Please expect natural variations in gemstones, pearls and other hand-crafted quality items.
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Gemstone Guide and Glossary of Terms
L - Z
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.
Labradorite: Plagioclase feldspar found in igneous or metamorphic rocks. Stone has rainbow-colored reflections. it is considered to be a rare form of moonstone.
General Lore: Detoxify the body and slow the aging process. Elevate consciousness and protect a person's aura. Heals mental confusion and indecision.
Lampwork: A centuries old technique, lampwork is done by melting glass rods over a torch. The melted glass is then wrapped around a mandrel. Intricate designs are then "painted" in the glass by smaller and thinner glass rods. The beads are then put into a kiln for annealing. These beads are made by bead artists and genuine artist lampwork are of heirloom quality. It can take up to an hour to make just one bead and several hours of firing in a kiln.
Lapis Lazuli: Composed of several minerals: lazurite, sodalite, pyrite and calcite. The best quality lapis lazuli is a potent dark blue with small areas of white calcite and metallic pyrite. Clean with a soft, dry cloth. Types: Lapis Nevada, Denim Lapis
General Lore: Stone of truth and friendship. Brings harmony in relationships and cleanse the mental body while releasing old karmic patterns. Allows spiritual energy to be absorbed in the aura. Lessens anxiety, create overall body/mind relaxation and changes darkness to light/ negative to positive, also called ‘night stone’.
In Renaissance paintings, the beautiful blue stone was ground up and put into the pigment ultramarine, which was used to paint sky, sea and anything blue.
Malachite: Vividly banded green stone that reminds you of the Emerald Isle. Clean with soft/dry cloth.
General Lore: Aid in the regeneration of body cells and lend extra energy. It is believed that gazing at
malachite or holding it relaxes the nervous system and calms stormy emotions. Said to bring harmony into one's life, and give knowledge and patience.
Mookaite: Australian Jasper of warm earthy tones of reds, yellows and browns.
General Lore: Shield the wearer from difficult situations and to connect us to loved ones who have passed away. Believed to bring us into the "here and now" aiding with problem assessment and decision making. Used to treat grandular or stomach disorders, hernias, ruptures and water retention.
Moonstone, Rainbow: Moonstone, generally, will pick up the colors you are wearing. A misty color of white, dull yellow, yellow-gray, greenish-gray, peach or gray, cracks are often visable inside the gemstone. It is a relatively hard stone.
General Lore: Awaken tender passions if placed between the tongues of lovers at full moon. Holding a moonstone in the mouth will refresh one's memory. Believed to protect women and babies and to soothe and balance the emotions. Many believe it to align vertebrae and act as a digestive aid.
Mother of Pearl: Mother of Pearl is the iridescent coating on the inside of mollusk shells (nacre).
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.
Obsidian: Natural glass that forms from volcanic activity. This gemstone is made of the same materials as granite, but cools so quickly that it does not have time to crystallize. Types: Mahogany, Rainbow, Red Snowflake, Snowflake
General Lore: Aid the stomach and intestines and help improve overall vision. Gain clear insight into problems. Mahogany: put the wearer more at ease with his/her sensuality. Rainbow: balance and stabilize energy. Snowflake: assist with clarity and logic.
Onyx: Variety of Agate. When we think of Onyx we think of black, but it also is sold in blue, green and white.
General Lore: Eliminate apathy, stress and neurological disorders. Elminiate nagative thinking and sharpen the wits of the wearer. It is used to change habits, help concentration levels and aid absentmindedness. Some think it makes the wearer more eloquent and should be worn for public speaking.
Opal: OCTOBER BIRTHSTONE
The precious opal diffracts light a various wavelengths, creating multiple colors. Common Opals have a lesser play of colors. Precious opals contain up to 13% of water, making them very brittle if they dry out. Protect them from detergents. Do not use an ultrasonic cleaner. Types: Precious, Peruvian Blue, Mexican Fire.
General Lore: Aid in the healing of eye diseases. If a person is ill it is believed to lose all color to the wearer. Said to soothe the eyes and the nerves and enhance creativity.
