CRYSTALS....

AGATE

Named after a river in Southern Sicily,Cryptocrystalline quartz ( chalcedony;) silicon dioxide; distinctive banded patterns and colors which vary according to different impurities. Many different forms, e.g. moss agate, fire agate, 

                                      and blue- laced agate..

SPECIAL NOTE..   

Often dyed to enhance color.

                                      

HISTORICAL USE..  

Thought to guarantee plentiful crops, cure insomnia,  ward off skin diseases.                                       

                                           

ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES..    

Stabilizing; balancing; self-esteem; calms body and mind,

promotes inner peace; assists physical and emotional security.

CKAKRAS..    Base, Throat.. 

                                      

AMETHYST..

From Greek, amethystos, meaning ~ "unintoxicating".

Quartz family; silicon dioxide; pale lavender to deep violet..

SPECIAL NOTE:  

Dichroic (two different shades according to angle viewed).

HISTORICAL USE:  

In Ancient Greece and Rome wine was drunk from cups of carved amethyst because it was believed to cure drunkenness and bring general sobering..

ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:  

Calming, cleansing, transformation, promotes spiritual awareness and contentment, excellent for meditation, aids sleep, absorbs negativity, combats atmospheric pollution.

CHAKRAS..  Third eye, Crown..

AQUAMARINE...

From Latin, aqua marina, meaning ~ "sea water".

Beryl family, beryllium aluminium silicate, various shades of blue or green..

SPECIAL NOTE:

Usually heat-treated to produce the more popular deep-blue color; dichroic, 

HISTORICAL USE:

Amulets worn for protection and good luck by sailors and fishermen, 

Recommended for head and neck problems.

ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES..

Mental clarity, self-expression, "Stone of courage", eases fears and phobias, calming, stress reducing, enhances creativity, protects against pollutants..

CHAKRAS..        Throat..

AVENTURINE..

From Italian,  per avventura, meaning ~ "by accident" 

(given same name as accidentally produced glass of similar appearance.)

Quartz family: silicon dioxide, yellowy-brown to bluish-green, 

depending on inclusions..

SPECIAL NOTE:

Easy to confuse with aventurine feldspar (Sunstone), amazonite, and jade,

Look for inclusions, which give it a sparkly appearance.

HISTORICAL USE:

Said to encourage Lady luck to call, particulary with regard to money. 

ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:

All purpose healing stone, promotes physical, mental, and emotional well-being, enhances personal creativity and originality, stress-reliving, soothing..

CHAKRAS:    Sacral, Solar plexus, Heart..

BLOODSTONE (HELIOTROPE)

Cryptocrystalline quartz (chalcedony),

silicon dioxide, always opaque, dark green spotted with red (iron oxides)

resembling drops of blood, hence the name.

HISTORICAL USE:

Considered a stone to aid Clairvoyance, especially foretelling of extremes of weather. 

said to check hemorrhages..

ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES..

Detoxifying, purifying (particularly with regard to blood,)

strengthening, improves talents and abilities, enhances decision making insight..

CHAKRAS..   Base..

CARNELIAN..

from Latin, carne, meaning ~ "flesh."

Cryptocrystalline quartz (chalcedony) silicon dioxide,

always translucent, reddish-brown..

HISTORICAL USE:

Recommended for blood disorders, to calm anger and inflammation in connection with its red color.

ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:

Focusing, motivational, stimulating, dispels apathy, increases physical energy and personal power,

engenders compassion, encourages present moment awareness..

CHAKRAS:   Sacral, Alter major (part of "New age" expanded chakra system, located in nasal area.)

CELESTITE:

From Latin, caelestis, meaning ~ "heavenly."

Strontium sulphate, colourless, pale blue, milky white, orange, yellow..

SPECIAL NOTE:

Extremely soft and fragile.

HISTORICAL USE:

Used by Bengali priests to color flames (produced by the element strontium)

and impress or frighten followers.

ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES..

Revitalizing, awakens spirituality, elevating, regenerative, ensures fluency in communication, useful for dream recall..

CHAKRAS..  Throat, Crown..

CITRINE:

From Latin, citrus, pale greenish-yellow colour.

Quartz family, silicon dioxide, yellow-brown..

SPECIAL NOTE:

Most "citrine" sold in shops is heat-treated amethyst-check suppliers.

HISTORICAL USE:

One of the "merchants stones" believed to help accumulate and maintain wealth if kept in cash box or purse..

ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:

"Group" stone that positively influences family, business, friendship, etc,; encourages openness, optimistic, dispels fear, promotes physical endurance and mental clarity, cleansing, supports emotional maturity.

CHAKRAS:   Sacral, Solar plexus..

FLUORITE:

From Latin, 

fluor, meaning ~ "to flow."

Calcium fluoride, wide range of colors, including- violet, green, yellow, blue, pink and purple..

SPECIAL NOTE:

Soft, easily scratched, fluorescent..

HISTORICAL USE:

Believed to benefit teeth and bones when taken as an elixir. Also said to relieve symptoms of kidney disease.

ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:

Protective, energizing, grounding, releases negativity and emotional "blockages,"

calming, promotes mental advancement, good for meditation.

CHAKRAS:    Third eye...

HEMATITE:

From Greek, 

haima, meaning ~ Blood..

Iron oxide, dark grey to black, metallic lustre,

HISTORICAL USE:

Believed to confer invulnerability in battle and achieve a favorable response to any petition. 

Recommended for blood disorders and protection against excessive blood loss..

ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:

Grounding, "Stone for the mind," balances yin-yang, reduces excess body heat, transforms negativity.

CHAKRAS:   Base, Throat..

