We’re back with more gemstone legends for you to enjoy! There’s a reason gemstones are still around and continue to be a symbol of beauty. Most ancient cultures have given gemstones special meaning, special power, that carry over to today’s beliefs. In celebration of the month of December, we’ll begin with its traditional birthstone.
December’s birthstone is one of the oldest and most treasured gemstones, and is still a popular stone today. For thousands of years it was considered a holy stone. From 3000 BC in Egypt to the Persian Kingdom, these blue-green stones were placed in burial sites and jewelry for protection. Turquoise is a copper aluminum phosphate, meaning it is found in places with a high concentration of copper in the soil. Its blue characteristics come from the copper and the green tones are from bivalent iron and chrome. Still believed to protect its wearer from negative energy, turquoise has grown in popularity among fashion designers both as a jewelry component and a color.
Although jasper can be found in various colors, it typically displays a brick red to brownish red tone. Jasper means brings joy into life and is said to fulfill one’s needs. This gemstone is commonly used in an artform called Commesso, a technique of fashioning pictures with thin, cut-to-shape pieces of semiprecious stones developed in Florence, Italy in the late 16th century. These pictures are mostly used for tabletops and small wall panels. The different varieties of jasper are said to each hold their own special power, though they all result in bringing joy. Jasper is also thought to drive away evil spirits and protect against snake and spider bites.
This colorful rainbow of the gemstones is a natural treat for anyone to have! Tourmaline comes from the Sinhalese word turmali meaning “mixed.” Living up to its name, this gemstone occurs in more colors and combinations than any other gemstone variety. One unusual characteristic of tourmaline is that it can be electrically charged by rapidly heating and cooling the stone. It can also be charged by applying pressure, such as rubbing the stone. To help ail physical symptoms of arthritis and asthma, one should wear tourmaline. Thought to be a spine blocker, tourmaline is also good for lower back pain. This stone is also believed to neutralize fears and resentment.
Labradorite is a member of the feldspar family. It was first discovered by geologists in the 1770s on the Labrador Peninsula in Canada, giving it its name. This stone has a very special spectrum of color, changing from a grayish dark green to blue, gold and green when it catches the light just right. This attributes to it also being called Spectrolite and Rainbow Moonstone. Labradorite is thought to be a power stone, allowing you to see through illusions and determine the actual form of your dreams and goals. It’s believed to be excellent for strengthening intuitions, so wear this stone to stimulate imagination and help develop new ideas.
Find your favorite gemstone to start bringing good thoughts and good fortunes your way! Check back soon when we reveal more gemstone legends.
-Marissa
Thank you for the gem stone info & you chose ‘dreamy’ ones! I have MS & started a self study program on gemstones, first because I love my bling! Then to research healing modalities. This is ehat lead me to jewelry making && design. Unfortunately, MS symtoms & a disability income do not a Jewelry Artisan make!
Labradorite & Tourmaline are my absolute favorites! Keep up the great work!
Who does not love color? The various gemstones literally sing to us with their rich and precious colors. I lost my eyesight nearly 6 years ago. Fortunately for me, I had been collecting gemstones and making jewelry for a number of years before that. I remember their colors and I love how they feel when you hold them. Sight loss has not diminished my love of them at all. In fact, I am working with them every day in the art that I do. I am a very actively exhibiting fine artist. My art these days departed from painting with a brush and pigments, to painting with a slim needle and very delicate beads using gem stones, Japanese seed beads, and pearls, and Swarovski crystals, and other objects in the mix. Every day is a celebration of COLOR and BEAUTY when I am making my mixed media bead work pieces.