About Gemstones

Agate  No gemstone is more creatively striped by nature than agate. This distinct and dramatically banded variety of chalcedony is composed of quartz layers. Each individual agate forms by filling a cavity in a host rock. As a result, agate often is found as a round nodule with concentric bands like the rings of a tree trunk. It is said to be named for the place in which it was first found – along the River Achates (now called the River Drillo) in Sicily. In ancient times, agate was highly valued as a talisman or amulet. Persian magicians used agate to divert storms. Some believe agate renders the wearer invisible and due to its strength and durability, it is used for making ornaments or for astrological purposes. The major sources of agate are the USA, Australia, Canada and Mexico.

• Blue Lace Agate This light blue agate is banded in a lacy or wavy pattern. It is said to lighten situations and nurture maternal impulses.

• Botswana Agate This agate hails from the country of Botswana. It is banded with fine parallel lines of tan, mahogany, pink, white and occasionally orange.

• Crazy Lace Agate This agate is composed of twisting and turning “crazy” bands of various colors. It is believed to allow one to laugh and see the “games” of the world.

• Moss Agate Like bits of moss floating in a clear river, this agate has intriguing mottled patterns of moss-like inclusions of hornblende (a basic silicate mineral). This stone has long been thought to be helpful to farmers. Worn when planting, it ensures a good crop. It is often called the “gardener’s stone”. Because of its organic appearance, this stone has been thought to enhance a love of nature, as well as cleanse the soul and restore wit.

All agates are said to foster love, create an appreciation of nature, provide abundance and soothe emotions. It was also said to quench thirst and protect against fever.

Amazonite This aqua colored feldspar derives its name from the Amazon River. It is an opaque stone, often found with white, yellow or gray inclusions and a silky luster or silvery sheen. Both the ancient Egyptians and other Middle Eastern cultures made items from amazonite. It has also been found among artifacts of Pre-Columbian Central and South America. The most sought-after amazonite has historically come from Russia, where deposits are found in granite along the Ilmen Mountains. Europeans familiar with the Russian stone confused it with another green stone they saw in South America’s Amazon Basin, which later turned out to be a form of nephrite jade. But my then the name amazonite had already become attached. The Pike’s Peak district of Colorado, USA became the most important source of amazonite after 1876. This gemstone is found mainly in the USA, Russia, Madagascar, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Australia. Russian Amazonite is a brighter, deep teal form of this stone. It’s gray and white striations are often more pronounced than in the paler form. All amazonite of this color is called Russian, because dark amazonite was originally found in that region.

Amazonite is thought to bestow truth, integrity and honor to its wearer, enhance love, and sooth tense aggravated emotions and situations.

Amethyst is the most highly prized variety of quartz and if not for its widespread availability, would be very expensive. It is formed in silica-rich liquids deposited in gas cavities (geodes) in lava. It occurs in crystalline masses, but the crystals are general not well developed, so they usually are found as clusters of crystal points. They also grow as stalactites. The stone’s name is derived from the Greek word amethystos, meaning “not drunken”, because people of ancient times believed it to protect the wearer from drunkenness. For this reason, wine goblets were carved from it. In addition to “preventing” drunkenness, people also once thought the stone to encourage celibacy and symbolize piety. Amethyst was therefore very important in the ornamentation of Catholic and other churches in the Middle Ages. Leonardo Da Vinci wrote that amethyst had the power to dissipate evil thoughts and quicken intelligence. The stone also makes an appearance in L.M. Montgomery’s classic book Anne of Green Gables, in which Anne admires an amethyst brooch; she explains that she once thought diamonds must be this beautiful purple color, and cried when she learned they were just plain white. In Tibet, amethyst is considered sacred to Buddha, and rosaries are often fashioned from it. Amethyst is mined in Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Argentina, the USA, Zambia, Namibia and other African countries.

Western mystics say that amethyst helps instill the highest ideals and urges one to do what is right. It is also associated with increased nobility and spiritual awareness.

Aventurine  is a form of chalcedony (quartz) that has little inclusions of various shiny minerals. These materials, usually spangles of mica or iron oxide, give the stone a glistening effect known as aventurescence. Its granular appearance and particular translucence are its most distinctive characteristics. Most aventurine is naturally reddish brown or yellow, though a green variety is also known. Aventurine is found in Brazil, India, China, Japan, Russia, Tanzania and the USA, with India producing the majority.

Green Aventurine is said to calm a troubled mind, thereby bringing inner peach. It also is supposed to increase confidence and gratitude, and promote emotional tranquility and positive attitudes.

Peach Aventurine is said to aid in the reduction of anxiety and stress.

Aquamarine From the light blue of the sky to the deep blue of the sea, aquamarines shine over an extraordinarily beautiful range of mainly light blue colours. Aquamarine is a fascinatingly beautiful gemstone. Women the world over love it for its fine blue shades which can complement almost any skin or eye colour, and creative gemstone designers are inspired by it as they are by hardly any other gem, which enables them to create new artistic cuts again and again.

