Gemstone Info

Agalmatolite
Agalmatolite is an opaque decorative semi-precious stone, a variety of pyrophyllite mineral. Agalmatolite is used in cutting different figures and decorations. There is no coincidence that its name arises from Greek words Agalma – statue and lithos – stone.

In Mongol folk medicine agalmatolite was used for curing rheumatic diseases. In particular, the figures and pieces of agalmatolite were used to relief the joint pain. It is considered that this mineral possesses the receptive energy of Yin and therefore opens your mind to all possibilities and enables you to receive the gifts of the universe.

Amber
Amber, which is actually a fossilized trees sap from ancient pines, is usually a honey gold but can also come in green, black, red-orange and, occasionally, violet.

Some believe Amber brings you luck, happiness, success, balances your emotions and symbolizes courage.

It is also said to help balance your endocrine and digestive systems, improve your eyesight and help reduce swelling of the glands in your throat and lungs.

Amethyst
Amethyst is one of the powerful stones used since ancient times and is said to open your spiritual and psychic centers. Some believe it increases your focus, intuition, selflessness, self awareness, inner peace and aids in positive transformation.

In fact, such power is attributed to Amethyst that some say it should be called the Stone of Transformation or Metamorphosis. A very sobering stone, the word amethyst comes from the Greek meaning “without drunkenness.” Some say it detoxifies your body and protects from cravings. It is thought to protect you from poison, relieve headaches, and promote sleep and pleasant dreams.

Aquamarine
Aquamarine is said to align your etheric and mental bodies. It is supposed to help you honour your spiritual experiences as your own and to use those experiences to further your spiritual growth.

It may reduce fear, helping you to move through smoothly though life, to communicate in a compassionate manner and express yourself fully.

Physically, aquamarine is thought to cleanse your physical body by strengthening those organs involved in the cleansing functions. It also said to strengthen and flush your lymphatic system.

Carnelian
You’ve got to know that a stone that varies from orange to reddish brown is, at the very least, a stone of passion! Add creativity, courage and individuality and you’ve summed up the main qualities this agate class of chalcedony is said to enhance.

Another name for this stone is “sard,” named for where it was found, near the ancient Roman city Sardius, now in Turkey. As early as 3,000 BC carnelian was used to adorn jewelry and objects in ancient Egypt, Persia and Sumeria.

Carnelian also is said to be a protection stone and is therefore associated with being open and receptive. It’s supposed to bring you up when you’re down and give a good boost of energy.

It may also ease asthma and blood pressure, and rejuvenates all cells, increase your appetite and help the function of your elimination organs. It is also thought to help with any fertility issues and increase your desire.

Conch Shell
The conch shell is an emblem of power, authority, and sovereignty; its blast is believed to banish evil spirits, avert natural disasters, and scare away poisonous creatures. In Indian culture, different types of conch shells were associated with the different castes and with male and female

Shells that spiral to the right are very rare and considered especially sacred, the right spiral mirroring the motion of the sun, moon, planets, and stars across the sky. Also, the hair curls on a Buddha’s head spiral to the right, as do his fine bodily hairs, the long white curl between his eyebrows, and the conch-like swirl of his navel.

When used as a horn, the right-spiraling conch shell also represents Right Speech or the wish that the Buddhist teachings will be spread in all directions.  A shell is made into Tibetan ritual musical instruments by cutting off the end of its tip and furnishing it with a mouthpiece and an ornamental metal casing that extends from the shell’s mouth.

The Klachakra Symbol often inscribed on the shell, means ‘The one with ten powers’. It is very protective and dispels negativity. It consists of seven individual syllables combined together with three other components to make a total of ten very powerful elements within the image. – The Ten Powers are described as ten existences – body, awareness, space, wind, fire, water, earth, stable, moving, and the gods unseen and uncreated. Each part of the Kalachakra symbol has deep specific meaning, and is a great study unto itself.

Coral
Coral has always been regarded by spiritual leaders of many faiths as a very sacred energy stone. They particularly prized it as a ward against accidents and a protective amulet against magic.

Coral is also a symbol for the Life Force Energy, and is believed to help bring harmony to your heart.

It may assist you to calm your emotions and your ability to allow for flow and change in your life. It is said to support your physical energy and relax your tensions. It may to stimulate your tissue regeneration, helps your body to clear cholesterol from the circulatory system by enhancing the production and absorption of niacin into your physical body.