Paua Shell: Vibrant iridescent colors make this shell unique among all other abalone varities.
General Lore: It has been associated for centuries with solace, love, sand, water, beauty, gentleness, caring, comfort, peacefulness and delight. Hold it close to you and you will feel a sense of peace and love, whatever you are doing, wherever you go. Some believe that the paua shell aids in creativity.
Pearl: JUNE BIRTHSTONE
Organic gem grown inside mollusks or oysters. Pearls are formed when an irritant gets inside the shell. It causes the animal to form a secretion called nacre to cover it. Nacre is the same material that forms the mollusk's shell. When dried the partical again irritates and layer upon layer of nacre builds up. A pearl is formed anywhere from 4 months to several years. The more time the bigger the pearl. Truely natural pearls are extremely rare and valuable. Pearls on the market today are 'cultured', which means they are farmed and we purposely put irritants, tiny pieces of glass, etc. inside the oysters to create the pearl. Saltwater pearls are commonly called 'Oriental pearls' and those produced in freshwater are 'freshwater pearls'. My pearls are mostly freshwater pearls that come in a beautiful variety of shapes and sizes. In the future I may start bringing in other types of pearls. Many popular colors such as white, cream, pink, peach and other pastels are natural, but most colors are dyed or irradiated to achieved a particular or unusual color. Other types of pearls are: South Sea, Tahitialn & Akoya. All are cultured, but they are formed in different types of oysters, in different parts of the world. What determines the quality is color, luster, shape, surface markings and size. True round is the the rarest. Most of the pearls used in my jewelry are rice shaped, which I have been getting very high-quality, uniform and luster rich strands and potato shaped that are slightly off-round. The most important feature of the pearl is the luster and to avoid surface markings (or ribs). Another popular shape that I love working with is 'coin'. These flat pearls are all the rage today and are very popular in designer jewelry. However, most of the coin shaped I have right now do have some surface blemishes on one or both sides, that is just how I am finding them right now. Some of my colored strands may have a slight blemish. Some designers only work with pearls that have surface blemishes, they create a dynamic & ecletic look. I strive to find the highest quality pearls at the most affordable prices. If you are interested in a particular pearl, a higher quality pearl, or just want more information, please feel free to ask!
Care: Try to put your pearls on last as perfumes, hair spray, etc. will dull the luster over time. Pearls love to be worn! The best thing for them is the body's natural oils. Put them away carefully in a soft pouch. Don't let them rub up against other jewelry as they can scratch.
General Lore: Improve self-worth and help people see themselves. Emblem of modesty, chastity and purity. Symbolizes love, success and happiness. Also associated with the ministry, bringing wisdom through experience. Eliminate emotional imbalances.
Pearl, Swarovski: The most fabulous faux pearls out there. Premium top grade imitation pearl. AKA - Austrian Crystal Pearls.
Peridot: AUGUST BIRTHSTONE
Created under great pressures in the earth. Beautiful yellow-green color. Do not clean in a ultrasonic cleaner.
General Lore: Dreaming of peridot is said to be a warning to use caution. The stone is said to help slow the aging process, physically and mentally, and also to be helpful in facilitating the birthing process. It is said to help speech, increase eloquence and remove impediments and is sometimes used to find lost or misplaced things. Many believe it to increase patience, confidence and assertiveness.
Quartz: Quartz is a family of minerals that can be distinguished from glass or lead crystal because of it's double refraction and hardness. It is available in many different colors.
General Lore: Quartz is said to be the universal healing stone. It can clarify what needs to be healed or balanced and assist in the transformation. Promote health, happiness and optimism while awakening us to the beauty of nature. There are many different kinds of quartz, here I will list just a few that we use:
Rock Crystal: Most common, colorless. Cleanse the mind and body, strengthen alignment with higher self, enhance properties of other gemstones, amplify energies and give strength, lessen negativity and remove toxins.
