Gemstones

Rare Natural Enhydro moving bubble Agate
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Agate provides for balancing of yin-yang energy and for balancing of the physical, emotional and intellectual bodies with the etheric energies. It stabilizes the aura, providing for a cleansing effect which its to smooth dysfunctional energies and to both transform and eliminate negativity. It further assists one in the development of precision in examination of oneself and of circumstances relevant to ones well-being.

Agate is aid to have been one of the stones used in the breastplate of the high priest. In historic times, it was placed in water for use in cooking and/or for drinking in order to dispel sickness.

Agate can be used to stimulate analytical capabilities and precision. It provides for perceptiveness to situations and awakens ones inherent talents and adroitness. It is also used to produce inspiration from and connected-ness with the entities residing in the spiritual worlds.

It has been reported to strengthen the sight, to diminish thirst, and to promote marital fidelity.

Multi Color Agate Chalcedony Beads Bracelet
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In ancient times the beauty and durability of agate prompted man to use it in both practical
and ornamental forms. It was believed that agate had unique properties that protected the wearer from dangers and promoted strength and healing.

Black lace Agate Geode
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Agates in general come in many different forms and are formed in at least five different ways. The main conditions necessary for agate formation, are the presence of silica from denitrified volcanic ash, water from rainfall or ground sources, and manganese, iron and other mineral oxides that form the bands and inclusions.

This stone helps prepare one for change and gives energy for projects and such.

It makes a powerful elixir which enhances strength and gives courage.
It stabilizes the Aura and transforms negative energy to positive energy.
Agate may be used for massage in sphere, egg or wand form.
Agate helps one focus on what they need for general well-being.

It helps one to analyze and come up with solutions to seemingly complex problems or issues.
Agate comes in many flavors, such as Blue Lace, Botswana, Moss, Breciated and many more! Each have the above properties in addition to their own unique qualities.

Natural blue chalcedony pendant
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Agate Chalcedony

Dinosaurs have been more popular than ever since their starring role in the movie Jurassic Park. A more surprising result of the movie's popularity has been a worldwide surge in demand for amber jewelry. Although amber's use in adornment is probably as old as mankind, in recent history it has had a limited market. Of course, that was before millions of people saw dinosaur DNA extracted from a mosquito trapped in amber in the movie.

Millions of people learned from the movie that amber, which is fossilized pine tree sap, is ancient and valuable, like an antique from previous history.

Demand is especially strong for amber with insects inside. "Amber is like a time capsule made and placed in the earth by nature herself," said David Federman, author of Consumer Guide to Colored Gemstones. "It has helped paleontologists reconstruct life on earth in its primal phases. More than 1,000 extinct species of insects have been identified in amber."


The two main sources of amber on the market today are the Baltic states and the Dominican Republic. Amber from the Baltic states is older, and therefore preferred on the market, but amber from the Dominican Republic is more likely to have insect inclusions. Prices of amber can range from $20 to $40,000 or more.

Fortunately for new amber enthusiasts, amber from the Baltic states is more available on the market than in previous years due to the liberalization of the economies of eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The largest mine in the Baltic region is in Russia, west of Kaliningrad. Baltic amber is found in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Russia, and occasionally washed up on the shores of the Baltic Sea as far away as Denmark, Norway, and England. Other amber sources include Myanmar (formerly Burma), Lebanon, Sicily, Mexico, Romania, Germany, and Canada.

Desire for amber is nothing new. Amber artifacts dating to the Stone Age were found in what is now Germany and Denmark.

Made by the Sun

"Stone Age man imbued amber with supernatural properties and used it to wear and to worship," Mr Federman said. "Amber took on great value and significance to, among others, the Assyrians, Egyptians, Etruscans, Phoenicians, and Greeks. It never completely went out of vogue since the Stone Age. Between 1895 and 1900, one million kilograms of Baltic amber were produced for jewelry."