Its light blue arouses feelings of sympathy, trust, harmony and friendship. Good feelings. Feelings which are based on mutuality and which prove their worth in lasting relationships. The blue of aquamarine is a divine, eternal colour, because it is the colour of the sky. However, aquamarine blue is also the colour of water with its life-giving force. And aquamarine really does seem to have captured the lucid blue of the oceans. No wonder, when you consider that according to the saga it originated in the treasure chest of fabulous mermaids, and has, since ancient times, been regarded as the sailors' lucky stone. Its name is derived from the Latin 'aqua' (water) and 'mare' (sea). It is said that its strengths are developed to their best advantage when it is placed in water which is bathed in sunlight. 

According to the old traditions it is said Aquamarine promises a happy marriage and to bring the woman who wears it joy and wealth into the bargain. An ideal gem, not only for loving and married couples.

Black Onyx is a striped, semi-precious variety of agate. The name onyx originates from the Green work onyx for hoof, probably because of its weak transparency. Onyx is one of the 12 stones mentioned in the Bible as adorning the breastplate of the high priests. The ancient Greeks and Romans used onyx for cameos and intaglios and in India; onyx was worn for protecting against the evil eye and also for cooling ardor. In the Middle East, onyx was used as a worry stone because people believed the gemstone absorbed negative energy, a belief that may have been caused by the Chinese miners who feared it and pulled the material out of the mine to immediately sell outside the country. Our black onyx has been rendered a uniform, permanent black color with a treatment by sugar and acid (and/or heat). This process has been used on the gemstone for thousands of years and is water safe. Black onyx is found worldwide, but most commonly is from Brazil, India and Madagascar.

Black onyx is said to help eliminate apathy and stress, get rid of negative thinking and sharpen the wits of the wearer. Some think it makes the wearer more eloquent and so it is worn for public speaking. It is also believed to help overcome feelings of loneliness and alienation and to add comfort in unfamiliar surroundings.

Carnelian is an A-Grade agate. What a lot of people call “true-carnelian” is the fiery red/orange color, and in theory, carnelian is naturally that color. However, most of that “true” carnelian is heat-treated in secret, well before it reaches the gemstone-cutting factory. This apparently has been a secret for thousands of years; each part of the world thought everyone else’s carnelian was naturally red, but they were heating theirs, too. When held against the light, the color-treated carnelian shows its color in stripes, while natural carnelian shows a cloudy distribution of color. We have both. Ancient Egyptian tombs are full of carnelian jewelry, as they believed the gemstone had great power in the afterlife. Ancient Greeks and Romans called it sardius and used it for signet rings, cameos and intaglios. Hindu astrology names carnelian as the secondary stone of Scorpios. Carnelian is found in Brazil, India, Australia, Russia, Madagascar, South Africa, Uruguay and USA.

Carnelian is believed to remind us to be “in the moment”. It is said to be a stone of protection, particularly from anger, jealousy and fear. It is also thought to bring passion to the wearer.

Chalcedony is a catch-all term for cryptocrystalline quartzes (quartz with microscopically small crystals). The stone is a semitransparent or translucent with a solid color and nearly waxlike luster. The name probably comes from Chalcedon or Calchedon, an ancient port city on the Sea of Marmora in modern-day Turkey. Chalcedony is a pseudomorph, the atom-by-atom replacement of one mineral for another without changing the original mineral’s external appearance. Petrified wood is a well-known example. In the Petrified Forest National Monument of Arizona, the remains of an entire ancient forest were transformed into chalcedony. It has made great marks on history. Because of its abundance, durability and beauty, chalcedony was one of the first raw materials used by humans. Its earliest recorded uses were as projectile points, knives, tools and containers. Seals made from chalcedony in Mesopotamia as early as the 7th century B.C. and the Romans also adopted the practice. It is found in Brazil, Russia, USA, Canada, Africa, Turkey and Indonesia.

Chalcedony is thought to stimulate creativity, calm and peace.

Chysoprase  is an opalescent apple green colored variety of chalcedony (quartz). Most green stones owe their color to chromium or vanadium, but chrysoprase derives its color from the nickel content. It is found in Australia, Brazil, the Ural Mountains, and the U.S. and is the rarest of the chalcedony group. Used by the Greeks, Romans, and the Egyptians in jewelry and other ornamental objects and because of its semi-opaque green color, it is often mistaken for Imperial jadeite.  One of the most valuable chalcedony gem stones, chrysoprase is prized for its color and rarity.

It is said to provide gentle, soothing, friendly, spiritual protection, prevents depression, increases grace and equilibrium and is said to increase fertility.

Citrine  is the golden-yellow member of the silicon dioxide family of quartz. Like golden rays of sunlight, citrine is medium to bright yellow with good clarity. Much of the citrine on the market today is actually heat-treated amethyst. Some of ours is. Natural citrine is not common and occurs in lighter hues than the heat-treated material. We call our natural citrine “champagne” because the color reminds us of the bubbly wine. In ancient times, citrine was carried as a protection against snake venom and evil thoughts. It didn’t see substantial use as a gemstone in jewelry until the mid 1800’s. Citrine is found mainly in India and Brazil.

