Gem Stone Glossary
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Agate
Agate is one of the oldest healing stones in existence today. In ancient civilizations, it was used in the breastplates of armor to bring warriors strength and make them victorious in battle. Agate jewelry is thought to be very protective and healing, making agate bracelets the perfect amulet or talisman. This gemstone is also said to bring you courage, emotional strength and self-confidence.
AMETHYST
Known for its stunning violet color in a variety of shades, amethyst healing crystals are often used as jewelry because when placed against the skin, it works as a natural stress reliever. Amethyst magnifies positive vibes while cleansing the body of negative energy, including toxic emotions such as anger, anxiety, fear, and more. Amethyst boosts the spirit and encourages spiritual growth by protecting the aura from damaging metaphysical debris. When you wear an amethyst bracelet or have a stone in your home, it encourages you to engage in positive introspection, which helps you access your true feelings and increase intuition. Our amethyst bracelets stimulate and balance the crown and brow chakras, which make them powerful crystals for getting in touch with your authentic self. Amethyst is also a wonderful tool for soothing the mind during meditation practice.
AQUAMARINE
Aquamarine jewelry resonates with the energy of the ocean, helping the wearer connect with the natural energy and spirit of the beautiful ocean. In ancient tales, Aquamarine was believed to be the treasure of mermaids. Sailors, and those who traveled by water, used this gemstone as a talisman for good luck, fearlessness and protection. It was also valued as a symbol of youth and eternal happiness. Today, many people who travel often by water, or live near water, keep aquamarine stones or aquamarine jewelry with them for protection and luck near water. Its soothing qualities make it a perfect companion for calming ones nerves.
Black Tourmaline
Black Tourmaline is one of the most powerful crystals for protection and elimination of negative energy. It helps to put an energetic boundary between you and others, so that you don’t pick up unwanted energies. Our resident crystal expert, Heather Askinosie, recommends placing a piece of black tourmaline in a bowl filled with salt and water, and setting the bowl outside by your front door. She has a bowl for each member of her family living within the house. After each family member programs their crystal to lend them protection, the crystals are energetically activated with their intention. This keeps her family from bringing unwanted energy into the house with them.
CITRINE
Citrine is the stone of light and happiness. It does not hold any negative energy and therefore never needs to be cleansed. Wearing citrine jewelry against your skin enhances the clarity of mind, stimulating and activating the mind and thinking process. It helps to balance the 3 rd Solar Chakra , which is the center of breath. When this chakra center is balanced, happiness, self-discipline, flexibility and reliability are enhanced. Wearing citrine stone jewelry helps you to feel good about yourself, infusing your life with happiness, confidence and overall energy.
EMERALD
Gem experts differ on the degree of green that makes one stone an emerald and another stone a less-expensive green beryl. Most gemologists, gemological laboratories, and colored stone dealers call a stone green beryl when its color is “too light” for it to be classified as emerald. Even among that group, however, there’s a difference of opinion about what’s considered “too light.”
FLUORITE
Wearing fluorite jewelry helps to neutralize and absorb any negative energy that come into your energy field—such as stress, negativity, anxiety and more. Think of a fluorite crystal as an energetic vacuum cleaner working to clean the energy of your mind, body and spirit. It is one of the best crystals to wear for energy cleansing, bringing you a constant flow of positive energy. Fluorite jewelry is also wonderful to combine with your other crystal healing jewelry because fluorite crystals are said to magnify and amplify the power of any other gemstone that touches it.
GARNET
Garnet gemstones have deep roots in many ancient civilizations. The word garnet is derived from the Latin word granatum, meaning pomegranate and referencing the gemstone’s similarity in appearance to pomegranate seeds. Garnet jewelry and stones were popular in ancient Greek and Roman civilizations, being used as ornamental adornments and signs of power. It is said that the only light on Noah’s ark was provided by a single, large Garnet gemstone. In the Middle Ages, wearing garnet jewelry was believed to enhance truth, faith and love commitments—similar to the healing properties garnet is valued for today!
HEMATITE
Hematite is the most powerful and effective grounding gemstone. It is a very protective gemstone that helps you to stay grounded in any situation. Hematite jewelry absorbs all negative energy from your body, eliminating stress, anxiety and worry. It is also powerful for balancing your aura and aligning the chakras. It pulls any stray, floating energy down to your root chakra.
JADE
With history deeply rooted in many Asian cultures, Jade is a healing gemstone that has been used as a powerful lucky charm for thousands of years. This is why our original jade bracelet and jade necklace is designed to invite prosperity and abundance into your life. When you wear jade jewelry, it helps you achieve your goals by attracting and magnifying positive energy and emotions such as peace, wisdom, and harmony. Designed as wearable Feng Shui formulated jewelry, jade stones work to boost prosperity in all areas of your life. A traditional gemstone of abundance, jade brings harmony and happiness to your business and family life. As an Earth element, jade jewelry promotes the flow of money and success into the wearer’s life.