Many myths surround the origin of amber. Ovid writes that when Phaeton, a son of Phoebus, the sun, convinced his father to allow him to drive the chariot of the sun across the sky for a day, he drove too close to the earth, setting it on fire. To save the earth, Jupiter struck Phaeton out of the sky with his thunderbolts and he died, plunging out of the sky. His mother and sister turned into trees in their grief but still cried mourning him. Their tears, dried by the sun, are amber.

The Greeks called amber elektron, or sun-made, perhaps because of this story, or perhaps because it becomes electrically charged when rubbed with a cloth and can attract small particles. Homer mentions amber jewelry - earrings and a necklace of amber beads - as a princely gift in the Odyssey.

Another ancient writer, Nicias, said that amber was the juice or essence of the setting sun congealed in the sea and cast up on the shore.

The Romans sent armies to conquer and control amber producing areas. Emperor Nero was a great connoisseur of amber. During his time, wrote Roman historian Pliny, the price of an amber figurine, no matter how small, exceeded the price of a living healthy slave.

The ancient Germans burned amber as incense, so they called it bernstein, or "burn stone." Clear colorless amber was considered the best material for rosary beads in the Middle Ages due to its smooth silky feel. Certain orders of knights controlled the trade and unauthorized possession of raw amber was illegal in most of Europe by the year 1400.

What Secrets Might Amber Hold?

Could a mosquito trapped in amber hold dinosaur DNA? Most amber just isn't old enough, celebrating maybe 25 to 50 million birthdays at most. The dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous period. The Jurassic period was 144 million years ago. But in 1994, Dr Raul Cano of California Polytechnic state University at San Luis Obispo, a molecular biologist, reported in the British journal Nature that he and his colleagues had extracted DNA from a weevil that was trapped in amber 120 to 135 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

The amber, which was from the Lower Cretaceous period, was mined in the mountains of Lebanon south of Beirut by Aftim Acra, who has a collection of amber pieces containing 700 insects, including termites, moths, caterpillars, spiders, pseudoscorpions, and midges, which do suck blood.

Amber

Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz and is one of the most popular gems. If it were not for its widespread availability, Amethyst would be very expensive. Amethyst is a widely used gem.

Open Smile Amethyst Geode Sphere
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The name "amethyst" comes from the Greek word "amethustos" which means "not drunken."

In the first century, Pliny wrote that amethyst was so named for its color being nearly the same as that of wine. Early Greeks believed that drinking wine from an amethyst cup would prevent intoxication.

Amethyst and citrine are both verities of Quartz. The difference is color. But natural citrine, with its lovely transparent yellow to orange color, is extremely rare. So almost all citrine on the market is actually amethyst that's been heated to change its color.

Amethyst may be used to remove radiation the body stores on the sides of the head...such as from computers and such. Geodes of Amethyst are particualy good for this, just place the head next to it, you will then feel the radiation being drawn out.

Place on the 3rd eye and visualize yourself breathing in the color for total mental emotional soothing. It's a very good technique to do in bed before going to sleep.

It is a amazing all round healer and also a brilliant meditation crystal.

Amethyst Pebble and Silver Bracelet
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Amethyst can be used for massage in wand, egg or sphere form.

It makes a great elixir.

Amethyst

Ametrine is especially inexpensive when you consider that it comes from only one mine in the world. Amethyst and citrine colors found in the same crystal of quartz. These bicolor yellow and purple quartz gemstones are called ametrine.

Ametrine is most typically faceted in a rectangular shape with a 50/50 pairing of amethyst and citrine. Sometimes a checkerboard pattern of facets is added to the top to increase light reflection. Ametrine can also be cut to blend the two colors so that the resulting stone is a mix of yellow, purple, and peach tones throughout the stone.

Ametrine is a very durable gemstone suited for a variety of jewelry uses. Most sizes and shapes are available but the color contrast is most pronounced in sizes over seven carats.

Ametrine

Apophyllite is used as an aid to meditation and helps us make a conscious connection with the spiritual world. It has been used to help in mind over matter (eg fire-walking) and astral travel.

It helps us see the truth and how to act on it. As an energy stimulator, it is a wonderful stone to use when generating other crystals. It relieves tired eyes when placed on the eyelids.