Citrine symbolizes light-heartedness, joy, happiness, wisdom and peace. It is said to enhance creativity and motivate writers. Its nickname is “cuddle quartz” because it makes you feel cuddled.

Coral is a calcium carbonate, built up by the skeletal material of small animals that live in colonies in the sea. It often grows in branches that look like underwater trees and most is found in the Mediterranean Sea or in the Pacific off Japan and Taiwan. Many people think coral, like ivory, must be protected and/or is an endangered species. However, the few threatened coral reefs are monitored by international law. Furthermore, research shows that at current harvesting levels, even in the Great Barrier Reef, coral is sustainable. Most Red Coral is dyed and we believe that ours is unless specifically noted. Sponge coral, when polished smooth, has visible pores like a sponge. Coral is among the most ancient of gem materials, used for adornment since prehistoric times. Coral inlays and ornaments have been found in Celtic tombs from the Iron Age. In ancient China, red coral was a symbol of wealth, favor and high social status.

Coral is said to provide protection and guard against violence, accidents and theft, calm emotions and restore harmony. Mystics claim it cures madness and gives wisdom but loses its power when broken.

Chrysocolla  is often confused with turquoise. It is a copper bearing mineral found wherever copper deposits occur especially in areas of the southwestern USA, Chili, Zaire, Australia, France and England. Eliat Stone is a variegated blue and green mixture of chrysocolla and other copper minerals found in the Gulf of Aqaba, near the northwestern end of the Red Sea". Pure chrysocolla is too soft for jewelry purposes but it is often found in quartz deposits which makes it hard enough to polish for cabochons.  It is often found mixed with malachite, turquoise and azurite. 

Chrysocolla is associated with tranquility and peace, intuition, patience, and unconditional love. It is thought to offer gentle and soothing qualities. Creativity, female energy, communication,   relieves ulcers and arthritis.

Fluorite a common and pretty pastel mineral, occurs typically in vein deposits. The name for fluorite comes from the Latin fluo, or flow, in reference to its use as a flux. A flux is a substance that promotes flowing and combining of other materials, and fluorite is often used in making steel and other metals that require the removal of impurities. Another interesting aspect of the gemstone is its fluorescence in ultraviolet light. In fact, the word "fluorescent" is derived from fluorite. The stone's color, which includes green, white, purple and lavender, has been known to fade with prolonged exposure to sunlight. The ancient Egyptians used fluorite in statues and in carving scarabs, and artifacts of carved fluorite were found in the ruins of Pompeii. The Chinese have used it in carvings for more than 300 years, and in the 18th century, fluorite was powdered in water to relieve the symptoms of kidney disease. Major sources of fluorite include England, Switzerland and the USA.

Fluorite’s energy is believed to help the evolution of harmonious, peaceful and organized spiritual growth. It has been said to help clear the mind and heighten mental achievement while increasing the ability to concentrate.

Freshwater Pearl It’s said that if diamonds are a girl’s best friend, then pearls must be her favorite sister. This lustrous gem acquired its name from the ancient Romans, who wore elongated pearls as ear pendants that they called pirla, a slang diminutive of pira (“pear”). The pearl is an organic gem grown within oysters and a few other mollusks. It is formed when a foreign object, like a tiny stone, makes its way into the mollusk’s shell. The irritation makes the oyster form a secretion, called nacre, to cover it. Nacre is the same material that forms the mollusk’s shell. When dried, the particle again irritates the animal, so it begins to secrete again; as thousands of layers of nacre coat the intruder, a pearl is formed. The process takes anywhere from four months to seven years – the longer the process, the bigger the pearl. A single mollusk can create dozens of pearls at a time. “Cultured” pearls are those in which people, rather than nature, implant the intruding material, and mollusks are cared for in a protective environment (a pearl farm) while the coating process goes on. Nearly all pearls available today are cultured. Natural pearls are very rare (and valuable!). The word “pearl” in our store means “cultured pearl”. Saltwater pearls are commonly known as Oriental pearls and those produced by freshwater mollusks are called freshwater pearls. 

Pearl color varies with the mollusk and its environment. It ranges from black to white, and India’s rose pearl is among the most popular colors. Other colors are cream, gray, blue, yellow, lavender, green and mauve. Color type is often affected by the mollusk’s diet, but enhancement is a common way to produce different colors. For example, pearls are regularly bleached to improve their whiteness – this permanent enhancement provides a more uniform appearance. Pearls are extremely porous, so they readily accept dyes. Dyes can be used to produce any pearl color. Irradiation darkens the nucleus to produce darker pearls, like blues, grays and blacks, and most experts believe the treatment to be permanent. Metallic pearl colors are often gamma-ray irradiated as well. As a rule of thumb, all bright or striking pearl colors are dyed and/or enhanced. Pearls are found in Japan, China, Tahiti, Ceylon, Scotland, Norway, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, the USA, Mexico and Burma.

The pearl is said to improve self-worth and help people see themselves. It is an emblem of modesty, chastity and purity, and symbolized love, success and happiness.

