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 ...
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...
Since at least 2950 BC, jade has been treasured in China as the royal gemstone, yu. The character for jade resembles a capital I with a line across the middle: the top represents the heavens, the bottom the earth, and the center section, mankind. The word yu is used in...
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...
The color pink is associated with love and other matters of the heart, and pink tourmaline is the quintessential heart-chakra stone. It is a representative of the feminine, or yin energies. It is unsurpassed as a gemstone aid in healing old emotional wounds, particularly those of childhood. It emanates a...
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...
Pyrite is a protective, shielding stone and is excellent to wear or carry as an amulet to deflect harm and danger. It is especially helpful when one is away from home or performing hazardous work.
Pyrite NuggetClick to view this item
Pyrite guards against ongoing control, criticism and manipulation by a partner,...
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...
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...
Kunzite and Hiddenite are both varieties of the mineral Spodumene. Kunzite carries the pink ray of Divine love and joy, and Hiddenite carries the green ray of Divine healing and gratitude.
Kunzite's realm is the emotion of the heart- learning to see the energy of Divine love in every aspect of...
A very common, coarse-grained variety of the silica mineral quartz that ranges in colour from nearly black through smoky brown. No distinct boundary exists between smoky and colourless quartz. Its abundance causes it to be worth considerably less than either amethyst or citrine. Heating bleaches the stone, the colour sometimes...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
Sugilite, a fairly recent discovery (1944) is found in Japan, Canada and India. The most important occurrence was found in 1975 in the Kalahari Desert, Northern South Africa. In 1979 a large deposit of gem grade sugilite was found 3200 feet below the original discovery.
Sugilite is named for the Japanese...
Facets are flat faces on geometric shapes. The organization of naturally occurring facets was key to early developments in crystallography, since they reflect the underlying symmetry of the crystal structure. Gemstones commonly have facets cut into them in order to improve their appearance.
Of the many hundreds of facet arrangements that...
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...