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Gemstone Guide and Glossary of Terms
A - K
Metaphysical Properties and General Lore
*This information was gathered for entertainment purposes only from many sources.
Not every gemstone is available all the time, keep checking back for new additions. If there is something that you are interested in, please email me and a custom piece can be made for you.
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Gemstone Buying Guide - Gemstone & Jewelry Buying Guide
AB Finish: AB stand for "Aurora Borealis", which means "Northern Lights". It is done with a special process that puts a very thin layer of metallic atoms deposited on the lower surface of the stone. This process was invented by the Swarovski company along with Christian Dior.
Abalone Shell: Mollusk family of shells. They have a beautiful iridescent finish.
Agate: Noted for it's banding (quartz layers) and translucency. Types: Arizona Striped, Blue Lace, Botswana, Butterscotch, Condor, Crazy Lace, India, Fossil, Montana, Moss, Natural (carnelian), Tree.
General Lore: cure insomnia, protect against danger, promote strength and healing and ensure a healthy life. Moss: enhance love of nature, cleanse the soul and restore wit. Tree: encourage inner peace through certainty and bring awareness of personal strengths creating security and stability.
Alexandrite: It is scarce and rare. The most sensational feature about this stone is its surprising ability to change its colour. Green or bluish-green in daylight, alexandrite turns a soft shade of red, purplish-red or raspberry red in incandescent light. This unique optical characteristic makes it one of the most valuable gemstone of all.
Some czech glass beads or crystals called 'alexandrite' do change from a bluish to lavender color in different forms of light.
General Lore: Considered a stone of very good omen. In critical situations it is supposed to strengthen the wearer’s intuition, and thus help him or her find new ways forward in situations where logic will not provide an answer. Alexandrite is also reputed to aid creativity and inspire imagination.
Amazonite: Opaque blue/teal stone that can have white, yellow or grey inclusions. Clean with soapy water, never with an ultrasonic cleaner.
General Lore: Improve your skin, marriage, clarity of thought, and social interactions. Alleviate muscle spasms, stress and exhaustion.
Amber: Fossilized tree resin of now-extinct conifer trees and ancient pines. Can be easily scratched, clean with soapy lukewarm water and rub on a little vegtable oil.
General Lore: Bring luck, improve eyesight, ease glandular swellings of the throat and lungs. Balance endocrine and digestive systems.
Amethyst: FEBRUARY BIRTHSTONE
Amethyst is a member of the quartz family. Some beads may have some white or grey inclusions. Keep out of direct sunlight, as they Amethyst can lose it's color.
General Lore: Sobriety Stone, thought to protect from drunkenness. Encourage celibacy and symbollize piety. Amethyst was very important in the ornamentation of the Catholic and other churches in the Middle Ages. DaVinci wrote that that it had the power to dissipate evil thoughts and quicken intelligence.
Aquamarine: MARCH BIRTHSTONE
Member of the beryl gemstone family. Very hard gemstone, the more intense the color the higher the value.
General Lore: The lucky stone for sailors (legend says it was found in mermaids' treasure chests). Protect from the peril of the sea and seasickness. Heal nerve pain, glandular problems, toothaches, and disorders of the neck, jaw and throat.
Aventurine: Member of the quartz family with small inclusions of shiny minerals. It is found naturally in reddish brown and yellow. Blue and Greens are probably dyed to achieve the color.
General Lore: Calm a troubled mind, bring inner peace, increase confidence and gratitude, promote emotional tranquility and positive attitudes. In addition, green is said to strengthen blood and muscle tissues and lends itself to prosperity meditations. Blue is said to help remove toxins from the body, decrease negative emotions and stimulate creativity and intellect.
Bali Beads: Bali beads are handcrafted in Bali, Indonesia and are exceptionally detailed. All my Bali beads are genuine and most are bought directly from Indonesia from reputable dealers. All are guaranteed to be .925 sterling.
Baroque: Term used to describe irregular shaped stones or pearls.
Bloodstone: Dark green variety of quartz dotted with nodules of bright red jasper.
General Lore: Greatly prized in the Middle Ages as the spots were thought to be the blood of Jesus Christ, so it was used in sculptures representing martyrdom.
Carnelian: Agate of fiery red/oranges.
General Lore: Stop the flow of blood (nosebleeds, etc.). Help physical wounds and blood disorders. Recommended for infertility, impotency.
Celtic: The Celts are identified as people from Ireland and the Scottish Highlands. The Celts are noted for their knotwork, nature themes and crosses. Their work represent trees, plants and animals. They believe that all of life is interconnected, therefore knots are to have a complete loops with no beginning and no end. The most popular is the spiral, used in their jewelry for centuries. It is the celtic symbol of eternal life. Their designs are still renowned today and never lose popularity.
