absorption spectrum: Green jade: 691, 655, 630, 495, 450, 437, 433/ 689, 509, 490, 460

Fluorescence: Greenish jade: very weak; whitish glimmer/ None

Jordan's Designs

Turquoise

Turquoise

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Turquoise, the robin's egg blue gemstone worn by Pharaohs and Aztec Kings, is probably one of the oldest gemstones known. Yet, only its prized blue color, a color so distinctive that its name is used to describe any color that resembles it, results in its being used as a gemstone. Turquoise has been, since about 200 B.C., extensively used by both southwestern U.S. Native Americans and by many of the Indian tribes in Mexico. The Native American Jewelry or "Indian style" jewelry with turquoise mounted in or with silver is relatively new. Some believe this style of Jewelry was unknown prior to about 1880, when a white trader persuaded a Navajo craftsman to make turquoise and silver jewelry using coin silver. Prior to this time, the Native Americans had made solid turquoise beads, carvings, and inlaid mosaics. Recently, turquoise has found wide acceptance among people of all walks of life and from many different ethnic groups.

The name turquoise may have come from the word Turquie, French for Turkey, because of the early belief that the mineral came from that country (the turquoise most likely came from Alimersai Mountain in Persia (now Iran) or the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, two of the world's oldest known turquoise mining areas.) Another possibility could be the name came from the French description of the gemstone, "pierre turquin" meaning dark blue stone.

Chemically, a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminum, turquoise is formed by the percolation of meteoric or groundwater through aluminous rock in the presence of copper. For this reason, it is often associated with copper deposits as a secondary mineral, most often in copper deposits in arid, semiarid, or desert environments.

For thousands of years the finest intense blue turquoise in the world was found in Persia, and the term "Persian Turquoise" became synonymous with the finest quality. This changed during the late 1800's and early 1900's when modern miners discovered or rediscovered significant deposits of high-quality turquoise in the western and southwestern United States. Material from many of these deposits was just as fine as the finest "Persian." Today, the term "Persian Turquoise" is more often a definition of quality than a statement of origin, and the majority of the world's finest-quality turquoise comes from the United States, the largest producer of turquoise.

The increased acceptance of turquoise resulted in higher prices, some of the most desirable materials going for as much as $2,200 per kg. The increased demand could not be met through production of acceptable mine run materials. Therefore, an industry emerged--the business of turquoise stabilization, reconstitution, and the manufacture of synthetic and simulated turquoise. In most instances, the stabilization and reconstitution of turquoise involve the use of earthy or highly porous types of turquoise which are pressure-impregnated with hot acrylic resins. The resins improve the color, hardness, and durability of the material to a point that inexpensive porous, poorly colored, or nearly colorless materials become suitable for use in jewelry. As long as the materials are represented as treated, stabilized, or reconstituted, the marketplace can accept or reject the materials based on decisions that are purely business or economic.

Arizona.--In Arizona turquoise ranks first in terms of value of production and is also the best known of its gem materials. As stated earlier, nearly all important deposits of turquoise are located near copper occurrences or in copper deposits in arid desert regions of the world. Thus, the world famous turquoise deposits associated with certain of the large Arizona copper deposits are to be expected. Turquoise is or has been mined from a number of these copper mines as a byproduct, usually by outside contractors.

The financial and operating terms of the collecting contracts vary from mine to mine. Some of the operations are little more than the efforts of individual commercial collectors. Some are essentially full-scale mining operations that are simultaneous with, but separate from, the regular mining operations; and still others operate on an on-call basis as turquoise is uncovered by the regular copper mining operation. Regardless of the size or the sophistication of the initial mining or recovery operation, the actual turquoise is recovered by careful extraction using hand methods.

California.--The production of turquoise from deposits in California can be traced back to pre-Colombian Native Americans. Prehistoric mining tools have been found in some of the old workings of the turquoise mines in San Bernardino County.

Over the years, the State's deposits have produced a substantial amount of turquoise. Deposits are located in San Bernardino, Imperial, and Inyo Counties. The material occurs as nodules and as vein filling. Most of the nodules are small in size, about the size of the end of your thumb, and the vein material is about 4 millimeters thick. In the better grade materials, the color varies from a pale to a dark blue, poorer grade materials are greenish-blue and green in color. Some of the material has yellow-brown limonite spiderwebbing.