Dzi Beads
Dzi beads are thought to heal illnesses, particularly blood-related diseases and protect you from ill-willed enemies and evil curses. The stone is said to remove all obstacles so that you will be protected from accidents, natural disasters, and accidental deaths. They’re believed to bring you good luck, good karma, happiness and long life.

Garnet
Garnet is known as the stone of romantic love and passion. As such, it is said to enhance your sensuality, sexuality, and intimacy, and increases your ability to be truthful, committed and faithful.

Garnets are said to help you eliminate self-sabotage, remove negative energy and bad karma, and to encourage you in positive thinking, manifestation and abundance.

Garnets are also thought to be a stone of stabilization, as it is said to bring order to chaos and inhibit disorganized growth. It may increase your inner strength, intuition and creativity.

As well, this protective stone is thought to be the stone of regeneration. It may help you heal quickly and regenerate pretty much any where in the body where it is needed and boost the overall energy of your systems.

Glass
Glass is one of the most ancient materials known and used by man. The first glass used was natural obsidian, volcanic glass, to make arrowheads, knives, jewelry, etc. Glass objects created of manmade glass are reported to have been found as early from as 4,500 BC in Mesopotamia and 3,000 BC in ancient Egypt.

Many consider glass to have no metaphysical properties, but others realize that glass has energy like all else in the Universe, and thus has its own set of properties.

Glass is a melding of the traditional four elements, because through fire and air the silica earth element is made molten and transmuted into a liquid only to return to its earthly state as a solid. It can be made to focus light or allow light to pass through invisibly or carry light waves great distances through tiny strands.

Metaphysically, glass represents and carries to you the energies of transformation, merging of elements, rebirth, focus and communication. The specific color of the glass bring the vibrations of those specific color energies. (From: http://www.crystalsandjewelry.com )

Jade
Jade is another ancient stone which is said to attract love and money to you, and to protect you.

As well, it may strengthen your mental faculties and help you to be clearer in setting and achieving your goals by being more self confident, self reliant and self sufficient.

Jade is also thought to aid in your healing in general and specifically your kidney, heart and stomach. As well, it is said to purify your blood by removing toxins.

Jasper
Jasper is said to be highly valued by shaman as a sacred and powerful stone of protection and grounding.

It is said to help you to calm your emotions and create a sense of connection with all.

It is thought to bring you the energy of the sun to detoxify, rejuvenate and strengthen your body and help tissue regeneration.

Lapis Lazuli
Lapis Lazuli is said to be a psychic facilitator and was used by ancient Egyptians to access sacred knowledge. They also used it in their burial ceremonies in the form of a scarab for protection of those passing on.

Through the ages, this deep blue beauty has been thought to expand your awareness and intellectual ability, and as a stone of communication, truth and friendship. It may assist you in living as an authentic individual.

Lapis is also thought to cleanse your mind, body and spirit of toxins and negativity, and to strengthen the immune system. It is said to help you to heal disorders of the throat, thymus, and bone marrow, and repairs loss of healing, dizziness, vertigo and insomnia.

Onyx
Onyx is the stone you are looking for if you want to be the master your own fate. It is it thought to assist you in becoming grounded and balanced, and encourages steadfastness and consistency. Onyx may also deflect and protect, and give you courage and self control.

It is also thought to be helpful in treating glaucoma, epilepsy, and cell damage.

Opal
Opal is said to help to restore you to harmony on all levels. It may open you to spontaneity in decision and action, and help you to better understand forces of intuition and mysticism. It might also opens you to a much more clear and balanced decision making process.

Opal is said to help you to have more faith in yourself and to release your old patterns.

This stone may also help your clarity of sight, to purify blood, and to relieve fatigue.

Pearls
Natural pearls start with a grain of sand or some irritating impurity, lodges in the mantle of a mollusc (a saltwater oyster or freshwater mussel). To protect itself the sea creature secretes layers around the grain of sand, eventually forming into a pearl.

Pearls have always been a symbol of purity, feminine wisdom and spiritual transformation, have been associated with peace in many cultures, and been popular in many countries throughout the ages. They have also been used in various cultures to help women connect with their “inner goddesses” to enhance their feminine energy.

Pearls are thought to enhance your femininity, your honesty and integrity and help you to focus on life’s simple things. It may assist with your digestion, stomach complaints, immunity and emotional stress.

Prehnite
Prehnite is known as a stone of unconditional love. It is thought to strengthen your intuition and inner knowledge, showing the path forward to spiritual growth through attunement to divine energy. It is thought to connect your will and heart, and in so doing, your actions achieve the highest good.

