Modern - Citrine & Yellow Topaz Traditional - Citrine Mystical - Pearl
Citrine is a pale yellow to brown colored member of the quartz family. The variation in color is due to the amount of ferric (iron) impurities in the gemstone. The name citrine is derived from the Latin word for yellow - citrina - which is also the origin of the word citron.
Citrine has historically been referred to as the "merchant's stone" or "money stone" because it is thought to help with increasing prosperity and acquiring wealth.
Modern – Emerald Traditional – Emerald Mystical - Sapphire Emerald is considered one of the four traditional precious gemstones along with Ruby, Diamond and Sapphire. It is a bluish green member of the Beryl family of minerals along with Aquamarine. Beryl is a mineral found in igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. If a Green Beryl stone is too light in color and less saturated to be called Emerald it is usually named Green Beryl. Aquamarine often has a greenish cast to the stone but is heated to bring out more of the blue color and reduce the green. In that way, Aquamarine and Emerald are closely related, but Emerald has chromium or vanadium in it which gives it the rich...
Modern - Amethyst Traditional - Amethyst Mystical - Bloodstone Amethyst is the most valuable variety of Quartz. It gets its violet color from irradiated iron impurities. You may have heard of other colors of Amethyst, but by definition, it can only be purple. When there is a higher iron content with hematite inclusions, it appears black. Pink Amethyst is simply a lighter lavender version. Green Amethyst is technically not an Amethyst but actually another type of quartz called Prasiolite. I can't honestly say how it ever became commonly known as Green Amethyst. Possibly, because its an easier name to remember than Prasiolite. Amethyst derived its name from the Greek word "amethystos". The Greeks believed amethyst gems could prevent intoxication...
Modern - Garnet Traditional - Garnet Mystical - Emerald When most people think of lush garnets, they think of the traditional transparent dark burgundy red that has long been associated with the January birthstone. In fact, the word garnet comes from the 14th‑century Middle English word gernet, meaning 'dark red'. Red garnet represents love. It can aid in revitalizing feelings and enhancing sexuality. It helps to control anger, especially towards oneself. Because of the differing minerals in garnets, there are actually a number of colors varieties. There is even a rare color changing garnet that appears brownish or orange in daylight but rose-pink in incandescent light. This picture from the GIA website shows a variety of the colors:...
In a previous post "The Healing Energies, Metaphysical Properties and Lore of Gemstones - Introduction" I spoke about a class that I had taken which introduced me to the ways various stones can aid a body's healing. I tend to be a bit of a sceptic so I wanted to try an experiment on myself to see if it really works. I have a chronic problem with my left ankle from an accident in my 20s where I sprained the joint so badly that my foot and leg were put in a cast. Even though I thought it healed well at the time, as I get older the joint locks up on occasion and pulls on the muscles in my...