In the past, a number of turquoise mines operated in the State, several or more mines in each of the counties. Today, only a single mine, the Apache Canyon Mine, is commercially producing turquoise. Material from the mine is a fine blue color, hard, and takes a good polish.

Colorado.--Turquoise is produced from several locations in Colorado. Currently the only commercial production is near Manassa, Conejos County. Other production was from Leadville, Lake County; near Colorado Springs, El Paso County; and near Villa Grove, Saguache County.

New Mexico.--Until the 1920's, New Mexico was the United States largest producer of turquoise. However, since then Arizona and Nevada has surpassed it in terms of both annual and total production.

Production of turquoise from deposits in the Cerrillos Hills, Santa Fe County; the Burro Mountains and Little Hachita Mountains, Grant County; the Jarilla Hills, Otero County; and the Guadelupe Mountains, Eddy County; can be traced to prehistoric Indians. Several different mines operate or have operated at each of the New Mexico locations mentioned, producing seam and nugget turquoise. Many of the more famous and higher-quality deposits are economically depleted. Turquoise from these deposits was as good as that from any deposit in the world and were the first to displace true Persian turquoise in the U.S. market. Color varied from light to dark green, greenish-blue, bluish-green, paler blue shades, and fine sky-blue. Much of the material was spiderwebbed with thin veinlets of limonite.

Currently, with the exception of byproduct material from copper mines, production of turquoise from deposits in New Mexico, for all practical purposes, has stopped. Turquoise still can be found in New Mexico, but production in any significant quantity is a question of economics and the determination of the individuals involved.

Nevada.--Nevada has been a major producer of turquoise since the 1930's, and until the early 1980's, the State was the largest producer in the United States. It is estimated that over the years, 75 to 100 different mines/prospects produced sizable quantities of turquoise. Production varied from a few thousand dollars worth of material at some of the properties to more than a million dollars at others. To date, total production of rough turquoise is estimated to be in the range of $40 to $50 million.

Turquoise from Nevada comes in various shades of blue, blue-green, green-blue, and green. Some of the turquoise may contain iron, if it does, its color is pale green to yellow-green to yellow. The material can be solid colored or spiderwebbed with either brown or black webbing; the spiderwebbing may occur in any of the different colors or shades. Some of the blue material is represented as the finest pure-blue turquoise produced. It can occur in thin veins or seams or as nodules, with single nodules reported as large as 150 pounds. The quality varies from hard solid material that takes a good polish, to soft porous material that can only be use as feed stock for treatment, enhancement, or stabilization processes.

Associated with some of the turquoise deposits are two other gem materials that can resemble certain colors and shades of turquoise, but are separate mineral species. The first is variscite, and the other is faustite. Both have been mistaken for and marketed as turquoise. Attractive gem stones can be cut from both variscite and faustite and therefore, would be note worthy as gem materials on their own.

Turquoise Gemstone meaning

Turquoise is one of the oldest protection amulets, and was also known as a symbol of wealth in many ancient cultures.

Strength, protection from harm, psychic sensitivity and connection to the spirit world

If given a turquoise by a loving friend, that stone would protect the wearer from negative energy and bring good fortune. The turquoise is the symbol of friendship. It also brings peace to the home.

This stone is a very personal and meaningful stone to one who wears it. Turquoise takes on the characteristics of the owner.

Turquoise carries great wisdom of basic truth within it. It is one of the oldest stones known. This is a stone that a person must learn to attune to instead of the stone attuning to the person. It is important that the owner of a Turquoise give it the proper attention.

Healing properties of Turquoise

Neutralizes overacidity

Alleviates rheumatism, gout, stomach problems, viral infections

Increases growth, muscular strength

Alleviates pain, relaxes cramps

Contains anti-inflammatory and detoxifying effects

Application: should be worn on the solar plexus

Use with copper to increase the power of turquoise.