Jasper Stone
Nurturing • Stability • Deepens Your Connection to the Earth In many cultures around the world, a Picture Jasper Tumbled Stone is valued for its deep connection to the Earth. As a nurturing and protective stone, the picture jasper meaning brings comfort by alleviating fear, stress and anxiety.
Kambaba Jasper Stone
Emotional Strength • Stability • Heart Opening Embody the fierce strength of Kambaba Jasper Tumbled Stone to overcome your fears once and for all. It will inspire a whole new mental outlook as you become aware of dormant talents and capabilities that you never knew you had. This stone can transform your life if you embrace the direction it points you in, which will often be the most daunting, yet rewarding.
LABRADORITE
Labradorite clears and opens all the chakras, stimulating and magnifying your intention. It is a power gemstone that allows you to see through illusions to determine the actual tangible form of your dreams and goals. Wearing labradorite jewelry helps to stimulate your inner awareness, bringing you closer to self-discovery and self-fulfillment. A labradorite stone bracelet can help bring you closer to unfolding your true-life purpose and discovering your true divine destiny. It helps to unify the mind, body and spirit so that your whole energy can work in harmony to help achieve your dreams and goals.
LAPIS LAZULI
Lapis Lazuli is a gemstone that has existed and been valued since the beginning of time. The ancient Egyptians used it in scarabs, beads, pendants and other lapis lazuli jewelry as far back as 3100 B.C. The golden sarcophagus of King Tutankhamen was heavily decorated with lapis lazuli, and lapis lazuli jewelry was used as burial ornaments for other Egyptian kings and queens. Buddhist beliefs also utilize lapis lazuli stone jewelry and gemstones as tools to help bring inner peace and freedom from negative thoughts.
Leopard Skin Jasper Stone
Self- Healing • Grounding • Protective A Leopard Skin Jasper Tumbled Stone is said to assist in self-healing and spiritual discovery. Jasper stones are very powerful stability, grounding and protective gemstones as well.
MALACHITE
The use of malachite stones and malachite jewelry can be traced back to the ancient Egyptians, as early as 3000 B.C. It was also particularly popular in the form of jewelry in the ancient Greek and Roman cultures. In the Middle Ages, malachite jewelry was worn to protect people from the evil eye and to cure various stomach ailments. Malachite is the gemstone of transformation, working to clear and cleanse all the chakras. This crystal is especially beneficial for work with the heart chakra, as it radiates the “perfect energy pattern” for stimulating and balancing the heart chakra . Wearing malachite stone jewelry helps you to maintain emotional balance, reminding you to remain positive and optimistic. It carries a very inspiring, healing and purifying energy that has the ability to open your heart to attract all types of love.
MOONSTONE
The Moonstone crystal carries colors and dimensions that are constantly shifting and changing. The healing energy of Moonstone jewelry has been valued for centuries in a variety of cultures; the bringer of peace, balance and dreams. This crystal has been valued as a sacred and powerful healing stone since ancient times. According to Robert Simmon’s Book of Stones , in India, moonstones have always been considered sacred healing stones, carrying special traditional significance. It was believed that placing Moonstone in their mouths when the moon was full would allow them to see their future. Moonstone jewelry was also given as a traditional wedding gift, for bringing harmony to the marriage. In Europe, Moonstone was said to reconcile estranged lovers, and to cure sleeplessness.
Mother Of Pearl (Abalone)
For as long as abalone have been nourishing human appetites, their mother-of-pearl bearing shells have been used in ritual ceremonies to replenish our souls as well. Abalone are a type of mollusk, like clams and oysters, except inside their flat, one-sided, ear-shaped shells, abalone have tentacles and feet. These sea snails cling to rocks near to shore, and are often consumed by other marine species. The shell of abalone is extremely durable. Microscopic calcium carbonate stack like bricks stuck together by a layer of protein. The protein absorbs blows to the shell, while the brick formation of the calcium carbonate keeps the shells from shattering. Animals like otters have to get creative when harvesting abalone. Otters have learned to use rocks to pry the muscular mollusks from their tidal homes and scoop them out of their shells. Many native cultures have sustained themselves for centuries by consuming raw and cooked abalone. Tribes native to the North American west coast used abalone shells as currency. Today in South Africa, abalone is still highly sought after, and their shells, which are known to have an especially colorful iridescence, are very valuable. While the North American west coast and South Africa are the two main sources for abalone, they can also be found along the coasts of New Zealand, Australia and Japan.
Onyx
Onyx is a gemstone of inner strength and protection. It is believed to be one of the most important healing gemstones in existence, making onyx jewelry very beneficial to wear. Black Onyx works to enhance your endurance and persistence, helping you to power through even the most dreary and unpleasant tasks. Wearing an onyx bracelet can help to energetically boost the retention of information, empowering your mind and increasing your attention to detail—making onyx jewelry especially beneficial for students to wear while studying!
