gemstones

What Is Gemstone?

The primary use for gems throughout history has been for healing and spiritual rituals. Although gems were rare and exhibited great beauty, the reason they were so precious was due to the power they imparted to their wearers. They are storehouses of empowerment, transmitted through contact with one’s body. Gems exhibit their power in a beneficial or detrimental way – depending on how they are used. All stones or gems have magnetic powers in varying degrees, and many of them are beneficial to us for their therapeutic cures. They emit vibrations and frequencies which have strong potential influence on our whole being. Here’s what your Gemstone prediction looks like.

Gemstone names, colors, meanings, characteristics

Gemstone names, colors and characteristics has been a topic for discussion for hundreds – possibly even thousands – of years. Over this period, gemstones, precious and semi-precious stones have been associated with certain characteristics or been attributed with specific powers. Read any books on ancient customs and you will come across precious and semi-precious stones, which are not only prized for their rarity but are attributed with certain, often mystical powers.

Gemstones are Natural.

They are not treated or enhanced by man. They are never chemically colored. They are quite rare to find.

COLOR

Each gem species has a wide range of color. Directly related to the desired effect is the quality of the gemstone’s color, its tone, and its modifying shades.

EXTRAORDINARY CLARITY

The size, type, and placement of included material or “flaws” within a gemstone can greatly influence its value. Each gem species has its own allowable tolerance for inclusions, but we look for freedom from eye-visible flaws and freedom from black inclusions – even at 10-20x magnification.

However, not all included material is undesirable. Within these parameters, some types of inclusions are highly desirable, such as inclusions that are used to determine if a material has been enhanced or is natural, inclusions helpful in separating natural-mined gemstones from man-made synthetics, and inclusions used to establish country of origin.

CUTTING

The skill of the lapidary artist in fashioning the rough gemstone into the finished shape, size, and cut is critical to its beauty and value. The cutting of the gemstone maximizes its display of brilliance, dispersion, and color. A Jyotish gemstone should be a well-cut jewel whose sparkle delights the eye and pleases the heart.

“SWEET, SATTVIC FEEL”

You can’t spot this visually, even through a microscope. Yet it is one of the most important attributes of a fine Jyotish gem. The sweetness, or sattva, of a particular gemstone is a combination of all the qualities we’ve listed above, PLUS the “life” quality of the gem itself, which goes beyond its physical or optical properties.

The purest quality of a Jyotish gemstone is more than the sum of its parts. It is the essence of the gem that shines through its color, clarity, and cutting. One naturally desires this sweetness.

Astrological Gemstones and Corresponding Planets

The following is a brief summary of the characteristics usually associated with each gemstone.

oval cut Amethyst