Joots Gemstone Directory

 

Agate

Agate

"No gemstone is more creatively striped by Nature than agate.  Each individual agate forms by filling a cavity in host rock.  Agate was highly valued as a talisman or amulet in ancient times. It was said to quench thirst and protect against fever."

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Amber

Amber

"Amber is fossil Pine tree resin, which is appreciated for its colour and beauty. It has a deep fascination for people both as a gem, its warm lustrous touch beguiles us and the remarkable inclusions sometimes found within it capture our imagination. Amber is a symbolic colour representing energy. "

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Amethyst

Amethyst

"Amethyst is a form of the mineral quartz. It is the most highly valued of the quartz varieties and is typically found in a lilac to deep purple coloring. In ancient times, amethyst was thought to have numerous mystical and protective powers. It is known for it’s spiritual powers and to bestow the wearer with clarity and purity of mind. Amethyst is the birthstone for February."

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Aquamarine

Aquamarine

"Aquamarine is the Birthstone for March and is one of the most popular and best-known gemstones; it is a transparent pale blue to sea green in color. Iron is the substance which gives aquamarine its color. Legend has it that aquamarine came from the treasure chests of mermaids, and because of this, became the lucky stone of sailors. The word Aquamarine is derived from the Latin words for aqua (water) and mare (sea). It is said to give the wearer feelings of trust and friendship. Convenient "

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Carnelian

Carnelian

"Carnelian is an A-grade agate. True carnelian is the fiery red/orange colour. The name carnelian is said to be derived from the Latin word carnis ("flesh") due to its colour. Ancient Egyptian tombs are full of carnelian jewelry, as the Egyptians believed the gemstone had great power in the afterlife. Red carnelian is said to help heal physical wounds and blood disorders. Ayurveda holds that carnelian is excellent for the first chakra, and the gemstone is thought to bring passion to the wearer. "

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chalcedony

Chalcedony

"Chalcedony is a catch-all term for cryptocrystalline quartzes (quartz that is formed not of one single crystal but a number of finely grained micro-crystals). In the gemstone industry, however, "chalcedony" refers more specifically to semi-transparent or translucent chalcedony with a solid colour (commonly pale bluish-gray) and nearly waxlike luster. The color can also be white, blue, purple, pink, yellow, orange or red. Blue and purple are the most popular hues. The stone was used in Renaissance magic for health and safety, and has been worn as carved cameos and gems for many centuries, especially popular in the Victorian era. Chalcedony is also thought to stimulate creativity and aid calm and peace. "

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Citrine

Citrine

"People have come to know and love this stone for having miraculous powers! The citrine is a member of the large quartz family, a family which, with its multitude of colours and very various structures, offers gemstone lovers almost everything their hearts desire in terms of adornment and decoration, from absolutely clear rock crystal to black onyx. Citrine is the clear yellow or golden form of the mineral quartz. It is said to dissipate negative energy. It assists in creating prosperity. It is a stone of joy, openness and optimism."

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Coral

Coral

"Coral is a calcium carbonate built up by the skeletal material of small animals that live in colonies in the sea. It comes in a wide range of colors, with black, red and pink considered the most valuable. It appears dull and matte when unfinished, but gains a beautiful gloss after polishing. Many people think coral, like ivory, must be protected and/or is an endangered species. However, the few threatened coral reefs are monitored by international law. Furthermore, research shows that at current harvesting levels, even the Great Barrier Reef's coral is sustainable; in other words, it replenishes itself at a rate equal to or greater than it is collected. To Buddhists, coral is a treasure that can protect you from evil spirits. It’s reputed to calm and improve life, help restore harmony in the event of emotional conflict and work against nutritional deficiencies, depression and lethargy."

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Garnet

Garnet

"By the term 'garnet', the specialist understands a group of more than ten different gemstones of similar chemical composition. It is true to say that red is the colour most often encountered and the most highly esteemed, but the garnet also exists in various shades of green, a tender to intense yellow, a fiery orange and some fine earth-coloured nuances. The warm red of the garnet is said to have helped Noah steer his ark through the dark night. Many an early explorer and traveler liked to carry a garnet with him, for the garnet was popular as a talisman and protective stone, as it was believed to light up the night and protect its bearer from evil and disaster."

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Indian Ruby

Indian Ruby

"Said to be the most powerful gem in the universe. This beautiful gemstone is a symbol of friendship and love."