When placed on the third eye chakra, it enhances clairvoyance and mystical vision. Apophyllite is also associated with the crown chakra.

The name Aquamarine is derived from the Latin aqua (water) and mare (sea).

Aquamarine is one of our most popular and best-known gemstones, and distinguishes itself by many good qualities. It is almost as popular as the classics; ruby, sapphire and emerald. In fact it is related to the emerald both belonging to the beryl family. The colour of aquamarine, however, is usually more even than that of the emerald. Much more often than its famous green cousin, aquamarine is almost entirely free of inclusions.

Aquamarine has good hardness (7 to 8 on the Mohs scale) and a wonderful shine. That hardness makes it very tough and protects it to a large extent from scratches. Iron is the substance which gives aquamarine its colour, a colour which ranges from an almost indiscernible pale blue to a strong sea-blue.

The more intense the colour of an aquamarine, the more value is put on it. Some aquamarines have a light, greenish shimmer; that too is a typical feature. However, it is a pure, clear blue that continues to epitomise the aquamarine, because it brings out so well the immaculate transparency and magnificent shine of this gemstone.

Aquamarine

This form of Cryptocrystaline Quartz contains inclusions of small crystals that reflect light and give a range of colors - depending on the nature of the inclusion. Hence aventurine may be green, greenish-brown, blueish-white, bluish green and orange. Aventurine has a hardness rating of 7.

Aventurine has been confused with amazonite and jade. Dark green Aventurine generally has inclusions (due to green fuchsite mica and perhaps a bit of pyrite) which creates a speckled appearance. This is an easy identifying factor often called aventurescence.

The name aventurine derives from the Italian "a ventura," meaning "by chance." This is an allusion to the chance discovery of aventurine glass or goldstone at some point in the 18th century. Although it was known first, goldstone is now a common imitation of aventurine and sunstone. Goldstone is distinguished visually from the latter two minerals by its coarse platelets of copper , dispersed within the glass in an unnaturally uniform manner. It is usually a golden brown, but may be stained blue to create "bluestone."

If a color is not stated with the word aventurine, it is usually assumed to be green.

Translucent Aventurine often fades in the sun.

Aventurine is found in Brazil, India, Japan, Russia, Tanzania, and USA.

Aventurine

Black Tourmaline Rock Rough Bracelet
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• SPIRITUAL  Black Tourmaline provides a grounding path for Light to enter the Earth plane.
• EMOTIONAL  This ally helps one disengage from obsessive or compulsive behaviors and release chronic worry and anxiety.
• PHYSICAL  Black Tourmaline helps purify the body of toxins and wastes. It can support the cleansing of heavy metals and environmental pollutants from the body.

Calcite can be found in clear, green, gray, yellow, pink, red, and blue. Calcite is calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and will dissolve in dilute hydrochloric acid. Some types are fluorescent in ultraviolet light.

Calcite is an aid to perception, allowing you to see things more clearly and to see reality in a new way. Its subtle energies help balance the spiritual and physical aspects of yourself, promoting a more harmonious way of life.


The double images produced when you look through clear calcite are a reminder that things are more than they seem. We are both physical and spiritual creatures, existing at in the material, every-day world and in the realms of energy.

Calcite is a calming stone. Its influence is said to help you look within and determine if some of the aspects of your life are in need of change. Calcite can help you make the transitions between a stagnant or negative situation and a more positive one.

Calcite has long been believed to aid memory. By helping you remember important information at critical times, it can allow you to gain more insight from your personal experiences, and often prevent you from repeating your mistakes in life.

Calcite can be used as an aid to meditation. Its soothing energies promote a peaceful mental state that will help you get more benefit from meditation. It is also used to facilitate astral projection and other forms of non-physical exploration.

Physically, calcite is said to be beneficial to the bones, joints, and the cleansing organs. It can also be used for those suffering from ligament damage, arthritis, and nervous tension. It is a good choice for athletes and anyone that puts undue stress on their bodies.