Chakras: Chakra is a word from Sanskrit meaning a wheel and refers to 7 energy centers. They are said to bring energy into the body and remove old energy. You can 'google' the word "chakra" to go to many wonderful websites that can explain this. Information and stones vary with different sites. The most common stones used are as follows:
Quartz Crystal - Universal Healing Stone
dark Amethyst - Crown Chakra
light purple Florite - Brow Chakra
Aquamarine - Throat Chakra
Aventaurine - Heart Chakra
Citrine - Solar Plexus Chakra
Carnelian - Sacral Chakra
Garnet - Root Chakra
The pattern is meant to follow the colors of the Rainbow.
Chalcedony: Chalcedony is a catch all term that includes many well known varieties of cryptocrystalline quartz gemstones. It's a form of quartz where the crystals are too small to be seen without high magnification. Translucent, single color types are sold as "chalcedony" whereas the rest of this group are sold under individual variety names, or as jasper or agate.
Charoite: Unusual mineral of rare occurence, found in Russia. Colors range from bright lavendar, violet and lilac to dark purple with white gray and black veining. Warm soapy water recommended.
General Lore: By putting it under your pillow it will release the fears that surface in your dreams.
Cherysoberyl: "Cat's-eye" - This gem is really something special with its narrow, bright band of light on a shimmering golden background, which seems to glide magically across the surface when the stone is moved. Most "Cat's-eye" is man-made, as the natural form is rare.
General Lore: On account of its golden tones, chrysoberyl is often also associated with wealth. Chrysoberyls are said to promote concentration and the ability to learn, and to enable the wearer to think clearly and far-sightedly. Negative thoughts are said to be transformed into positive energy. It is also regarded as a gemstone which promotes tolerance and harmony, and it is one of the lucky stones for those born under the sign of Leo.
Chrysoprase: Quartz family, prized for it's rarity and opalescent apple-green color. May fade in sunlight. You can wear in the shower, as it can dehydrate.
General Lore: Sooth heartache and loneliness, promote emotional balance, relieve gout, eye problems and mental illness.
Citrine: Citrine includes yellow to gold to orange brown shades of transparent quartz. Maderia citrine refers to the darker, orange citrine colors and are generally more valueable. Today's most popular citrine color is a bright lemon color.
General Lore: Known as the "success stone" because it promotes success, prosperity, abundance and particularly promotes success in business, earning it another nickname, "merchant's stone". It is said to bring business if put in the cashbox of a shop or carried. It also can bring good fortune in unexpected ways. It imparts generosity, making one want to share the wealth. Said to be beneficial for digestion, stomach, eliminating nightmares and other sleep disturbances, thyroid, general health, heart, kidney, liver, muscles, strength, endocrine system, circulatory system, tissue regeneration, urinary system, immune system, fibromyalgia. Citrine is also good for removing toxins, and overcoming addictions.
Coral: Build up of skeletal materials of small animals. Wide ranges of colors. (Coral is not taken from threatened reefs and research indicates it is plentiful and harvesting levels are at a rate equal or greater than what is collected). Types: Apple, Black, Blue, Gold, Natural Bamboo, Pink, Red, Tiger.
General Lore: Calm and improve life for people living in the 'fast lane'. Protect children, used for difficulties in the lungs, digestion and blood circulation. Restore harmony in emotional conflict, work against nutritional deficiencies, depression and lethargy. Cure madness and gives wisdom.
Crystal, Swarovski: The highest quality crystals on the market, nothing else compares. AKA - Austrian Crystal.
Dalmatiner: Dalmation Jasper (named for the breed of dog that it resembles).
General Lore: Increase patience. Lessen or remove disillusionment and protect against nightmares, depression and negative thinking.
Diamond: APRIL BIRTHSTONE
Dumortierite: Denim blue coloring.
General Lore: Enhance organizational abilities and self-discipline. Release fear, bring courage to one's life and be a boost for creativity and expression.
Emerald: MAY BIRTHSTONE
Green variety of beryl. Clean with a soft dry cloth, never an ultra-sonic cleaner.
General Lore: Drive away evil spirits, preserve chastity of the wearer, bring wisdom, faith, success in love. Helps one discover false friends. When worn it is suppose to prevent an epilepsy attack. Said to assist women in childbirth. Strengthens memory, quicken the intelligence, and assist in predicting the future.
Fluorite: Pastel mineral occurs in vein deposits. This gemstone is fluorescent in ultraviolet light. The stone comes in colors of green, white, purple and lavendar. Will fade with prolonged exposure to sunlight. Clean with warm soapy water, never in an ultrasonic.