PEARL
Perhaps the best-loved gems of all time, pearls—natural and cultured—occur in a wide variety of colors. The most familiar are white and cream, but the palette of colors extends to every hue. Natural pearls form around a microscopic irritant in the bodies of certain mollusks. Cultured pearls are the result of the deliberate insertion of a bead or piece of tissue that the mollusk coats with nacre.
PERIDOT
Since ancient times, Peridot has been highly valued for its healing properties. It was viewed as a symbol of the sun and believed to bestow a sense of royalty in its wearer. In thirteenth century England, peridot jewelry was sometimes worn for protection against evil spirits and was believed to bring wealth. Peridot is often referred to as the gemstone of “positive vibes,” as wearing peridot jewelry on your body brings positivity, happiness and light. Its vibrations bring a sense of inner warmth and wellbeing, much like the feeling of warm sunshine on your skin on a summer day.
QUARTZ CRYSTAL
Quartz crystal has long been the center of many spiritual beliefs and practices. The Japanese referred to quartz crystal as the “perfect jewel,” believing that it symbolized purity, perseverance and patience. In several indigenous cultures based in North America and Burma, quartz crystals were believed to embody living entities and were presented with food and ritual offerings.
Red Jasper Stone
Stability • Foundation • Action The energy of Red Jasper Tumbled Stones seems to hug you with its comforting essence. It supports you in strengthening your foundation so that you feel stable enough to start taking action in your life. Working with it helps you to take on new pursuits, deal with conflicts and approach problems with creative solutions.
Rhodonite Stone
Forgiveness • Love • Emotional Healing Keep calm and carry on is the message that Rhodonite Tumbled Stone inspires within the heart. When stirring feelings are causing waves of turmoil in your spiritual body, tame the emotional seas with rhodonite's love, grounding and insight. Discover new passions, attract a more fulfilling kind of love and boost humanitarian efforts with the help of this crystal for calm connectedness.
ROSE QUARTZ
A stone of unconditional love, rose quartz works by opening your heart to all types of love, including self love, romantic love, love of the community, friends, family, and everything on Earth. When you hold rose quartz stones while meditating or wear it as jewelry, it surrounds you with a sphere of love energy, which activates and balances the heart chakra. Love is the most powerful energy, which makes rose quartz one of the most beneficial stones for healing and flooding the body with positive energy.
RUBY
Rubies can command the highest per-carat price of any colored stone. This makes ruby one of the most important gems in the colored stone market. In its purest form, the mineral corundum is colorless. Trace elements that become part of the mineral’s crystal structure cause variations in its color. Chromium is the trace element that causes ruby’s red color.
SAPPHIRE
Besides blue sapphire and ruby, the corundum family also includes so-called “fancy sapphires.” They come in violet, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and intermediate hues. Some stones exhibit the phenomenon known as color change, most often going from blue in daylight or fluorescent lighting to purple under incandescent light. Sapphires can even be gray, black, or brown.
SMOKY QUARTZ
Smoky Quartz is one of the most powerful grounding gemstones that help connect you to the energy of the Earth. It helps you to keep your feet on the ground and remain balanced in any situation. Even the most spacy and scattered individuals can become fully functional and collected by wearing smoky quartz jewelry or carrying smoky quartz stones . Wear a smoky quartz bracelet to stimulate and balance all your chakras, specifically focusing on cleansing the root chakra to ground you. It is grounding in a very uplifting way, providing a more subtle energy than other grounding gemstones like Hematite.
SODALITE
The ancient Greeks valued Sodalite as a highly artistic gemstone that brought creative energy—sculptors, painters and artist often carrying sodalite stones or wearing sodalite jewelry. Sodalite is a gemstone of insight, harmony and intuition that helps to open the throat chakra and vibrates with the blue ray. It enhances creativity and facilitates self-discipline, efficiency, organization and structure within your life. Sodalite bracelets and jewelry encourages you to be true to your self and stand up for your beliefs, encouraging self-expression. It strengthens confidence, self-worth and self-esteem, helping you to trust your own judgment and not question your decisions in everyday life. Wearing a sodalite stone bracelet can also help you achieve emotional balance, facilitating the release of old wounds and patterns that no longer serve you.
TIGER'S EYE
Tiger’s Eye is a solar gemstone of vitality, action and success. It stimulates the root chakra, sacral chakra and solar plexus chakra to help you take action to achieve your dreams, while remaining grounded, centered and calm. Wearing Tiger’s Eye jewelry energizes the body, rebalancing it on all levels. A Tiger’s Eye bracelet lends you the courage, strength, will and personal power that you need to go after your dreams. Due to its properties, Tiger’s Eye is specifically beneficial for the astrological signs Leo, Capricorn, Aries and Taurus.
TOURMALINE
Tourmaline’s colors have many different causes. It’s generally agreed that traces of iron, and possibly titanium, induce green and blue colors. Manganese produces reds and pinks, and possibly yellows. Some pink and yellow tourmalines might owe their hues to color centers caused by radiation, which can be natural or laboratory-induced.