Calcite

Colour is often light-blue or white, colourless. Lustre is vitreous, pearly and is translucent. The hardness scale: 3 - 3 1/2. This crystal grown in clusters and is brittle and factures unevenly. It may fade if exposed to direct sunlight. It has natural termination points.Some peices are like wands, wide, slender and transparent. Others are quite opaque. Celestite is found around Lake Erie, California, Mexico. A nodule form is found in India and Madagascar. This mineral is used in the manufacture of caustic soda and special glasses.

Celestite is a subtle expander of consciousness. It provides the energy to co-create with celestial realms. Celestite provides openness and expansion of one's consciousnesss, lifting the boundaries of awareness to greater expansion, giving one the ability to articluate messages from the higher realms.The result will be more spontaneous understanding of higher spiritual aspirations. Celestite acts as a companion in endevours of spiritual expansion. It is a bringer of peace and serentity to mental activity. It facilitates the opening of chakras between the Throat and the Crown. Celestite's blue ray stabilizes the opening and functioning of the Third Eye. This crystal helps develop and highten telepathic abilities. Despite the appearance of delicacy, Celestite provides grounding and rational assessment of lofty visions. It lets you speak authentically about spiritual matters.Celestite encourages you to maintain a positive attitude by reducing the tendency of self-destruction, promotting self-love in dark corners of one's being. Celestite is said to be good to help those who fear heights (air travel, mountain hiking) and to those with digestive disorders.

As Celestite is a very subtle energy crystal, using this crystal for several weeks or months is not unexpected. Results may vary, of course. For physical ailments or mental conditioning, try using a gem elixir (available from Light Mountain, Toronto, Canada). Gem elixirs usually provide a reliable, stable dosage of vibrational crystal energy. For fortifying telepathic and celestial attunement, tape a small transparent piece of Celestite at your Third Eye with surgical tape for use every night while sleeping. Wear a larger peice in a pouch between your Heart and Throat Chakra for day-time attuning. As Celestite is very brittle, it is not often used in jewelry pieces. To increase the benefits, obtain a large nodule, about 4" or larger in diameter and sleep with it next to your head or near your Crown Chakra. The experience of Celestite will be quite intensified.

Celestite fosters connection with angels, calming and attuning your consciousness to higher planes. They also believe that Celestite relates to communication and creativity, and that it enhances peacefulness and mental clarity. Because of these associated attributes, some people use Celestite to cool anger and to relieve tension. In meditation, crystal healers believe that it is most effectively used by placing Celestite on the Throat Chakra or on the Third Eye.

Celestite Geode
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Celestite

Named from the French name for lemon,"citron," many citrines have a juicy lemon color.

Citrine includes yellow to gold to orange brown shades of transparent quartz. Sunny and affordable, citrine can brighten almost any jewelry style, blending especially well with the yellow gleam of polished gold.

In ancient times, citrine was carried as a protection against snake venom and evil thoughts.

Citrine is generally more inexpensive than amethyst and is also available in a wide range of calibrated sizes and shapes, including very large sizes. Since most citrine on the market started its life as amethyst which was heated to turn its color to gold, citrine jewelry, as well as amethyst jewelry, should be kept away from prolonged exposure to strong light or heat. With this precaution, citrine jewelry will last for many generations.

Citrine

Coral makes jewellery of a very special fascinating charm: the perfect embodiment of mankinds yearning for summer, sun and faraway seas.

The name as such, however, is still puzzling to linguists. Some are convinced that the Greek wordkoraillon is the root, as this signifies the hard and calcareous skeleton of the Coral animal. Another possible source is kura-halos, meaning mermaid, and after all, the fine Coral branches sometimes remind us of the shape of people. Other experts favour the theory that the word comes from Hebrew, goral, the name for the stones used to cast an oracle, and in fact the Coral branches were used for casting oracles in former times in Palestine, Asia Minor and the around the Mediterranean.

Corals live in depths between three to three thousand metres in the seas around Japan, Taiwan and the Malayan Archipelago, in the Red Sea, the Biscayan Gulf and around the Canary Islands, but also in north-eastern Australia and off the Midway Islands. In the Mediterranean there are Coral reefs all around the Tyrrhenian Sea, along the coastline of Sardinia and also off the shores of Tunisia and Algeria, Yugoslavia and Turkey.