Rose: Will fade in sunlight, take care of your rose quartz! Called the love stone. Bring gentleness, forgiveness, compassion, kindness and tolerance, raise the self-esteem and remove fears, resentments and anger. Heal and release childhood traumas, neglect and lack of love by enhancing inner awareness. Help with reconciliation of family and ease of overwhelming or reasonable guilt. Used to benefit the heart, circulatory system, fertility, headaches, kidney disease, migraines, sexual dysfunction, sinus problems, throat problems, depression, addictions and ear aches.
Rutilated: Gold with inclusions of rutile. Considered a link between the crown and root chakras and is said to enhance physical, mental balance and stability, self-reliance and finding one's way. Diminish fear and depression.
Snow: Said to bring good fortune, helpful with meditation and looking within. Beneficial for the immune system.
Smoky: Smoky brown color. Said to be good for grounding and removing negativity. Enhance survival instincts and help one reach personal and business goals as well as assist in making wishes come true. Used to help with problems with the lower torso, including the kidneys, abdomen, pancreas and reproductive organs. Good for hyperactivity and attention-deficit disorder.
Blue: Alleviate depression and lift spirits.
There are many more colors of natural quartz.
THE FOLLOWING LIST ARE MAN-MADE QUARTZ, ACTUALLY GLASS
Blueberry, Cherry (naturally occuring but rare), Sea Opal - aka Opalite, Pineapple - They are very beautiful and well made!
Rhodochrosite: Various shades of pink with a banded pattern. Clean with cool, soapy water.
General Lore: Helpful in moments of extreme physical stress, arouses passion, courage and fortitude and bestows enthusiasm and dynamism to the mind. Believed to make life busy and full of ideas and to encourage eroticism and spontaneous expression of feelings.
Rhodonite: Opaque deep pink to lavender gemstone with black veins.
General Lore: Called the "singer's stone", said to improve sound-sensitivity. Believed to help with the nervous system and self-esteem and to balance trauma. Considered a strong feminine stone.
Ruby: JULY BIRTHSTONE
Red variety of corundum, the family which includes Sapphire.
General Lore: Symbol of devotion and love for centuries. Stimulate sexual desire and energy. Help physical wounds, blood disorders, emotional and spiritual wounds. Used as a tool for meditation and they are said to bless the wearer with health and wisdom.
Ruby in Zoisite: Very unique/rare striking green with red ruby inclusions.
General Lore: Help increase awareness of the super-ego. Said to help amplify the whole energy field of a person, reaching within to release inner talents of the mind.
Sapphire: SEPTEMBER BIRTHSTONE
Variety of corundum, most popular color being blue; however, comes in many different colors! Ruby is actually a red sapphire.
General Lore: Clergy often favored blue sapphire because the color represented heaven and felt it helped ward off evil and sickness, including the plague. Considered the stone of creative expression, intuition and meditation. It is said to be beneficial for mental clarity and depression. Promote light, pure emotions, purity of mind, serenity, joy and peace. Believed to lower fevers and inflamation and improve hearing problems and burns.
Serpentine: Often confused with Jade.. still given names such as "green jade", "new Jade", "Lemon Jade", "Olive Jade", etc.
General Lore: Restore self-confidence, dispel fear and enhance meditation. Believed to balance female hormones and increase milk production in nursing mothers.
Sodalite: Beautiful and popular blue stone with white and sometimes yellow streaks. Clean with warm/soapy water.
General Lore: Believed to have subtle, soothing energies and help you see the wisdom of adopting a simpler, less hectic lifestyle. It also is said to be effective in combating radiation. Physically, sodalite is said to help boost the immune system, balance the metabolism and cleanse the organs.
Sterling Silver: Sterling is 92.5 percent fine silver and 7.5 percent copper. Copper reacts to the atomosphere and that is what makes it tarnish. Please prevent this by keeping your sterling covered, make sure it is dry and keep it in some kind of airtight container, such as a zip-lock bag. Purchase a jewelry cloth, it contains anti-tarnishing propterties. By giving it a quick rub with the jewelry cloth every now and then and keeping it contained, your sterling will stay beautiful! Also, don't let your sterling get overly tarnished! I keep Twinkle (available at most supermarkets) right under my kitchen sink and the minute I see my pieces getting a little yellow I rinse them quickly with this product.