Garnet The name for this wine-colored gemstone names comes from the Latin granatus for “seed like” because of the stones resemblance to pomegranate seeds. Garnets are a group of common silicate minerals that have similar crystal structures and chemical compositions. The garnet owes it’s brilliance to a high refraction of light, one of garnet’s most appealing characteristics. Garnet is found in Kenya, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Brazil, India, Madagascar, Canada, the USA, the Czech Republic and Spain.

Garnets have been widely used for thousands of years. According to legend, Noah suspended a finely cut, glowing garnet to illuminate the ark and steer it through the dark night. Garnets also are found in jewelry from the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans and have best been known as the warrior’s stone. Soldiers carried garnet to ward off death and injury.

Garnet symbolizes fire, faith, courage, truth, grace, compassion, constancy and fidelity and is said to inspire romantic love, passion, sensuality, sexuality, intimacy, positive thoughts and self-confidence.

Gaspiete is a relatively rare mineral, found only in a few localities. Its light green, almost apple green color is quite unique and some varieties are almost a neon green. It may contain brownish patches which may give it a distinctive character. Gaspeite is found around nickel sulfide deposits and is named for the locality of Gaspe Peninsula, Quebec, Canada where it was originally found. Sources are Canada and Western Australia.

It is said that the Aborigine's used gaspeite to bring about good fortune. As a healing stone, it is thought to reduce stress and help with heart, gallbladder and lung problems. Metaphysically, it is thought to bring spirituality into everyday life.

Hematite is a silvery, shiny opaque gemstone that almost looks like metal. The story behind natural hematite is still relevant to this gemstone, especially considering real hematite is used to make it. The name comes from the Greek haimo for “blood” because of the color of its powder. Hematite was used in seals as early as 2500 BC. The Native Americans used hematite to make red face paint. Until recently, blush (cosmetic powder) contained ground hematite.

Hematite is said to inspire inner life and to help keep inward peace. Called the “stone of mental mastery”, many believe it to aid clarity, balance and calm reason, thus making it a grounding stone. It is also supposed to dissolve negativity and transform it into love. Hematite is also believed to enhance memory and intellect.

Howlite This calcium silicoborate is naturally white, often with a gray or black spider-web matrix. Howlite is an inexpensive gemstone and because it is so soft and porous it is easily dyed into rich hues to imitate pricier gemstones. Howlite is named after mineralogist Henry How, who first discovered the gemstone in Nova Scotia during the 19th century. North America is the world’s primary source of howlite.

Howlite is the stone of memory, knowledge and progress, and is said to encourage reasoning, observation, discernment, patience and tact.

Iolite The name iolite comes from the Greek ios, which means violet. This blue silicate mineral occurs as crystals or grains in igneous rocks, only as a result of magma contamination by aluminous sediment. It is sometimes called “water sapphire” because it is found in water deposits and is commonly mistaken for top-grade blue sapphires. One of the coolest attributes of iolite is its extreme pleochroism, or the ability to change colors depending from which angle you look at it. It was this property that made iolite so valuable to the Vikings. It is commonly known as “Viking’s compass”, as it could determine the direction of the sun on overcast days. When the legendary Viking mariners sailed the ocean, they looked through thin iolite lenses, which worked as a filter, to determine the exact position of the sun and navigate safely. Iolite is found in Sri Lanka, Burma, India, Madagascar, Brazil and the USA.

Iolite is known as a stone of power. It is believed to enhance leadership ability, power, inner strength, self-confidence and executive ability. Many people wear iolite to bed believing that it increases dreams and the ability to remember them. It is said to open one to psychic talents and expand them. It is also believed to enhance curiosity and help the wearer deal with addictions, including alcoholism.

Jade With its discreet lustre, which comes in many fine nuances of green, but also in shades of white, gray, black, yellow, and orange and in delicate violet tones, has been known to Man for some 7000 years. In prehistoric times, however, it was esteemed rather more for its toughness, which made it an ideal material for weapons and tools. Yet 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 enormous Chinese empire, jade has always had a very special significance, roughly 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. 

Regarded by the Chinese 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. It is said that jade 'stimulates creativity and mental agility on the one hand, while also having a balancing and harmonizing effect.'

Jasper The Greek origin of the word jasper, iapis, means “spotted stone.” This form of semi-precious chalcedony, or microcrystalline quartz, has colors of dark red, orange, pink, rust, yellow, tan, brown, green, gray, blue and black. Its patterns are much less regular and defined than those of the other chalcedony variety, agate. Another difference between the two is that jaspers are generally opaque, while agates tend to be translucent (or at least contain translucent bands). Jasper gets its colorful patterns from other minerals present. This gemstone is often named according to its pattern; landscape jaspers are the most popular. Jasper was a favorite in the ancient world, and the name Jasper can be traced back in Hebrew, Assyrian, Persian, Greek and Latin. People of the fourth century called it the great “rain-bringer”. Jasper is also known as the “supreme nurturer”. Jasper is mined in North Africa, Sicily, France, India, Venezuela, Germany, the USA and many more countries.