When talking about Coral, the Coral reefs of the Pacific Ocean or of Australia are the first images which come to mind reefs, banks, atolls which are some of Natures most impressive miracles of beauty. But it is not these protected kinds of Coral which we are taking a closer look at here. For jewellery purposes, only Corals of the species e.g. Corallium rubrum or Corallium japonicum are being used.

Like pearls, Corals also belong to the organic jewellery material. It is an interesting phenomenon indeed that both are products of the element water, and are in fact chemically related. Both consist of over 90% carbonic lime. It is a virtual miracle that Nature manages use the same dull material to create fiery red Coral and to let grow beautiful pearls.

What are Corals?

Corals are produced by tiniest life forms, which settled in the depths of warm seas in vast colonies, long before our time. The Coral cnidarian is covered by a fleshy skin and secretes a calcareous substance, from which there are built the branchlike structures of the of the Coral stems. They can grow up to 40 cm in height, the thickness of the branches, however, hardly ever amounts to more than four cm. Only at the forks the structures are a little thicker. And from these parts the valuable raw material is gained which will then be turned into pieces of jewellery, large Coral balls or carved objects.

The fragile Coral trees are traditionally brought to the light of day from the depths of seas by means of dragnets. Since first class Coral, however, has become rather rare, today a more environment conscious approach is generally applied and divers will collect the fragile Coral branches. In the next step, the pieces are cleaned, sorted, and treated with saws, files and drills. Coral is hardly ever cut like other gemstones.

When unfinished, Coral appears dull and matted. Only after polishing it receives its beautiful gloss. Often Coral is porous, sometimes with fissures and thus of lower quality. To some extent, such qualities can be improved by application of coloured wax, which enhances the optical impression. Good quality Coral shows an even colouring and has no fissures, spots, bands or cavities. Since genuine untreated Coral is rare, the price it achieves is quite high. Therefore any bargain should be met with distrust. Top quality Coral jewellery is best bought in a well-reputed shop.

Colourful and sensitive world of Coral

Corals need not necessarily be red, although the name „Coral¡§ denotes a pinkish-red colour. Nature creates Coral in a wide range of shades and hues from red and white and blue to brown and black. Most coveted are the red shades, ranging from palest petal pink via salmon to deep velvety red. The height of fashion are currently black Coral and golden Coral, and extremely rare the blue variant. Especially valuable is also the white Coral with a slight blush of pink, the so-called Angelskin Coral. Other famous specimen are the deeply satiated red Japanese Moro Coral, pale pink Boke and the red Sardena.

Corals are not too sensitive, but with their hardness of only 3.5 they are considerably softer than any other gemstone material. Their beauty will suffer from inappropriate treatment. Cosmetic products, hot water and bright daylight are detrimental to their beauty. Coral jewellery should be carefully stored and be cleaned from time to time with a soft, wet cloth. Should the surface be scratched in spite of all care, a jeweller will be able to polish it up.

Attractive lightweights: Root and Foam Coral

Lighter in weight and less expensive than the Fine Coral are Root and Foam Coral. Root Corals are in fact a special Coral species?no root as such, but rather a special Coral bush. It is sometimes mixed up with Foam Coral. The latter, however, are those parts of Japanese Moro Coral which are embedded in sand or mud, and which are that part in-between the Coral foot and the Coral stem. This Foam Coral has been in the market for a long time, has a higher weight than Root Coral and is also somewhat higher priced. Both kinds are supplied in large quantities by China and Japan. Because of their size and relatively low weight they are popular wherever colour and volume are in demand at low prices.

Coral on the bare skin is irresistible

For ages now Coral has been used as jewellery and worshipped as a protective charm. Nowadays Coral is still used as a talisman in many cultures in order to ward off evil spirits. The modern teachings of healing with gemstones appreciate Coral for its positive effects. Coral is reported to soothe fears and tensions, and to encourage positive ways of living together.