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Iolite

Iolite

"The name iolite comes from the Greek 'ion', which means violet. Iolite is usually a purplish blue when cut properly. When Leif Eriksson and the other legendary Viking explorers ventured far out into the Atlantic Ocean, away from any coastline that could help them determine their position, they had a secret gem weapon: iolite. The Viking mariners used thin pieces of it as the world's first polarising filter. Looking through an iolite lens, they were able to determine the exact position of the sun, and navigate their way safely to the New World and back. The property that made iolite so valuable to the Vikings is its extreme pleochroism. Iolite has different colours in different directions in the crystal. A cube cut from iolite will look a more or less violet blue, almost like sapphire, from one side, clear as water from the other, and a honey yellow from on top."

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Jade

Jade

"Jade – a gemstone of unique symbolic energy. With its beauty and wide-ranging expressiveness, jade has held a special attraction for mankind for thousands of years. It has a discreet yet rather greasy lustre, which comes in many fine nuances of green, but also in shades of white, grey, black, yellow, and orange and in delicate violet tones. In prehistoric times it was esteemed for its toughness, which made it an ideal material for weapons and tools. Yet as early as 3000 B.C. jade was known in China as 'yu', the 'royal gem'. In the long history of the art and culture of the enormous Chinese empire, jade has always had a very special significance, roughly comparable with that of gold and diamonds in the West. Jade was used not only for the finest objects and cult figures, but also in grave furnishings for high-ranking members of the imperial family. Today, too, this gem is regarded as a symbol of the good, the beautiful and the precious. It embodies the Confucian virtues of wisdom, justice, compassion, modesty and courage."

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Labradorite

Labradorite

"Labradorite is a mineral like moonstone, it displays striking rainbow coloured reflections of peacock blue, coppery red or dusky gold. Labradorite was officially discovered on St. Paul Island in Labrador, Canada, in 1770. This gemstone is said to detoxify the body and slow the aging process. It also is believed to elevate consciousness and protect a person's aura, helping to keep the aura clear, balanced and protected."

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Moonstone

Moonstone

"This enchanting gemstone belongs to the large mineral group of the feldspars, of which almost two thirds of all the rocks on Earth consist. Moonstone receives its name from the moon. It is characterised by an enchanting play of light. Indeed it owes its name to that mysterious shimmer which always looks different when the stone is moved. This gemstone is surrounded by a good deal of mystique and magic. In many cultures, for example in India, it is regarded as a holy, magical gemstone."

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Mother Of Pearl

Mother of Pearl

"When an object gets inside the shell of a mollusk, it will protect itself by coating the invading object with nacre, which is the same material it uses to coat pearls. Nacre is found in pearl oysters, freshwater mussels and abalone. Mother of Pearl is the name given to the iridescent coating on the inside of mollusk shells. This is where the name creator (mother) of pearls comes from. In China, mother of pearl was used to treat heart palpitations, high blood pressure, said to stimulate imagination and help with decision making. It is also thought to be a symbol of faith and innocence."

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Onyx

Onyx

"This beautiful stone was a favourite of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Indeed, the name Onyx comes from the Greek myth in which Cupid cut the fingernails of the Goddess Venus. The Fates transformed the fingernail clippings into stone to preserve and protect these fallen parts of the Goddess. The name Onyx is derived from the Greek for 'fingernail'. Although we mostly think of Onyx as a black stone, there is Onyx that has white stripes and a variety called Sardonyx is a reddish brown colour with white and lighter red bands. Onyx has been used to fortify self confidence and responsibility."

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Opal

Opal

"All of Nature’s splendor seems to be reflected in the manifold opulence of fine Opals: fire and lightning, all the colours of the rainbow and the soft shine of far seas. Australia is the classical country of origin. Almost ninety-five per cent of all fine opals come from the dry and remote outback deserts. Numerous legends and tales surround this colourful gemstone, which can be traced back in its origins to a time long before our memory, to the ancient dream time of the Australian aborigines. It is reported in their legends that the creator came down to Earth on a rainbow, in order to bring the message of peace to all the humans. And at the very spot, where his foot touched the ground, the stones became alive and started sparkling in all the colours of the rainbow. That was the birth of the opals."

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Pearls

Pearls

"Pearls are organic gems, created when an oyster covers a foreign object with beautiful layers of nacre. Long ago, pearls were important financial assets, comparable in price to real estate, as thousands of oysters had to be searched for just one pearl. They were rare because they were created only by chance. Today pearls are cultured by Man. Shell beads are placed inside an oyster and the oyster is returned to the water. When the pearls are later harvested, the oyster has covered the bead with layers of nacre. Most cultured pearls are produced in Japan. In the warmer waters of the South Pacific, larger oysters produce South Sea cultured pearls and Tahitian black cultured pearls, which are larger in size. Freshwater pearls are cultured in mussels, in lakes, ponds, mostly in China."