Sugilite: Rare and looks like a purple version of turquoise, but absolutely unrelated. Formed through volcanic activity deep beneath the Earth's surface. Clean with warm/soapy water.
General Lore: Considered a great balancer of mind, body and spirit and is said to attract healing power. Eliminates hostility and infuse the being with inspiration and confidence. It is highly regarded for centering spiritual light into the body and drawing out both physical and emotional pain. Protect against, absorb, and dissipate anger. Heal headaches and discomforts.
Tanzanite: Blue-lavendar in color, actually a form of zoisite. Do not clean in an ultra-sonic cleaner, very sensitive stone.
General Lore: Called the 'workaholic's stone'. Believed to help the wearer slow down and take it easy. Awaken the mind and heart, placing the mind's genius under the command of the heart's wisdom. Enhance psychic abilities. Enhance composure, poise and harmony. Physically it is considered beneficial for stress-related illnesses and high blood pressure.
Tigereye: Quartz with rich yellow and brown stripes with a brilliant gold luster. Other types: Blue, black, red, multi-color.
General Lore: Used as a gift between lovers to ease sexual tension and help partners tune in to each other in a psychic or telepathic way. Believed to pull one into a more positive and flexible attitude and is said to be especialy effective for stubborn people. Many wear the stone to strengthen convictions and to acquire courage and confidence. It is also reputed to relieve such physical conditions as high blood pressure, bronchial asthma, heart disease and psoriasis.
Topaz: NOVEMBER BIRTHSTONE
Topaz exists in nature in many earthly hues, blue is enhanced by heating clear topaz. Deep golden yellow and pink have the highest value. Clean only with warm/soapy water.
General Lore: Stimulate the endocrine system, balance emotions and improve eyesight. Valued in the treatment of hemorrhages, poor appetite and blood disorders and is referred to as the spiritual rejuvenation gemstone. It also encourages well-being, love, enables creativity and promotes self-expression. It is also written that Topaz has medical benefits in easing insomnia & asthma.
Tourmaline: Appears in blue, yellow, pink, red, black, green and clear, which is why it is regarded as the "rainbow gemstone".
General Lore: Said to dispel fear, negativity and grief. Induces a tranquil sleep and protects the wearer against many dangers and misfortunes. Believed to calm nerves, regulate hormones and fight genetic disorders.
Turkish Silver: Hand crafted and produced in Turkey in the hands of the masters guided by the ancient teachings of the Ottomans. Inspired by thousand years of cultural heritage, most of these items have interesting stories behind them. Turkish silver is similar to Bali beads, however the Turkish beads have slightly different designs, each individual dot is placed by the artist (like Bali) and intricately designed by hand. No two beads are exactly the same. Turkish silver is sterling silver mixed with cadmium. Cadmium makes the silver lightweight and tarnish resistant.
Turquoise: DECEMBER BIRTHSTONE
Occurs naturally in shades ranging from sky blue to grey-green. Types: Please note that "yellow" turquoise is probably jasper or serpentine. "African" is a natural jasper, "Apple Green" natural/dyed, "Lime" other white stone that has been dyed green, "Mexican" natural, please note that most turquoise is 'enhanced' or 'stabilized', which means that it is treated to harden the turquoise.
General Lore: Considered the stone of wholeness, promoting the sense of unity of the self and oneness with all that surrounds us. It is said to make one feel at home in both the physical and spiritual worlds. Said to permit the attributes of love, completeness and communication to flow through the body and increase spritual bonding. It also is believed to assist the absorption of nutrients while strengthening the immune system and stimulating tissue regeneration. Healers recommend it for detoxification of alcohol, poisons or radiation.
Unakite: This gemstone is a unique blend of greens and pinks. Ultrasonic cleaners are generally safe!
General Lore: Considered a balancing stone. Help unify the emotional, mental and spritual aspects of self, great for those seeking a well-rounded existence. Believed to help us live in the present instead of dwelling on the past. Release the mental or emotional blocks that can often stop us from moving forward. Stimulate the health of the heart and circulatory systems and ensure a healthy reproductive system.
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