Citrine Rarest of the quartz varieties Citrine derives its name from the old French word Citrin for lemon. The ancient Romans used it for jewellery and intaglio work and it was very popular for jewellery in the 19th century.
Coral Precious coral has long been used for jewellery and decoration. The Romans believed that red Mediterranean coral had magical and medicinal properties, and Roman children wore coral necklaces as protection from dangers. The Gauls used coral to decorate their helmets and weapons.
Garnet Best known amongst the garnets are the deep-red alamandine garnet and pyrope garnets. The alamandine is what most people think of when garnet is mentioned. It is dark and and slightly brown or red. The pyrope garnet tends to have less brown in it. Slices of garnet have been used in windows in churches and temples and legend has it that Noah suspended garnet in the ark to disperse light. Garnet was once said to cure melancholy and to warm the heart.
Jade This lustrous stone, stronger than steel, has been used for tools and ornaments. It is cherished by cultures as far apart as China and Central America. The stone is believed to confer luck, health and spiritual well-being upon its owners.
Onyx Onyx is a variety of the microcystaline quartz chalcedony. Onyx seals were very popular with the romans who carved the pattern of the seal in negative relief to give a raised print.
Pearl Pearls are formed in shellfish - especially oysters and mussels - as a natural defence agains an irritant, such as a piece of grit. Layers of aragonite, known as nacre, are secreted around the irritant, and gradually build up to form the solid pearl. Light reflecting from these overlapping layers produces a characteristic liridescent lustre, also known as the 'orient of the pearl'. In cultured pearls an irritant is introduced to initiate the formation of a pearl. Pearls were once thought to be the tears of gods.
Red Tiger's Eye Red tigers eye is a form of quartz and contains fibres of crocidolite. In most cases Red Tiger's Eye is not a natural occurrence. It is usually a result of deliberate heating. The bright and colourful red tigers eye is believed to bring with it an uplifting and optimistic energy, full of vitality and strength. Some people believe that it can be used as a tool to rebalance the body, especially during healing or meditative work, while others claim to use it for psychic work
Turquoise One of the first gemstones to be mined turquoise has long been prized for its intense colour which varies from sky-blue to green depending on the quantities of iron and copper in it. In North America the Zuni people of New Mexico believed that the stone would protect them from demons. The Navjo Indians believed the blue stones were pieces that had fallen from the sky while Apache warriors wore it in the belief that it improved their hunting prowess. Turquoise has been thought to warn the wearer of danger or illness by changing colour.