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Peridot

Peridot

"The vivid green of the peridot, with just a slight hint of gold, is the ideal gemstone colour to go with that light summer wardrobe. No wonder – since the peridot is the gemstone of the summer month of August. The peridot is a very old gemstone, and one which has become very popular again today. It is so ancient that it can be found in Egyptian jewellery from the early 2nd millennium B.C. The stones used at that time came from a deposit on a small volcanic island in the Red Sea, some 45 miles off the Egyptian coast at Aswan, which was not rediscovered until about 1900 and has, meanwhile, been exhausted for quite some time. Having said that, the peridot is also a thoroughly modern gemstone, for it was not until a few years ago that peridot deposits were located in the Kashmir region; and the stones from those deposits, being of an incomparably beautiful colour and transparency, have succeeded in giving a good polish to the image of this beautiful gemstone, which had paled somewhat over the millennia."

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Rock Crystal

Rock Crystal

"Rock Crystal is the clear colourless (white) form of the mineral quartz. It owes its name to the ancients Greeks who found it in caves near Mount Olympus, and called it ‘krustallos’ meaning ice, as they believed it to be water which had been permanently frozen by the gods. Rock Crystal have been used extensively by many cultures for diagnostic healing"

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Rose Quartz

Rose Quartz

"As the name suggests, a very delicate pink, it varies in colour from an off white pink to rose pink colour. The early Chinese used Rose Quartz for carvings of the Goddess of Peace as the colour was thought to reflect her gentleness and wisdom. Today it is said to enhance all forms of Love."

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Smokey Quartz

Smokey Quartz

"Smokey Quartz is a beautiful rich brown colour and has various qualities. It is known to induce deep meditation for higher guidance and to aid relaxation."

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Tigers Eye

Tigers Eye

"Tigers Eye is a quartz containing brown iron which produces its golden yellow colour. Cabochon cut stones of this variety show the small ray of light on the surface which resembles the feline eye of a tiger. This stone is said to offer feelings of serene happiness and calm and is used to focus the mind."

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Topaz

Topaz

"Topaz (aluminum fluorite silicate) is the hardest of the silicate minerals, due to strong chemical bonds within the stone. Yellow is the most familiar color, red the most rare. The stone is also found in brown, clear and blue. The ancient Greeks believed topaz had the power to increase strength and make its wearer invisible in times of emergency. It was also said to change color in the presence of poisoned food or drink. Ancient lore holds that it could be used to control heat, and could cool boiling water and excessive anger. For this reason, topaz was used as a medication to cure fever. Mystics today believe topaz will balance emotions and improve eyesight. It also is valued in the treatment of hemorrhages, poor appetite and blood disorders, and is referred to as the spiritual rejuvenation gemstone. Topaz is found in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Germany, Russia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Japan, China and the U.S.A. "

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Tourmaline

Tourmaline

"Tourmalines are gems with an incomparable variety of colours. The reason, according to an old Egyptian legend, is that the tourmaline, on its long journey up from the centre of the Earth, passed over a rainbow. In doing so, it assumed all the colours of the rainbow. And that is why it is still referred to as the 'gemstone of the rainbow' today. The name tourmaline comes from the Singhalese words 'tura mali'. In translation, this means something like 'stone with mixed colours', referring to the colour spectrum of this gemstone, which outdoes that of all other precious stones. There are tourmalines from red to green and from blue to yellow. They often have two or more colours. There are tourmalines which change their colour when the light changes from daylight to artificial light, and some show the light effect of a cat's eye. No two tourmalines are exactly alike. This gemstone has an endless number of faces, and for that reason it suits all moods. No wonder that magical powers have been attributed to it since ancient times. In particular, it is the gemstone of love and of friendship, and is said to render them firm and long-lasting."

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Turquoise

Turquoise

"The turquoise is ancient, yet again and again it finds itself back in fashion. Its shining sky blue is one of the most popular trend colours in the world of jewellery and fashion. In many cultures of the Old and New Worlds, this gemstone has been esteemed for thousands of years as a holy stone, a bringer of good fortune or a talisman. It really does have the right to be called a 'gemstone of the peoples'. The oldest evidence for this claim was found in Egypt, where grave furnishings with turquoise inlay were discovered, dating from approximately 3000 B.C. In the ancient Persian kingdom, the sky-blue gemstones were earlier worn round the neck or wrist as protection against unnatural death. If they changed colour, the wearer was thought to have reason to fear the approach of doom. Meanwhile, it has been discovered that the turquoise certainly can change colour, but that this is not necessarily a sign of impending danger. The change can be caused by the light, or by a chemical reaction brought about by cosmetics, dust or the acidity of the skin."

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