The ancient belief in the protective and invigorating powers of Coral lives on in the traditional present of red Coral necklaces for small children. For young girls, Coral is also a popular choice as first piece of jewellery. But Coral is more than this: In a miraculous way it reflects the complexion of its wearer, and best displays its irresistible beauty when worn on the bare skin. Coral belongs to the most attractive of jewellery materials that can be imagined, and keeps on inspiring international jewellery designers to develop charming and unique designs.

Coral

Geodes, a term derived from a Greek word meaning earth-shaped, are irregular, roughly spherical bodies. They can be oblong or shaped like invertebrate fossils. Some are hollow and lined with most beautiful and unusual layers and clusters of various mineral crystals, but others are completely filled by inward-growing crystals.

Hollow geodes, relatively lightweight compared with those completely filled, are more desirable because they generally contain a greater variety of minerals that have grown well formed crystals.

Geodes

Emeralds are fascinating gemstones. They show the most beautiful, deepest and most brilliant green imaginable: Emerald green. Inclusions are allowed, and nevertheless, in top qualities fine Emerald are even more valuable than diamonds.


The name Emerald was derived from French "esmeraude" which in turn goes back via Latin to the Greek root "smaragdos", meaning simply "green gemstone". There are uncountable adventure stories involving this splendid gemstone. Even the ancient Incas and Aztecs in South America, where the best Emeralds are still being found today, worshipped it as a holy stone. However, probably the most ancient occurrences which were known are located near the Red Sea. These gemstone mines were already exploited by Egyptian Pharaohs between 3000 and 1500 B.C., gained fame under he name of "Cleopatra's Mines", but had already run out when they were rediscovered.

Many centuries ago in the Veda, the ancient sacred writings of Hinduism, there was written down information on the valuable green gemstones and their healing power: "Emeralds promise good luck", or "The Emerald enhances your well-being". It does not come as a surprise, then, that the treasure chests of Indian Maharajas and Maharanis contained most wonderful Emeralds. One of the largest Emeralds in the world is the "Mogul Emerald". It goes back to the year 1695, weighs 217.80 carats and is about 10 cm high. One side is inscribed with prayers, on the other side there are engraved opulent flower ornaments. The legendary Emerald was auctioned off at Christie's of London for 2.2 million US dollars to an anonymous buyer.

Emeralds have been coveted ever since ancient times. Some of the most famous Emeralds can therefore be admired in museums and collections. For example, The New York Museum of Natural History not only shows a cup from pure Emerald which was owned by Emperor Jehingar, but also a Colombian Emerald crystal weighing 632 carats. The collection owned by the Bank of Bogota contains no less than five valuable Emerald crystals weighing between 220 and 1796 carats. Also in the Irani State Treasure there are guarded some wonderful Emeralds, among them the tiara of ex-Empress Farah.

Green of Life and of Light

Emerald green is the colour of life and of eternally returning spring. For centuries, however, it has also been the colour of beauty and of eternal love. Even in ancient Rome green was the colour dedicated to Venus, goddess of love and beauty. Today there are still many cultures and religions where green holds a special position. For example, green is the holy colour of Islam. All states of the Arabian league sport green banners symbolising the unity of their religion. But also within the Catholic church green holds an important status, as among the liturgy colours green is considered the most natural and elementary one.

Splendid Emerald green is a colour communicating harmony, love of nature and a primeval joy of life. You cannot ever get too much of this unique colour, as Pliny already pointed out "Green is pleasant to the eye without tiring it.". Green is characterised as fresh and full of life, never as monotonous. And as this colour keeps on changing gradually between bright daylight and artificial lamplight, Emerald green in all its hues and shades will preserve its vivid energy.

Fingerprints of Nature

The vivid brilliance of its colour makes Emerald a unique gemstone indeed. But really good qualities are rare, as inclusions will often spoil the impression - traces of an active history of origin characterising the gemstone. Fine inclusions, after all, do not diminish the value; on the contrary. An Emerald of deep, vivid green with inclusions will be valued higher than an inclusion-free stone of paler colour. Almost endearingly, experts call the many crystal inclusions or fissures which are so typical for this gemstone a "jardin". The tender green plant-like structures in the Emerald garden are considered as identifying characteristics of a naturally grown Emerald.

