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 ...
Lepidolite is an uncommon mica and has only in the past decade become available on the mineral market in large quantities. Lepidolite is an ore of lithium and forms in granitic masses that contain a substantial amount of lithium. The lithium content in lepidolite does vary greatly however and low...
Moonstone shows an almost magical play of light as its characteristic feature. It owes its name to this mysterious gleaming which appears different whenever the stone changes its position in movement. Experts call this the “adularescence”, and in earlier times the phases of waxing and waning moon were though to...
Metaphysical healing using crystals has in some form, been practiced by almost every culture on Earth. Before we look at specific techniques, it is essential to get some idea of the underlying principles that inspired the use of crystals in healing. Healers of crystal healing state that crystals are...
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 SphereClick to view this item
The name "amethyst" comes from the Greek word "amethustos"...
Rhodochrosite (whose name means rose-colored from the Greek rhodon -"rose" and chroma - "color") is a very attractive mineral with an absolutely one-of-a-kind, beautiful color.
High Quality Natural Rhodochrosite Teardrop Pendant in Silver July BirthstoneClick to view this item
Although it can be an ore of manganese, it is its ornamental and...
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...
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...
Sunstone is also called aventurine feldspar (a variety of oligoclase). This gemstone varies from golden to orange to red-brown, and can be transparent or translucent. Sunstone is metallic-looking due to sparkling red, orange or green crystalline inclusions (these are hematite or goethite crystals).
Sunstone has a beautiful glittering sunlight effect as...
While most varieties of transparent quartz are valued most when they lack inclusions, some varieties are valued chiefly because of inclusions! The most popular of these is known as rutilated quartz. Rutilated quartz is transparent rock crystal with golden needles of rutile arrayed in patterns inside. Every pattern is different...
A pyramid is any man-made structure where the upper surfaces are triangular and converge on one point. The base of a pyramid may be either quadrilateral or trilateral, meaning that a pyramid may have either three or four vertical sides, but all pyramids must have trilateral sides. The measurements of...
Peridot is an ancient and yet currently very popular gemstone. It is so old that it can be found even in Egyptian jewellery from the early second millennium BC. The stones used in those days came from an occurrence on a little volcanic island in the Red Sea, about 70...
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...
Phantom quartz usually occurs in rock crystal, but is also found in smoky quartz, citrine, and amethyst. Rock crystal is transparent and colorless quartz.
Natural Brazilian Phantom Quartz Bangle BraceletClick to view this item
It commonly occurs inside quartz veins where it crystallizes in rock cavities known as vugs or pockets Phantom...
Lapis is a gemstone straight out of fairy tales of the Arabian Nights: deepest blue with golden shining Pyrite inclusions which twinkle like little stars.This opaque, deep blue gemstone looks back at a long history. It was one of the first stones ever to be used and worn for jewellery....
Opal is a sedimentary stone. Under proper conditions, water percolates through the earth, becoming rich in dissolved silicates. When it enters a cavity, the silicates are deposited as tiny spheres. If they are uniform in size and shape, they will diffract light. If they are random in shape and arrangement,...
Spinel crystallizes in the isometric system; common crystal forms are octahedra, usually twinned. It has an imperfect octahedral cleavage and a conchoidal fracture. Its hardness is 8, its specific gravity is 3.5–4.1, and it is transparent to opaque with a vitreous to dull luster. It may be colorless, but is...
Garnet - aren't these the wonderfully deep red gemstones which are often found in antique jewellery? Well, this is only the partial truth, as a warm and deep red is indeed the most frequently occurring colour for Garnets. But unfortunately only few people know that the realm of Garnets holds...
This gemstone is called the gemstone of the Vikings, Iolite is also very often mistaken for Tanzanite. It derives it's name from the Greek work 'ios' which means violet. This gemstone is bluish violet in color, Iolite with prominent blue color tones resembles blue sapphire and in lighter blue violet...
The name "topaz" is derived from the Greek topazos, "to seek," which was the name of an island in the Red Sea that was difficult to find and from which a yellow stone (now believed to be a yellowish olivine ) was mined in ancient times. In...
Rose Quartz is a form of quartz that ranges in color from pink to deep red.
The pink can be almost rose red and some African verities border on lavender. The color seems to be caused by iron and titanium impurities. However the color of rose quartz is still not completely...