Used as a stone of vision, prehnite is said to help you during meditation to access higher levels of awareness by stimulating the third eye chakra.

Prehnite may assist in finding the root cause of an illness. Healers use it for work on the kidneys and bladder, thymus gland, shoulders, chest and lungs. It also may help heal anemia, gout and kidneys.

Silver (Karen Hill Tribe & Sterling)
Apart from its beauty, I use the Karen Hill Tribe silver in my work because it is 100% fair trade, helps to fund community projects in the villages, discourages planting of illicit crops such as opium and preserves those skills and traditions for the next generation.

Each piece is usually 97 % silver or more and each design is usually crafted from scratch often engraved with animal, sea life or plants patterns to symbolize their direct connection to the land.

Silver is said to be the mirror of the soul, helping us to truly see ourselves as we are seen by others. It is a major conductor and is therefore thought to intensify any properties of the stones it is combined with.

Silver is said to draw out negative energy helping you to release and cleanse mentally and physically, resulting in your feeling more balanced and patient. Silver is also said to help you to be “silver tongued” in your speech!

Sunstone
Sunstone is primarily a protective stone. It is said to give you energy, stimulate your sexuality and enhance your creativity.

This reddish brown stone has been thought to be able to dispel your fears and decrease stress.

Sunstone has also been said to support harmony between all your organs and increase your ability to heal yourself.

Turquoise
Turquoise has been esteemed by spiritual leaders of many faiths for thousands of years as holding both spiritual and protective properties. The amount of turquoise present in the burial sites of ancient ones indicates that it was a stone of significance.

Turquoise is thought to be excellent for your spiritual attunement, for healing and cleansing of both your energy centers and the physical body. It has been known as a healer of the spirit and is believed to provide you with a soothing energy and bringing you peace of mind. It is thought to guide you through the unknown, protecting while promoting your independence in action. And also to attract luck, love, and money to you.

It is said to help with headaches and stress, to quicken healing and strengthen your immune system. It is also said to help with your lungs and respiratory system.

As well, turquoise has been thought to assist you to see more clearly and to treat eye disorders such as cataracts.

Trade Beads
Trade beads were mostly used to trade with Native American Indians and Africans. This followed the establishment of trade routes. Native American Indians and Africans did not have any use for European money and the Europeans did not have the intention of their using money to trade with them.

Trade beads were introduced in Africa by Europeans and Arab traders. Arab traders got their beads from India while European traders got their beads mostly from Venice. Trade beads were used between the 16^th and the 20^th century, but the trade with the Europeans intensified from the mid 19^th century to the early 20^th century. The trade with Africans, mostly West Africans, was so important to the Europeans that some beads such as Millefiori beads, eye beads, Chevron beads, feather beads, and striped melons beads were made specifically for trade in African. From Africa, the Europeans got goods such as ivory and gold, services, and slaves. The Europeans also used the beads to ease their way into the hearts of Africans in preparation for colonization.

In America, Christopher Columbus, the first European to explore the continent, recorded that he used trade beads to impress the natives of San Salvador. Native American Indians already had a history of using beads in their ceremonies, to trade, and as decorations and they were enthusiastic to accept the trade beads. For the beads, the Europeans got horses and good such as fur.

Antique beads from North America are very rare because the United States was formed in the 18^thcentury, meaning most of the beads were used before that time. Just like in Africa, many of the beads used to trade with the Indians were Venetian. (Antique Beads)

Millefiori Trade Beads
The Venetians had a long history of making beads and most of the antique beads in the market today were made in the small Venetian town of Murano. The most widely used trade beads were Millefiori beads. Millefiori is a combination of two Italian words, ‘mille’, meaning one thousand, and ‘fiori’, meaning flower. The beads were made on commission by the Europeans, meaning no two orders were exactly the same, and they were characterized by their elongated shape and their colorful designs. The Africans were mesmerized by the beautiful beads and they used them to trade and to store wealth. (Antique Beads)

Krobo Fancy Powder Glass Beads
These beads are made by the people of Krobo Mountain in Ghana , West Africa, reproducing old Venetian Fancy trade beads. Made from bottles and other glass items that are turned into powder, then poured into molds in order to create this nice looking drum shaped beads. Decorations on the beads are made with a paste made of colored glass powder and water, which is applied using a thin wooden stalk. They are cooked a second time to fix the decor. ( www.thebeadchest.com )