Jasper is said to drive away evil spirits and protect against snake and spider bites. It supposedly gives you the courage to speak out and the bravery to achieve personal independence.

Labradorite: This gemstone is a sodium-rich variety of feldspar found in igneous or metamorphic rocks. When light strikes labradorite from a particular direction, it may display striking rainbow-colored reflections (violet, blue, green, yellow, orange and red) known as labradorescence or schiller. It has been described as looking like gasoline lying on water or the delicate wings of a tropical butterfly. It is considered to be a rare form of moonstone. Labradorite officially was discovered on St. Paul Island in Labrador, Canada, in 1770. However, pieces of the gemstone also have been found among artifacts of the Native Americans in Maine. During the 18th century, labradorite became one of the stones frequently used in jewelry in France and England. Labradorite is found in Labrador (Canada), Madagascar, the Ukraine, Australia, Mexico, Norway and the USA. 

Labradorite is said to help provide clarity and insight into your destiny. It is also said to be especially helpful for dream recall. People value it as a connection to love.

Lapis Lazuli: This is a gemstone straight out of Arabian Nights tales: deep blue with shining inclusions that twinkle like stars. Its evocative name is a combination of the Latin word lapis, or "stone," and the Arabian name azul, meaning "blue." One of the few rocks used as a gem, lapis lazuli is composed of grains of several blue minerals, including lazurite and sodalite. This complex, opaque gemstone additionally has a matrix of calcite (white-ish) and speckles of pyrite (gold sparkles). It is distinctively fluorescent. Lapis lazuli was created millions of years ago in the course of a metamorphosis, turning chalk into marble stone. The rich blue color is due to the sulfur inherent in the structure of lazurite. Lazurite is resistant to atmospheric gases and light-fast (light won't fade it). Lapis lazuli was one of the first gemstones ever to be used and worn as jewelry. Excavations around the Mediterranean have unearthed jewelry samples left in tombs to accompany the deceased into the afterlife. The countless other necklaces and artifacts crafted from lapis lazuli found in ancient sites are a clear indication that the people of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia, Greece and Rome cherished this deep blue gemstone. Persian legend says the sky owes its color to a giant slab of lapis upon which the earth rests. The legendary city of Ur, situated on the Euphrates River, is reported to have run a busy trade in lapis lazuli as early as 4000 B.C. Many cultures worshipped it as a holy stone, especially in the Orient, where it was believed to contain magical powers. The stone was introduced to Europe by Alexander the Great. In the Middle Ages, monks powdered the stone and kneaded it into dough with beeswax, resin and linseed oil, for use in illuminated manuscripts. Major sources include Afghanistan, Egypt, Canada and Chile.

People around the world consider lapis lazuli to be a stone of truth and friendship. It is reputed to bring about harmony in relationships and to cleanse the mental body while releasing old karmic patterns. Being a spiritual stone, it allows spiritual energy to be absorbed in the aura. It has traditionally been a stone for royalty.

Malachite  This gemstone is a basic copper carbonate, vividly banded with two or more tones of green. Its name is probably derived from the Greek word for green/herb, malache, for its color or possibly from the Greek word for soft, malakos, for its low hardness. The beautiful green color comes from the copper contained in the stone (which is an altered form of copper), and water presence affects the shade: More water in the copper makes it lighter, and less makes it darker. The absence of water makes it black. In fact, the green patina you see on weathered copper roofs is a form of malachite.

Malachite was being mined in the Sinai Peninsula in 4000 B.C., and the gemstone was popular with the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans for jewelry and amulets. It was also ground along with galena, then mixed with water, to use as eye shadow. Malachite was considered to be a talisman particularly appropriate for children. If a piece of this gemstone were attached to an infant's cradle, all evil spirits were held at bay and the child slept soundly and peacefully. Zaire is the major source of malachite, but Chile, Zimbabwe, Australia, U.S.A. (Arizona), France and England also produce the gemstone.

As the color “green” has long been seen as the color of life, malachite has been seen as the restorer of life. Malachite is said to bring harmony into one's life, give knowledge and patience and help encourage true, pure love.

Moonstone belongs to the large mineral family of feldspars. It is an opalescent stone which can range from colorless to blue, peach, green, pink, yellow, brown or gray with a silvery scheen. This iridescence is known as schiller but in moonstone it is called adularescence. Clarity ranges from transparent to translucent. Rainbow moonstone is milky white with a rainbow colored sheen. Moonstone is the most valuable form of feldspar and is composed of albite, which gives it the bluish scheen, and orthoclase feldspar. Moonstone is found in Brazil, Germany, India, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and the United States. 

It is believed to bring good fortune, to enhance passion, and balance the yin and yang and is said to protect women and children. Moonstone is said to promote digestion, to protect against epilepsy, to calm emotions, cure headaches and nose bleeds, and protect against sun stroke.