JADE:

Name given to two distinct minerals, nephrite from Greek,

Nephros meaning ~ kidney, and jadeite 

                            from Spanish, Piedra de ijada, meaning ~ "Stone for the loins," 

                             Both alluding to the ancient belief  that jade could cure kidney stones.

                             Nephrite, calcium magnesium iron silicate, dark green to cream.

                             Jadeite, sodium aluminum silicate, range of colors including green, 

                             pink, red, blue, black and orange...

SPECIAL NOTE:

Nephrite more common than jadelite, sometimes dyed to improve color.

HISTORICAL USE:

Revered by many civilizations from China to New Zealand.

The symbol of the heart in Ancient Egypt and Central America, where a piece of jade was placed in or near the body of dead nobles to symbolize their new heart...

ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:

Regulates heart beat, increases vitality, encourages harmony, puts things into perspective, inspires wisdom, prolongs life, protective, aids dream work...

CHAKRAS:   Heart & Crown...

LAPIS LAZULI:

From Latin, 

lapis, meaning "stone" and Arabic, azul, meaning "blue."

Sodium calcium aluminum sulfate silicate, distinctive blue rock with flecks of gold or white from pyrite or calcite inclusions..

HISTORICAL USE:

Said to protect against spirits of darkness as its color symbolized the heavens.

Amulets of lapis lazuli believed to convey protective powers in Ancient Egypt.

ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:

Spiritual awakening, mental clarity, protects against depression, aids self-expression, enhances artistic endeavors, encourages expansiveness, boots immune system...

CHAKRAS:   Throat & Third Eye...

MALACHITE:

From Greek,

Malache, meaning ~ "mallow leaf."

Copper hydroxycarbonate, always green with characteristic banding..

HISTORICAL USE:

Considered a particularly valuable talisman for children, would protect wearer from  falls and warn them of impending danger by breaking into several pieces..

ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:

Soothing, calming, promotes inner peace and compassion, balances physical body, anti-depressant, excellent for meditation and dream work, cleaning, amplifies current mood..

CHAKRAS:    Solar plexus, Heart..

MOONSTONE:

Feldspar group, (adularia orthoclase)

Potassium aluminium silicate, opalescent with blue or white sheen, usually colorless, white or silver..

HISTORICAL USE:

If placed in the mouth when the moon is full this stone was believed to help lovers find out what lay in store for them in the future..

ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:

Calms emotions, balances over sensitivity, opens up one's feminine side, heightens intuitions and receptivity, aids awareness of subconscious feelings, assists hormonal equilibrium during mestraual cycle..

CHAKRAS:    Sacral & Heart...

ROCK CRYSTAL:

From Greek,

(Krystallos, "Ice."

Quartz family, Silicon dioxide, colorless, transparent..

HISTORICAL USE:

A popular "fetish" of the Cherokee, who believed it gave them greater power in hunting and divination. Also used to quench thirst in Ancient Greece and Rome, where quartz believed to be unmeltable ice...

ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:

"The Master Crystal," most versatile of all crystals, symbol of balance and purity, aids meditation, amplifies effects of other crystals..

CHAKRAS:   All chakras, particularly Crown...






ROSE QUARTZ:
Quartz family, silicon dioxide,
Always pink...


HISTORICAL USE:
Symbol of love and beauty.
Masks cut from rose quartz were used to beautify skin in Ancient Egypt.

ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:
Unconditional love (for ourselves and others,)
Peace, good for children, emotional support, positive, responsive, heightens self-esteem,
comforting, releases excess fluids and impurities from the body..

CHAKRAS:   Base, Solar plexus, heart..

SODALITE:
Sodium aluminium silicate.
All shades of blue..




HISTORICAL USE:
Not featured in Ancient writings, May have been linked with lapis lazuli,
which it loosely resembles...


ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:
Encourages objectivity and new perspectives, balances metabolism, aids sleep, increases spiritual awareness, prolongs physical endurance, creates harmony between conscious and subconscious, helps you "lighten up.."

CHAKRAS:  Throat..





TIGERS EYE:
Chatoyant quartz (iridescent, "Cats eye effect")
Silicon dioxide,
Black to dark brown with fibrous inclusions of yellow and golden brown stripes..



SPECIAL NOTE:
Other varieties of chatoyant quartz are cat's eye and hawk;s eye...

HISTORICAL USE:
The chatoyant property of tiger's eye was believed to improve eyesight,
prevent eye diseases, and avert the "evil eye.."

ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:
Aids concentration, focuses energy to meet challenges, grounding, symbol of inner strength, encourages optimism, balances yin-yang energy, enhances creativity...

CHAKRAS:      Base, Sacral..

TURQUOISE:
From French, turquoise...
meaning "Turkish.."
Hydrated copper aluminium phosphate,
                   Sky blue to green...

SPECIAL NOTE:
Porous and prone to cracking and fading ~ may be waxed to prevent this, care needed in the sun..

HISTORICAL USE:
Turquoise was said to darken or lighten to indicate a change in a person's health.
This gemstone is greatly affected by alterations in temperature and humidity and also responds to skin secretions like sebum and perspiration..

ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:
Clarity of communication, encourages affinity with others, leads to greater self-awareness and "true purpose," eases rheumatism and arthritis..

CHAKRAS:         Throat..

WATERMELON TOURMALINE:
From Sinhalese, turamali, 
meaning "Stone attracting ash" (relating to its pyroelectric properties..
Complex borosilicate, bi-colored - green rim, pink center - or vice or versa..


HISTORICAL USE:
Only known since the 18th century..

ASSOCIATED WORDS/PHRASES:
Regulates hormones and metabolism,
"pulls weeds, plant seeds," helps recovery from "heartache," helps to lighten you up, symbolizes balance..

CHAKRAS:   Heart..

x JoanneClare x

                                                         

                                                             .