History of Turquoise

Turquoise is a stone that has been prized for many years. The ancient Egyptians used turquoise in jewelry. Turquoise is greenish-blue or pale sky blue. The name means "Turkish stone" as it came to Europe by way of Turkey. Turquoise was mined more than 6,000 years ago in Sinai. The best turquoise comes from Iran, but not much is exported now. Much turquoise comes from Mexico and the United States today.

Turquoise Metaphysical Properties

Turquoise is considered one of the most spiritually powerful stones on the planet. The stone has a huge following all over the world of people who believe in the metaphysical aspects of turquoise.

One of the most widely believed perceptions about turquoise metaphysical properties is the energy surrounding the stone. Both New Age practitioners and cultures throughout the world believe turquoise is a carrier of positive energy that allows the wearer to deflect negativity and ward off depression.

It is also believed to be a stone of good fortune. When offered as a gift, turquoise metaphysical properties will be transferred to the person receiving the stone.

Many cultures and groups look at giving turquoise as a gift with high importance. Offering the stone as a gift is like handing someone positive energy, good fortune and the ability to ward off depression and sadness.

it is also widely used as a treatment stone my modern day crystal healers who believe turquoise metaphysical properties are strong enough to treat physical conditions – even protect against the negative impacts of alcohol, pollution and other toxins.

The spiritual turquoise metaphysical properties span the course of history. Many of the legends that transfer into modern American society were introduced by the Native Americans of the Southwest.

It is believed the stone can enhance psychic receptors in the body and mind, helping the wearer connect with the spiritual realm. Turquoise also protects from supernatural spirits that wish harm on the living realm.

Due to the psychic energy, turquoise can also aid in meditation, helping to clear the mind and opening a channel between the living and spiritual world

There are scores of turquoise myths related to the spiritual powers of this remarkable stone. It has symbolized wealth and good fortune in cultures throughout the world and remains one of the most revered power stones to this day.

Aventurine

Aventurine

General Gemstone Details

Aventurine is a slightly translucent to opaque variety of microcrystalline quartz; it contains tiny inclusions of shiny materials which is what gives the stone a sparkling effect known as aventurescence. Inclusion that consist of mica will give a silvery shimmer, while inclusions of hematite will give a reddish or gray sparkle.

Common aventurine ranges in color from green, to brown, peach, yellow and red; there is even a blue aventurine which is quite beautiful. Aventurine is often mistaken for amazonite, jade and even chalcedony when the coloring is creamy enough.

Interestingly enough the name of the stone was derived from a happy accident. Sometime during the eighteenth century, Venetian glass workers were preparing molten glass when copper filings accidentally fell into the batch producing a sparkling glass product. The name aventurine comes from the phrase "a ventura" which means "by chance".

This is also how goldstone came about, and many have attempted to simulate aventurine in the same fashion as goldstone.

Some of the earliest most primitive stone tools (such as axes) fashioned by the ancestors of man over two and a half million years ago were made of quartz varieties such as aventurine. These materials were used, no doubt for their hardness and isotropic brittleness which is what made it possible to shape the tools with relative ease and dexterity.

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Scientific Properties:

Mohs Hardness of 7 with a trigonal crystal structure..

A variety of quartz, Aventurine deposits are found in Brazil, India, Austria, Russia, Spain, Chile and Tanzania.

Aventurine is often mistaken for jade as well as amazonite due to it's coloring. It is also often called Indian Jade with is not correct either. The true green aventurine has fuchsia mica inclusions, while the greenish brown has goethite and the brown has pyrite.

Mystical Properties

Aventurine is an all around 'luck' stone, in any color; although the green color of this stone seems to be the most powerful. Aventurine gives the wearer inner equilibrium and it stimulates dreaming. It is said to have a positive effect on the psyche, strengthening an individuals sense of self, being the ideal stone for those who are looking f or a positive view of life.

Blue 

This stones is used in healing and balancing the emotions, helping us to communicate more clearly and creatively. It stimulates creativity, intellect as well as independence. It is told to enhance leadership qualities allowing the wearer to act decisively with strong intuitive power. It is also said to provide patience, eliminate stubbornness, control excitability and to give one a deeper understanding of the cause and effect in situations thus allowing one to more completely understand any situation and to assist in finding the optimal solution.