Where do they come from and why are they acceptable? In order to answer this question we must look back in history over 65 million years to the times when Emeralds were created. From a chemical-mineralogical point of view, Emeralds are beryllium aluminium silicates achieving the good hardness of 7.5 to 8. Like blue Aquamarine, pale pink Morganite, golden Heliodor and pale green Beryl, Emerald is also a member the Beryl gemstone family. Pure Beryl is colourless. Colours only exist when traces of certain elements are added in the process. For Emerald, traces of chrome are mainly responsible for the fascinating colour. These elements usually occur concentrated in the Earth crust at completely different locations from beryllium, and therefore Emeralds should not exist at all. However, in the course of extreme tectonic processes these contrary elements were brought together and created one of our most beautiful crystals in the process of crystallising under enormous heat and high pressure. Due to the tensions involved in the geological conditions there occurred several smaller or larger disturbances during creation. And a view inside the heart of an Emerald, with a magnifying glass or a microscope, will tell us something about the wild and vivid process of creating this unique jewel: there may be smaller or larger fissures recognisable, perhaps there will be a miniature crystal or a small bubble within, and a variety of structures may be discerned. Some of these phenomena had the time to heal out in the growth phase and show the serrated three-phase-inclusions, which are so typical for Colombian emeralds: cavities filled with liquid, often containing also a small gas bubble and tiny crystals.

Obeying the laws of logic, such a history of creation makes it virtually impossible for larger crystals to grow without imperfections. Therefore, then, it is a rare event indeed when a larger emerald of good colour and good transparency is found. And this is why such fine Emeralds are so valuable. But the very fact that Emeralds have a vivid past mean that we like to see traces of this in the stone - provided there is only a fine "jardin" apparent in the stone, and not a wildly overgrown and untamed jungle of a garden, which negatively effects colour and transparency.

The World of Fine Emeralds

Colombia is still the main country of occurrence for fine Emeralds. About 150 mining sites are known there, but not all of these are currently being exploited. The most famous names in this context are Muzo and Chivor, where even in pre-Colombian times the Incas mined Emeralds. The economically most important mine is Coscuez. Estimates ascribe about three quarters of the current Colombian emerald production to the about 60 locations belonging to the Coscuez mine. Colombian Emeralds are set apart from Emeralds of other origin by their especially fine and brilliant green which is not influenced by any bluish tinge. Depending on the place of occurrence, the colour of Emerald may vary. This fascinatingly beautiful colour is highly coveted in the international Emerald trade, so that even visible inclusions which can be discerned with the mere eye are acceptable. But Colombia has more to offer: from Colombian Emerald mines occasionally there come Emerald rarities on the market, like "Trapiche-emeralds" displaying a six-ray-star , or like the extremely rare Emerald Cat's Eye.

Although undoubtedly the best and finest qualities of emeralds are from Colombia, it would be wrong to suppose that the "birthplace" of a stone automatically guarantees immaculate quality. Fine emeralds are also found in other countries such as the Zambia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan or Russia. Mainly Zambia, Zimbabwe and Brazil have gained an international reputation for fine Emeralds. From Zambia there are exported excellent Emerald crystals in a beautiful, deep emerald green showing good transparency. Their colour is usually darker than that of Colombian stones and often has a fine bluish undertone. From Zimbabwe's famous Sandawana mines there come usually smaller, but very fine Emeralds in a vivid and deep green, often with a slight yellowish-green shade. Brazil's gemstone mine Nova Era at present even challenges the famous Colombian Emerald mines: their production of Emeralds in beautiful shades of green compete in their attractive beauty with the gemstones offered by the neighbouring country. Because of the occurrences found in Africa and Brazil, Emeralds are fortunately available in larger amounts today than in earlier times - much to the pleasure of their fans.