General Lore: Help the evolution of harmonious, peaceful and organized spiritual growth. Help clear the mind and heighten mental achievement while increasing the ability to concentrate. Help one see the truth behind illusion. It has been used on the body as well in the treatment of bones, teeth and cell structure. Help eliminate the discord that causes infection and disease. Used to assist in the prevention and repair of RNA and DNA damage.
Garnet: JANUARY BIRTHSTONE
Most commonly looks like pomegrante seeds. Garnets can also appear in yellow, pink, green, white and gray.
General Lore: Written that Noah used a lantern of garnet to safely steer his ark through the dark night. Best known as the warrior's stone. Soldiers wore garnet to ward off death and injury. Symbolizes fire, faith, courage, truth, grace, compassion, constancy and fidelity. Said to stimulate the bloodstream and pituitary glands and to combat depression and lethargy.
Goldstone: Manmade gemstone of glass and copper flects. Types: Gold and Blue.
General Lore: Store the energy of those who touch it, making an excellent gift for those who are far away. Deflect unwanted energies. Mystics use it as a nervous system stimulant to enhance transmission of healing energies from the hands. Cooper within the stone makes it helpful for inflamation and increasing one's blood
flow.
Hematite: Gemstone that looks like metal. Mostly all hematite is simulated, however the chemical composition is the same as the naturally ocurring substance.
General Lore: Inspire inner life and help keep inward peace. Called the "stone of mental mastery", said to aid clarity, balance and calm reason. Dissolve negativity and transform it into love. Assist in the creation of peaceful, loving and kind relationships. Enhance memory and intellect, stregthen the circulatory system and help in the treatment of blood and kidney disorders.
Hill Tribe Silver: Many of my designs will feature "Hill Tribe" pendants and beads. These come from the Karen Hill Tribe of Northern Thailand. They are hand-made and beautiful and usually contain a higher amount of silver (95 - 99 percent) than in sterling silver (92.5 percent). The silver content is higher so that they are able to bend them into the wonderful shapes featured, which also means they will not tarnish as quickly. Most pieces are oxidized intentionally to create a three-dimensional look. No two pieces are exactly the same because of the hand-crafted quality. They incorporate centuries old techniques known only to them. The beads are usually engraved or made into flowers, animals and shapes that are significant to their culture and beliefs. Purchasing their pieces aids them in preserving their culture.
Howlite: Naturally white in color with a dark gray or black spider web matrix. Easily dyed many colors, therefore made to immitate other stones.
General Lore: Stone of memory, knowledge and progress. Encourage reasoning, observation, discernment, patience and tact. Believed to eliminate pain, stress and anger. Help balance calcium levels in the body, aiding absorbtion and distribution.
Iolite: Violet/blue (ability to change color) color found in water deposits of a blue silicate mineral.
General Lore: Open one to psychic talents and expand them. Believed to enhance curiosity, stimulate visions and help the wearer deal with addictions, including alcoholism (assist in detox as well as maintaining sobriety). Used to help heal sore throats, varicose veins and blisters.
Jade: Defines actually two different minerals. First Nephrite, only comes in white or green and the second Jadite, which comes in a full range of colors.
General Lore: Encourages practicality, wisdom, mental peace and tolerance of others. Rejuvenate during periods of stress, reduce fears, banish negative thoughts and increase a person’s capacity for giving and receiving love. Jade makes a good worry stone and is often used in rosaries. Crystal healers associate Jade with ailments of the immune system, thymus, heart, kidney and nervous system. Nephrite is actually derived from the Greek word for kidneys and is still a remedy among healers for Nephritic Colic. believed to stimulate white blood cell and adrenaline production, which could account for its long association with sports. Eastern athletes believe it can darken in times of superior fitness and lighten when illness comes.
Jasper: A form of microcrystalline quartz comes in many different patterns and the different patterns are so named from their markings. Clean with a soft, dry cloth. Types: Bruneau, Fancy, Flower, Green, Green Zebra, Gray, Imperial Purple, Landscape, Leopardskin, Mexican Zebra, Ocean, Picture, Poppy, Rainbow, Red, Red Ocean, Rose, Silver Leaf, Snakeskin, Tigerskin, Turtle, White, Yellow, Zebra. The more I look the more varieties I find!
General Lore: Strengthen the stomach and cure gynecological troubles. Drive away evil spirits and protect against snake and spider bites. Gives courage to speak out and the bravery to achieve personal independence.
General Lore: Stimulate intuition, sensitivity, imagination and adaptability and help with clarity in decision-making. Symbolizes faith, charity and innocense. Traditionaly has been used to strengthen the environment and bring greater purity to the atmosphere. Protect a child from the perils of a new life. Due to it's link with motherly love, it is thought to increase creativity and intuition. Relieve indigestion.
More information will be added as it becomes available. If there is something not listed here that you would like to see please email me! jeanette@jeanetteshanahan.com