Green 

This stone is told to relieve anxiety and calm one's emotions, to bring about opportunity and to give good luck in gabling. It is said to have the ability to enhance the sense of humor and cheerfulness of its possessor. While it makes a powerful good luck piece to draw opportunities your way, it may also draw unexpected adventures and good luck in love.

Peach 

ThIs the right stone to assist with decision making skills and to enhance creativity. This is a good stone for writers, artist, musicians or anyone in the creative field, to help opening up and enhance creative visualizations.           

Red 

Red aventurine has the basic qualities of all aventurine as well as additional qualities due to it's color and composition. It not only enhances creativity, it grants the ability to see possibilities. It can bring prosperity and less negativity.

Healing Properties:

Aventurine will help one make decisions from the heart, stimulating creative inspiration and giving the courage to live your truth around others (light to dark shades of green), it is a comforter and supporter as well as a balancing stone. Pure green has strong healing energy. Many believe that it has the capability to calm a troubled spirit and bring about inner peace.

Blue aventurine physically is said to help the body release toxins, and to provide strength to those suffering from wasting diseases.

Green aventurine physically is told to have been successful in psychotherapy, treating disorders of the heart and lungs as well as increasing flexibility in the muscles. It is often used to improve eyesight.

Peach aventurine physically is beneficial for the lungs, heart adrenal glands and the urogenital system.

Red aventurine physically it told to hold the power to heal the reproductive system, and sometimes to reverse diseases.

The stone should be worn for longer periods of time to gain effectiveness, possibly in the case of an acute illness, taping it to the affected area will be more successful. Cleanse your stone once a month under running water and recharge it in the sun.

Magical Properties:

Energy: Projective

Element: Air

Powers: Mental powers, eyesight, gambling, money, peace, healing and luck

Aventurine is worn, carried or used in spells that are designed to increase perception, to stimulate creativity, and to enhance intelligence. It is utilized in games of chance and it commonly known as the gambler's stone.

This stone is often used in money attracting magic, and it is known as an all-around good luck stone.

Zodiac:

Associations: Mercury

Stone of Cancer most strongly, but also for Taurus and Sagittarius, aventurine symbolizes tranquility, creativity and patience.

Chakra Classification:

Blue aventurine is for working on the 4th, or Heart Chakra for emotional balance and love energy.

Green aventurine is for keeping the 6th, or Third Eye/Brow Chakra and 7th, or Crown Chakra open.

Peach aventurine is for gently increasing the energy of the2nd, or Sacral/Navel Chakra.

Red aventurine is associated with both the 2nd, or Sacral/Navel Chakra and the 1st, or Root/Base Chakra.

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Rose quartz

 

Rose Quartz Crystal...
Resonates Loving  Energy

Rose Quartz Crystal is a quartz crystal that derives its name from its lovely rose pink color. These crystals come in a range of beautiful shades of pink.
It is known as the 'love stone' as the message it emits is the strong vibration of unconditional love, joy, warmth and healing.
This beautiful pink crystal has a powerful energy that resonates within both the heart chakra and the higher heart chakra, or thymus chakra. This stone will also resonate out the love energy into its surrounds... and aid all those nearby, such as your nearest and dearest.
Not only will it assist you with healing yourself but its energy may bring faith and hope to all in the vicinity... and this energy is well known for its action to stimulate romance in your life.
As quartz crystals are profound amplifiers of energy, it may help to kindle happiness, love,romantic feelings and sensuality.

CRYSTAL MEANINGS AND METAPHYSICAL PROPERTIES LORE OF ROSE QUARTZ

Keywords: Love

Rose quartz is pink quartz that is often called the "Love Stone." It is a stone of unconditional love that opens the heart chakra to all forms of love: self-love, family love, platonic love, and romantic love. The high energy of quartz gives rose quartz the property of enhancing love in virtually any situation. In turn, this lowers stress. All in all it is a very soothing and happy stone.