A Capricious Gemstone

The good hardness may well protect Emeralds from scratches to some extent, but its brittle structure and the many fissures can make cutting, setting and cleaning the stone somewhat problematic. Cutting Emeralds always means a new challenge even for experienced cutters, on the one hand because of the high value of the rough crystal involved, on the other hand because of the frequent inclusions. But this does not diminish their fascination with the unique gemstone. They have developed a special cut, especially for Emeralds: the so-called emerald-cut. The clear design of the rectangular or square cut with its bevelled edges underlines the beauty of the valuable gemstone perfectly, while at the same time offering protection from mechanical strain. Emeralds, however, are also cut in many other, usually classical shapes. But if the raw material is veined by a multitude of inclusions, it is often cut as softly rounded cabochon or as Emerald pearls, which are especially popular in India.

Many Emeralds today are treated with oils or natural resins. This is customary in the trade, but it has the effect that the green jewels react often quite sensitively to in-expert treatment. For example, they must not be cleaned ultrasonically. The substances used by the cutter in the process of cutting or applied subsequently seal the fine openings on the surface of the gemstone and these would be removed in the course of such a cleaning procedure - resulting in a rather matted gemstone. Therefore Emerald rings should always be removed before the hands are immersed in any kind of detergent.

A Question of Trust

As Emerald is not only one of the most beautiful gemstones, but also one of the most valuable ones, there are unfortunately a multitude of syntheses and imitations. How can you feel safe that you do not fall for one of these impostors? The best strategy here is to buy your gemstone from an expert of your trust. Especially larger emeralds should only be purchased with an accompanying certificate provided by a renowned gemmological institute, where modern methods of analysis will be employed to assess a stone and separate natural from synthetic Emeralds, and where you will be informed about any treatments the stone was subjected to that you should know about.

And now a last piece of advice for buying Emeralds: other than diamonds, which show their sparkling brilliance even in sizes below one carat, a coloured gemstone should be preferred in larger sizes. There does exist beautiful jewellery set with smaller coloured stones as decorative accents, but Emeralds like other coloured gemstones will best display their brilliance in larger dimensions. How big your perfect Emerald should be - this depends on your personal preferences and also on your purse. Really big Emeralds of good quality are rare. In these cases the price for an Emerald of top quality will be higher than the price for an equally large diamond of the same weight. After all - Emerald is a gemstone with a unique fascination.

Fairy Wands are beautiful and delicate Quartz crystals with an energy that mirrors their ethereal appearance. The frequencies of Fairy Wand Quartz activate the crown and etheric chakras, stimulating communion with angelic presences. These allies can help one to feel aligned with the intelligence and caring of higher-frequency helper beings and one’s own guardian angels. The ability to connect one to higher-frequency beings, makes Fairy Wand Quartz useful in opening to channel information or energy from the higher domains. Its vibration is quite unlike the sometimes overwhelming or intense energy of other channeling stones. This ally’s energy is soft, gentle and cooperative, a more gradual and progressive attunement to the higher realms. Fairy Wand Quartz can help those who become easily over charged by higher frequencies, or within whom higher energies may cause symptoms like headaches, nausea, dizzying or spaciness.

       These stone are most useful in jewellery or meditation work. They aid one in relaxing into the experience of shifting between realms and can facilitate a calm, focused meditative state.

Fairy Wand Quartz Point
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SPIRITUAL

       Fairy Wand Quartz crystals assist one connecting to and communicating with one’s guardian angels and other benevolent higher-level beings. They are useful in gently opening the channel between the Soul Star and Crown Chakra, enabling one to bring through information and understanding from the higher realms.

EMOTIONAL

       Fairy Wand Quartz helps one to overcome fear of the unknown and fear of judgment. These gentle stone fill the emotional body with a soothing, expansive energy that assists one in overcoming any resistance to one’s spiritual path.

PHYSICAL

       Fairy Wand Quartz can be used to assist with the symptoms of a too-intense shift to the higher planes. It can be helpful in balancing headaches, vertigo and vision issues.

AFFIRMATIONI open myself to attunement with the angels, Nature spirits and beings of the higher realms.

From The Book Of Stones Naisha Ahsian