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Gemstones have inspired myth and folklore for as long as there have been people to admire them, and it is
no wonder. Their beauty has a mystical quality that can affect us in more than a visual way.
I have collected
some common bits of folklore about the gems I use in my jewelry, and to balance that, I have added some interesting facts
about them as well. I hope you enjoy reading about these beautiful gemstones, and visit my gallery to see examples. Please
feel free to email me with any questions you might have.
Nickel
Allergies: For those who are nickel sensitive, Fine Silver and Sterling Silver are great choices for “white”
metals. Fine Silver is by definition 99.9% pure silver and 0% Nickel. Sterling Silver is by definition 92.5% pure silver,
the remaining 7.5% metal is made up of copper, 0% Nickel. Silver is a great metal for nickel allergic people. You can typically
distinguish sterling silver by a “925” mark found on the jewelry. While this is common on manufactured pieces,
it may not be present on Artisan jewelry. Some other metals that are considered safe for people with nickel allergies are:
Copper – Copper jewelry is generally considered pure and not mixed with nickel or nickel alloys. Platinum – Platinum
jewelry contains 95% platinum and 5% of a secondary metal typically iridium. Titanium – Titanium jewelry is both hypoallergenic
and durable. Since I have given you a list of safe metals, I thought I would also give you a list of metal terms to watch
out for when you are shopping for jewelry. Fashion or costume jewelry typically contains base metals that include nickel.
German silver or nickel silver is a metal to stay away from where jewelry is concerned. German silver does not contain any
silver. The silver refers to the silver coloration of the metal. The color is derived from a combination of nickel, zinc,
lead, and tin found within the alloy. Surgical or stainless steel – Surgical grade stainless steel is made to be in
the human body. However, the steel alloy contains between eight and twelve percent nickel. I have heard varying reports as
to how safe this metal is for people with nickel allergies. Since the steel alloy does contain nickel, I would tend to avoid
it, but some people swear by it.
AMBER
Amber is the fossilized resin of a certain variety of pine tree, and is most commonly found in the Baltic. It is a very soft stone - only 2-2 1/2 on the Moh's scale of hardness.*
It is one of the softest materials to be used extensively in jewelry.
Now for the good part. It is believed, in
folklore, that amber absorbs negative energy, and that may be because when amber is rubbed with a cloth it can become electrically
charged and will attract particles. When amber is burned, it smells like incense, and has been used in this way to cleanse
the air of anything negative.
AMETHYST
Amethyst is the purple member of the quartz family
of stones (including citrine, ametrine, aventurine, and tiger's eye). It is a hard stone - 7 on the Moh's scale. Oh, and if
you were wondering what the Moh's scale of hardness is, see the note below.*
Iron is the coloring agent, and amethyst
that has been heat-treated turns various shades of yellow (citrine is heat-treated amethyst).
Now, amethyst would
be a good gemstone to wear when you're headed out for a night on the town, because, according to folklore, it prevents the
wearer from becoming drunk (from the Greek - not drunken).
Amethyst is also known as the stone of contentment and spirituality.
HEMATITE
Hematite gets its name from the Greek word for "blood". In fact, hematite
is composed of iron oxide. If sliced thinly, hematite is red. But we know it mainly cut into cabochons which are metallic
black. It has a Moh's hardness* of 6 1/2.
In folklore, hematite is believed to protect one from bleeding and
was used as a treatment for blood disorders. Hematite is also believed to promote clarity of thought.
HOWLITE
Howlite has a Moh's hardness* of 3 1/2. It is porous as well as soft, and takes readily to dying,
as it often is. It's natural color is chalky white, often with veins of black or brown.
Howlite is thought to
increase mental abilities in the areas of communication, reasoning and discernment.
MOONSTONE
Moonstone is a member of the feldspar group of minerals (as are sunstones,
amazonite and labradorite). It is 6-6 1/2 on the Moh's scale*. The shimmer you see is called adularescence, and is caused
by an optical property called interference, where light is reflected off layers of different types of feldspar. Nifty, huh?
It's easy to understand why the moonstone was named so.
The moonstone is considered to be a stone of feminine energy,
and is therefore thought to be helpful in aiding in the childbirth process as well as relieving negative symptoms of the feminine
cycles and transitions. The moonstone is also thought to promote fertility.
It has been known as the "traveller's
stone", and is thought to protect travellers from harm.
PERIDOT
Gem-quality olivine is called peridot, and it probably got it's name from the Arabic word "faridat" which
means "gem". Peridot was brought to Europe in the Middle Ages by the Crusaders. Peridot has a Moh's hardness of
6 1/2.
Peridot is thought to strengthen the bonds of friendship and to regenerate the body.
ROSE QUARTZ
Like all members of the quartz family, rose quartz has a Moh's hardness* of 7. The coloring agent
for rose quartz is titanium. The pink color can and does fade in sunlight, and sometimes rose quartz is dyed to enhance the
color.
Rose quartz is thought to stimulate the feeling of love, and emanates a calming energy which can balance
yin-yang.
RUTILATED QUARTZ
Rutilated quartz is rock crystal (clear quartz) with inclusions of the mineral rutile. Inclusions are the part of
a cut stone that prevent it from being transparent.
Rutile has a Moh's hardness* of 6-6 1/2, similar to the clear
quartz surrounding it which has a Moh's hardness of 7. The name quartz means "ice" in Greek.
In folklore,
there is no higher prized crystal than quartz. It is thought to amplify and direct energy, being used to heal, meditate and
protect.
Rutile is considered to bring growth in character when contained within another crystal.
SODALITE
Sodalite is often confused with lapis. In fact, one of the constituents of lapis is sodalite, but
sodalite rarely shows the flecks of pyrite that lapis does. Sodalite gets its name from its sodium content, and the white
veins often seen in cut stones is calcite. It has a Moh's hardness* of 5 1/2.
Sodalite is thought to encourage
mental clarity, and to assist in discerning the truth, in a cosmic sense. It is also thought to bring people together in fellowship.
SUNSTONE
Sunstone is also called aventurine feldspar (the shimmer is called aventurescence
- the glitter of tiny inclusions of hematite or geothite). The play of light across its surface is also called "schiller".
It has a hardness of 6-6 1/2 on the Moh's scale*. Sunstone most commonly comes in the colors of orange, pink and red,
but it is known to come in green, as well.
Sunstone is thought to banish fear, increase a feeling of independence,
and to energize.
TURQUOISE
The name turquoise translates into "Turkish stone" because originally, turquoise
made its way to Europe via Turkey. Turquoise has a Moh's hardness* of 5-6, and comes in various shades of blue, as well
as green. Turquoise is porous and therefore fragile, and is sometimes impregnated with resin or other materials to protect
it. Color can sometimes fade for a variety of reasons, and that may have lead to the myth that it warned its wearers of impending
doom by changing colors.
It is also thought to be a stone of protection.
*Moh's
scale of hardness - introduced by the Viennese mineralologist Friedrich Mohs (1773-1839). He determined the hardness of minerals
by employing a "scratch test", with 1 being the softest (talc) and 10 the hardest (diamond). Each mineral will scratch
the ones below it on the scale, and in turn will be scratched by those above it on the scale (minerals with the same hardness
will scratch each other). |
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