Emotionally rose quartz brings gentleness, forgiveness, compassion, kindness and tolerance. It raises one's self-esteem and sense of self-worth. It helps balance emotions and heal emotional wounds and traumas, even grief, bringing peace and calm. Rose quartz removes fears, resentments and anger. It can also heal and release childhood traumas, neglect, and lack of love, in part by enhancing inner awareness. It can help with reconciliation with family and others. Overwhelming or unreasonable guilt is eased by rose quartz.

In the psychic and spiritual realms, rose quartz is often used to attract love, and for love spells. It is also used to ease the process of transition in dying. Rose quartz can be helpful for dream recall and dream work.

Physically rose quartz is used in crystal healing to benefit the heart, the circulatory system, fertility, headaches, kidney disease, migraines, sexual dysfunction, sinus problems, throat problems, depression, addictions, ear aches, slowing signs of aging, reducing wrinkles, spleen problems, fibromyalgia, and reaching one's ideal weight / weight loss. Rose quartz is also helpful and protective during pregnancy and with childbirth. It is also sometimes said that rose quartz is helpful for supporting brain functions and increasing intellect.

Rose quartz is associated with the heart charka 

Wearing Rose Quartz

This lovely pink stone vibrates strongly within the heart chakra and the higher heart chakra... and as the vibration of the heart chakra is all about the concept of 'loving' you can understand why this would be powerful to have close to you.

This concept is about love not only on the physical level but on the deeper emotional and spiritual levels, and so it is powerul to use as one of the ways to relieve stress, tension, resentment and anxiety.

Rose quartz crystals have a loving vibration that is a powerful energy to help heal relationship problems. These are also lovely stones to wear. I love these lovely pink stones... not only for their physical beauty... but for the emotional healing they will bring to the wearer.

If you are able to obtain one of the beautiful rose quartz gemstones, you will appreciate the quality of this lovely stone.

Wearing Rose Quartz jewelry or holding a piece of Rose Quartz in your hand, will bestow a peaceful and calming sensation that can assist in healing of the heart... by dissolving anger and resentment.
In these stressful days we live in many of us are in need of emotional healing.
Wearing Rose Quartz crystal jewelry... such as earrings, pendants or rings made from natural stones is very powerful, as this is a crystal with strong metaphysical properties.

  

more to come on this wonderful stone

Today lets talk about Turquoise. This beautiful stone is one of my favorites of course I love all stones. They all have there own energy and beauty.  

Turquoise is one of the most beautiful semi-precious stones in all the world.  Indeed, it has been said that no other opaque stone is more beautiful and popular!  The archaeological record reveals that turquoise has long been cherished, with the earliest documented use going back to 6000 B.C. Egypt.

Mother nature was quite democratic in her allocation of this precious stone.  Although turquoise deposits are quite rare, quality turquoise is found in isolated locations on virtually every continent.  In North American, reserves of the highest quality of turquoise can be found in several southwest states, especially  Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico.  In South America, Chile is home to some deposits of respectable quality.  The Eurasia continent is where turquoise was first mined and given its current name, a misnomer based on the false belief that this gem came from Turkey. Turquoise is also being mined in Egypt (in minute quantities) and in Australia.

Turquoise Gemstone meaning

Turquoise is one of the oldest protection amulets, and was also known as a symbol of wealth in many ancient cultures.

Strength, protection from harm, psychic sensitivity and connection to the spirit world

If given a turquoise by a loving friend, that stone would protect the wearer from negative energy and bring good fortune. The turquoise is the symbol of friendship. It also brings peace to the home.

This stone is a very personal and meaningful stone to one who wears it. Turquoise takes on the characteristics of the owner.

Turquoise carries great wisdom of basic truth within it. It is one of the oldest stones known. This is a stone that a person must learn to attune to instead of the stone attuning to the person. It is important that the owner of a Turquoise give it the proper attention.

Healing properties of Turquoise

• Neutralizes overacidity
• Alleviates rheumatism, gout, stomach problems, viral infections
• Increases growth, muscular strength
• Alleviates pain, relaxes cramps
• Contains anti-inflammatory and detoxifying effects
• Application: should be worn on the solar plexus

History of Turquoise

Turquoise is a stone that has been prized for many years. The ancient Egyptians used turquoise in jewelry. Turquoise is greenish-blue or pale sky blue. The name means "Turkish stone" as it came to Europe by way of Turkey. Turquoise was mined more than 6,000 years ago in Sinai. The best turquoise comes from Iran, but not much is exported now. Much turquoise comes from Mexico and the United States today.