Mother of Pearl is the iridescent coating on the inside of mollusk shells. It is so named because when an irritant gets inside a shell, the shell protects itself by coating the irritant with the same material (nacre) of its lining that creates pearls (therefore, this substance is the creator, or mother, of pearls!). The undulating grain of mother of pearl is the result of seasonal fluctuations in the mollusk's diet. The dark organic material is laid down during the winter months and the nacre is laid down in the warmer summer months. Some mother of pearl on the market has been bleached to achieve a brighter white. In caring for your mother-of-pearl beads, be particularly aware that alcohol will eat right through the nacre, causing irreparable damage to the color and luster. Among the chief sources of this gemstone are the pearl oyster, found in warm and tropical seas, chiefly in Asia; the freshwater pearl mussel, which lives in many rivers of the United States and Europe; and the abalone of California, Japan and other Pacific regions. Mother-of-pearl shells have been treasured as jewelry for many centuries and became highly sought in the 1850s. The continual movement of water in that time caused oysters to be washed and turned regularly on sea beds, consequently growing to immense sizes. These mother-of-pearl masses became used extensively in Europe for buttons, knife handles and jewelry. 

Mystics believe it to stimulate intuition, sensitivity, imagination and adaptability, and help with clarity in decision-making. Mother of pearl symbolizes faith, charity and innocence.

Muscovite is a type of silica quartz found in Africa, Russia and the USA.

Red Muscovite has a wonderful sparkle and is said to stimulate awareness of the higher self, intuition and psychic vision. It is also said to stimulate the mind promoting quick-wittedness and problem-solving skills. it is said to lessen insecurities and self-doubt and help you to look forward to the future with optimism. It can also increase self-confidence and reduce nervous stress and physical tension.

Opal "Nature's fireworks," the opal is a gemstone of hydrated silica. It is considered a mineraloid, rather than a full mineral, because its structure is not truly crystalline. This stone has the same chemical composition as quartz, but contains up to 13% water. It probably derives its name from the Sanskrit word for precious stone: upala. Most opal is more than 60 million years old and generally dates back to the Cretaceous period, when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Precious opal has been a gemstone since Roman times, in which is was second only to the emerald in value. The Romans considered the gemstone to be one of good fortune, revering it as a powerful aid to prophecy. The Russians, on other hand, viewed opal as nothing but bad luck. Opal also was treasured in the Middle Ages and was called ophthalmios, or "eye stone," due to a widespread belief that it helped eyesight. Blond women wore opal necklaces to protect their hair from losing its color. Most opal comes from Australia, and additionally from Mexico and the U.S.A.

Peruvian Blue Opal comes from the Andes Mountains in Peru, hence its name. It frequently contains black dendrites (fernlike inclusions). This opal presumably gets its sea-blue color from a copper mineral. Unless otherwise stated, ours has been dyed brighter in India or China. The Incas supposedly cherished this stone. It is believed to assist with improving speech, giving one the courage to speak out on touchy issues and be well-received. It is also thought to stimulate creativity.

Peruvian Pink Opal is a beautiful pastel pink, nearly translucent variety of Opal also from Peru. It is most often mentioned as a gemstone of love and non-violence. It is believed to aid in achieving the calm required to mediate.

Peridot is an olivine variety is composed of magnesium iron silicate. Peridot is created under great temperatures and pressures deep within the Earth and sometimes is extruded in basaltic lavas. Its yellow-green color is mainly dependent on the amount of ferrous iron present. Peridot splits and bends the rays of light passing through it, giving it a velvety, sleepy appearance along with a rich glow. Peridot mining dates back about 4,000 years, and the gemstone is mentioned in the Bible under the Hebrew name pitdah. Valuable peridots have been excavated in Egypt and faceted stones have been found in the ruins of ancient Greece. In Roman times, it was known as "evening emerald," since peridot has the property of keeping its green color even in weak light. Peridot is said to have been the favorite gemstone of Cleopatra. Hawaiian legend holds that peridot is the goddess Pele's tears, and the Ottoman sultans gathered a large collection during their 600-year reign (1300-1918), with an impressive array of both loose gemstones as well as peridot earrings, rings and other jewelry. 

The USA was for many years the largest producer of peridot, mining it in Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii and New Mexico. However, the United States is getting major competition from China and Pakistan for the title of world's largest producer. Peridot is also found in Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt, Burma and Norway, and has been mined from St John's Island in the Red Sea for more than 3,500 years. 

Peridot is said to help slow the aging process, physically and mentally, and also to be helpful in facilitating the birthing process. It often is said to help speech, increasing its eloquence and removing impediments, and it sometimes used to find lost or misplaced things. Many believe it to increase patience, confidence and assertiveness.

Quartz This incredibly abundant gemstone accounts for a whopping 12% of the earth's crust. Quartz is a family of minerals with the same chemical composition (silicon dioxide) and similar physical properties. Some say the origin of the word quartz is the Saxon word querkluftertz, meaning "a cross vein ore," which later was condensed to querertz. However, it also might have been named after the Slavic word kwardy, or "hard," or possibly the Greek word for ice, as the Greeks believed quartz crystal was fossilized ice… scientists believed this as late as the 16th century. Quartz's high thermoconductivity, which makes it feel cool to the touch, may have added to this belief. The two varieties of quartz are macrocrystalline (crystals recognizable with the naked eye) and microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline (crystals too small to see without high magnification). The first category includes citrine, amethyst, aventurine, tiger eye and all quartzes pictured here. The second, cryptocrystalline, is more commonly known as chalcedony. While commonly imitated by glass, true quartz can be distinguished from glass or lead crystal by its birefringence (double refraction) and the minute air bubbles glass often contains. Quartz is also harder than glass. Found around the world, the important quartz deposits are in Brazil, Madagascar, Namibia, Ontario Canada, the USA and the French and Swiss Alps, known for their magnificent large crystals. The use of quartz dates back thousands of years. Roman ladies carried quartz crystal balls to cool their hands in warm weather, and Roman soldiers used it to capture sunlight for cauterizing wounds. Quartz passed for diamonds for many centuries, and some of the superstitions surrounding diamonds actually had their beginnings in quartz. Since the Middle Ages, quartz crystal balls have been used to predict the future. The practice of burying crystal with the dead has been popular with many cultures over time and still is by some Native Americans. These cultures believe the spirit of the dead lives on in the crystal. 

Quartz is said to be the universal healing stone, able to clarify what needs to be healed or balanced and assist in the transformation. The crystals are reputed to promote hope, happiness and optimism while awakening us to the beauty of nature

Rose Quartz is one of the most desirable varieties of quartz. The unique pink-to-rose-red color is caused by iron and titanium impurities in the natural stone. However, ours (and most on the market) has been dyed to maintain a uniform color – unless otherwise stated. Both naturally colored rose quartz and the dyed forms are photosensitive and will fade in sunlight. Beads of rose quartz have been found in Mesopotamia that date back to 7000 B.C. It is said that the Assyrians and the Romans were the first to use it. In ancient Rome, rose quartz was popular for making seals, which were used in clay or various dyes to show ownership or identify authors. Rose quartz is found in Madagascar, Brazil, India, Germany and several parts of the USA.

Often called the "love stone," rose quartz is said to open the heart chakra to all forms of love: self-love, family love, platonic love and romantic love. The gemstone is believed to bring gentleness, forgiveness, compassion, kindness and tolerance, raise the self-esteem and remove fears, resentments and anger. 

Smoky Quartz Nearly all of this brownish-black, "smoky" variety of quartz on the market (ours included) is a rock crystal that has been heat-treated to produce this coveted color. This treatment has become common because it's very difficult to find good natural smoky quartz materials. This gemstone is believed to be excellent for grounding and removing negativity. It is said to enhance survival instincts and help one reach personal and business goals, as well as assisting in making wishes come true.

Rock  Quartz The most common quartz, this colorless, transparent gemstone has a quiet beauty. Rock crystal quartz is considered by many to be the best all-purpose crystal. It is reputed to cleanse the mind and body, strengthen alignment with higher self, enhance properties of other gemstones, amplify energies and give strength. The Rock Crystal that I use in many of my photos is from Brazil.

Ritulated Quartz is found in Australia, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Madagascar, Norway, Pakistan and the United States. This form of quartz is known as rutilated quartz and it looks like small bars of imbedded gold.   Rutile is a major ore of titanium, which is a metal used for high tech alloys. It often forms needle-like crystal inclusions inside quartz.  Because of the difference in hardness between the two materials and because of the way rutile forms inside, this can be a difficult stone to attain a smooth surface without pits.

Rutilated quartz is said to bring  forth each person's strengths, originality, aids sleep, relate to others and Ritule intensifies the metaphysical properties of its host crystal and to enhance one's understanding of difficult situations. It is also said to enhance creativity and to relieve depression and loneliness. It is also believed to slow down the aging process and is said to be a strong healer.

Rhodonite is an attractive mineral that is often carved and used in jewelry. It is named after the Greek word for rose, rhodon and is often confused with rhodochrosite because the base color is similar, but most rhodonite used for jewelry purposes contains black manganese oxides.

Rhodonite soothes the nervous system. This gemstone vibrates with love. Just holding this gemstone promotes relaxation and brings a sense of well-being. Rhodonite raises self worth and helps ward off negativity

Ruby Red for ruby. Ruby-red. The most important thing about this precious stone is its colour. It was not for no reason that the name 'ruby' was derived from the Latin word 'rubens', meaning 'red'. The red of the ruby is incomparable: warm and fiery. Two magical elements are associated with the symbolism of this colour: fire and blood, implying warmth and life for mankind. So ruby-red is not just any old colour, no, it is absolutely undiluted, hot, passionate, powerful colour. Like no other gemstone, the ruby is the perfect way to express powerful feelings. Instead of symbolising a calm, controlled affection, a ring set with a precious ruby bears witness to that passionate, unbridled love that people can feel for each other.
 

Tanzanite was first discovered in 1967 in Tanzania, East Africa. As one of the newest and most exotically colored gemstones, Tanzanite is part of the Zoisite mineral species and is only found in East Africa. Tanzanite is very rarely a pure blue and usually exhibits rich purple overtones. While Tanzanite is often a blue color when first mined, it can also be brown and is routinely heat treated to permanently draw out its exotic bluish-purple color. Tanzanite is a brittle stone and although it can be worn daily, care should be taken to protect it from knocks, pressure and extreme temperature changes. Do not use a home ultrasonic to clean jewelry with tanzanite.