Turquoise range from a robin egg blue 

To my favorite veined green

Native American Indians believe 

Turquoise

Legend has it that the Native American Indians danced and rejoiced when the rains came. Their tears of joy mixed with the rain and seeped into Mother Earth to become SkyStone 

Turquoise, the "fallen sky stone" hidden in Mother Earth, has been valued by cultures for its beauty and reputed spiritual and life-giving qualities for over 7000 years. It is a true gem of the centuries. A long time ago someone noticed a clear blue line running through gray rock, and saw the imagery of sky and water in stone, and from that time on, turquoise has been cherished above all else in creation - turquoise, stone of sky, stone of water, stone of blessings, good fortune, protection, good health and long life.

Elsewhere, turquoise may come and go with fashion. Here turguoise is more precious then Gold, an enduring expression of Native American Indian culture. It is the birthstone of December and signifies success.

There is a wonderful fascination to turquoise, a feeling that takes hold of a person who comes in contact with it for a while. The fascination has been the same down through the centuries and it has been prized for thousands of years through many countries of the world.

Native American Indians had as many different words for turquoise as there were languages spoken. Many of the words translated into English as the sky stone evoking the sky-blue shade of the stone most commonly found. Native Americans had been working turquoise mines with stone mauls and antler picks for centuries before the arrival of the Europeans.

Native Americans believe that the earth is alive and that all things, no matter how small or apparently inanimate, are precious. To the Native Americans, turquoise is life. There are stones medicine men keep in their sacred bundles because they possess powers of healing. Stones and crystals have unique attributed that support and heal us. Turquoise, especially, is known for its positive healing energy, an aid in mental functions, communications and expression and as a protector. If you’re wearing a turquoise ring and you look down and see a crack in your stone, the Native Americans would say “the stone took it”, meaning the stone took the blow that you would have received.

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Red agate carnelian gemstoneNatural Carnelian

 

Carnelian Rough

Carnelian is a brownish red to red-orange variety of chalcedony or cryptocrystalline quartz. Its name is believed to come from a variety of cherry known as kornel. The distinctive red-orange color of carnelian is a result of trace amounts of iron. Sometimes the name Sard is used to refer to the darker colors of carnelian, though there is no clear distinction between carnelian and sard.

Carnelian is one of the oldest known gemstones. It was widely used in ancient Rome to make signet or seal rings for imprinting a seal on letters or important documents (hot wax does not stick to carnelian). Carnelian is one of the twelve gemstones mentioned in the Bible as appearing on the Breastplate of Aaron. It also is one of the birthstones listed in the ancient Arabic, Hebrew and and Roman tables and is a Zodiac birthstone for the sign of Virgo.

Like other chalcedonys, carnelian has a hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, and a density of 2.58-2.64. It has a refractive index of 1.530-1.540. It ranges from translucent to opaque.

Carnelian Cameo

Today carnelian is used for cabochons and beads. It is also carved to produce cameos, intaglios and sculptural pieces. The most important carnelian deposits are found in Brazil, Uruguay, India and Madagascar.

Many carnelians being offered in the market today are actually agates which have been dyed and then heat-treated. But there is a way to identify natural carnelian. The dyed agate will display striping when held against the light, while the natural carnelian will show a cloudy distribution of color. Natural carnelian is increasingly rare.

Since carnelian has such a long history, it is not surprisingly that many legends have become associated with it. Carnelian was regarded as one of the luckiest gems to wear. The proverb is that "No man who wore a carnelian was ever found in a collapsed house or beneath a fallen wall." Carnelian was a talisman of good luck as early as the ancient Babylonians and Greeks. Many Muslims man believe that wearing a carnelian brings peace and happiness to the owner. This belief is attributed to the fact that Mohammed wore a ring set with a carnelian seal. The emperor Napoleon jealously guarded a carnelian seal which he found in an Egyptian campaign and often wore as a watch charm.

carnelian gemstone

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