Tigereye is a quartz with rich yellow and brown stripes, and a fine golden luster. When viewed from the opposite direction, the colors are reversed. This gemstone consistently has been one of our best sellers. The oriented fibers of crocidolite are twisted or crumpled instead of straight, reminiscent of sand and sunlight. Tigereye is also vitreous (hard, unbendable and glasslike). With its strong chatoyance, the gemstone gets its name from its resemblance to the eye of a tiger. Roman soldiers reportedly wore tigereye for protection in battle, and the stone was thought to be all-seeing due to its ocular appearance. However, tigereye made its gemstone debut sometime in the late 19th century. Tigereye is found mainly in South Africa, but also in Australia, Burma, Namibia and California in the USA. 

Tigereye is believed to pull one into a more positive and flexible attitude, and is said to be especially effective for stubborn people. Conversely, many wear the stone to strengthen convictions, and to acquire courage and confidence.  

Tourmaline are gems with an incomparable variety of colours. The reason, according to an old Egyptian legend, is that the tourmaline, on its long journey up from the centre of the Earth, passed over a rainbow. In doing so, it assumed all the colours of the rainbow. And that is why it is still referred to as the 'gemstone of the rainbow' today. The name tourmaline comes from the Singhalese words 'tura mali'. In translation, this means something like 'stone with mixed colours', referring to the colour spectrum of this gemstone, which outdoes that of all other precious stones. There are tourmalines fromred to green and from blue to yellow. They often have two or more colours. There are tourmalines which change their colour when the light changes from daylight to artificial light, and some show the light effect of a cat's eye. No two tourmalines are exactly alike. This gemstone has an endless number of faces, and for that reason it suits all moods. 

Magical powers have been attributed to Tourmaline since ancient times. In particular, it is the gemstone of love and of friendship, and is said to render them firm and long-lasting.

Turquoise Probably one of the most recognized semiprecious gemstones in existence, turquoise has been popular since prehistoric times. This stone is a hydrated aluminum copper phosphate that often contains iron. Its name comes from French pierre turquoise, meaning "Turkish stone," a reference to where Persian material passed on its way to Europe. It is considerably softer than quartz and thus is usually treated in some way for stability. It occurs naturally in shades ranging from sky blue to grey-green, usually in locations where copper is hidden in the soil in high concentrations. The blue color is caused by copper, while the green color is caused by iron or chromium. Turquoise has been mined for eons, since at least 6000 B.C. Early Egyptians wore the stone, and many turquoise pieces have been found in their tombs. The ancient Aztecs in Northern Peru used to decorate their ceremonial masks with this stone, which they considered holy. Persian philosopher Al Kazwini wrote that "the hand wearing a turquoise and using it as a sealing stone will never be poor." Turquoises were used to decorate turbans, often set in a border of pearls, to protect the wearer from the evil eye. The gemstone did not reach Europe until the Crusades. 

Turquoise is mined in the USA (Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico), China, Peru, Mexico, Persia (Iran), Tibet, Siberia, Africa, Australia and Europe. Turquoise is considered a 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. -African Turquoise is not true turquoise, but actually a natural jasper found in Africa. It has a matrix structure similar to that of turquoise, and is a light bluish-green. The matrix is usually dark or black. It is an interesting substitute for a true turquoise.

Turquoise is believed to bring good fortune. It is believed that turquoise also balances the mind and soul and connects with all life. Some cultures consider it a bridge between heaven and Earth.

• Chinese Turquoise is mined and processed in the Hubei provence in mainland China. Most Chinese turquoise is enhanced, which can include wax treatment, resin stabilization and/or dye.

• Mexican Turquoise is very unique in that it is found as free-form nuggets in clay material, rather than in rock veins. They come from the Pino Chueco ("Crooked Pine") mine in Sonora, Mexico. The mine has produced this turquoise, with color similar to the famed Sleeping Beauty turquoise, since the mid-1980s.

• Yellow Turquoise is from China's Hubei province. This soft stone is a natural turquoise but is usually dyed to achieve its deep yellow hue. It has been stabilized with a resin or wax-treated to harden the surface.

Variscite  is a relatively rare phosphate mineral that is sometimes confused with chrysocolla or the greener forms of turquoise. Colors are light bluish green, medium and dark greens. It has a waxy luster and takes a fine polish. Variscite is found in the United States (Utah, Nevada), Australia (Queensland), Germany and Brazil. It is also known as Utahlite, Barrandite, Bolivarite and Lucinite.

Helps with remembrance of past lives. Balances central nervous system and eases depression, fear, worry, anxiety and impatience. A good meditation stone. Also helps with virtue, self-reliance, moral courage and success. Works on astral and etheric level for healing via the nervous system (Central Nervous System) and at DNA level. Centers the Solar Plexus and heart Chakras and is slightly helpful for intuition center.