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Properties and Virtues of Sapphire | Mineralogical Characteristics of Sapphire

  • August 20, 2019
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Marbode, author of a famous lapidary of the middle Ages describes the fascinating brilliance of sapphire, limpid and deep at the same time. Of the four precious stones (diamond, emerald, ruby, sapphire), it is usually quoted last. The most beautiful virtues are nevertheless associated with him: purity, justice and fidelity.

Mineralogical Characteristics of Sapphire

Sapphire is corundum like ruby, its twin brother. Chromium gives the color ruby ​​red while titanium and iron transmits blue to sapphire. Sapphire is more abundant but the great specimens are exceptional.

Classified in the group of oxides, sapphire has no cleavage (natural plans of breakage). Its facies (aspect) can be pyramidal, prismatic, tabular or in a cask. Of a great hardness, 9 on a scale of 10, it lines all the bodies except the diamond.

Sapphire is formed in metamorphic rocks (rocks transformed by a sudden rise in temperature or pressure) or magmatic rocks (rocks from the center of the earth propelled to the surface following volcanic eruptions). It is found in silica-poor rocks: nepheline, marble, basalt…

Most often, sapphires come from small alluvial deposits called secondary deposits  : rivers descend from mountains carrying stones at the foot of torrents and in the plains. The extraction methods are usually artisanal: dug wells or simple washing of sand and gravel using pans, traditionally wicker. Primary deposits involve difficult extraction of rocks at higher altitudes.

A sapphire must have a nice shine. The milky appearance of a sapphire, then called “chalcedon”, is undesirable. Microscopic cracks causing an effect of ice or foam devalue sapphire, dots and grains as well. All these defects risk lowering the sapphire to the rank of “fine stone”. On the contrary, a sapphire of perfect blue beauty can be worth a great price.

The colors of sapphire

The colors of the minerals are determined by the more or less minute presence of certain chemical elements. Chromium, titanium, iron, cobalt, nickel or vanadium combine and color various corundum.

Only red corundum, ruby, and blue corundum, sapphire, are considered gemstones. The others, variously colored, are considered as “fancy sapphires”. Their name “sapphire” must be followed by their color, (yellow sapphire, and green sapphire …). Until the late nineteenth century, their relationship is not clearly established, they are called “Eastern Peridot” (green sapphire), “oriental topaz” (yellow sapphire), “oriental amethyst” (purple sapphire)…

A stone sometimes has several clearly differentiated colors or has reflections such as girasol sapphire. The colorless and transparent corundum is a white sapphire or “leucosaphir”. There is a sapphire with a spectacular coral color. Native to Sri Lanka, this rarity bears the special name of “padparadscha” (lotus flower in Sinhalese).

The color of the sapphires can be perceived differently according to the light sources. Some indigo blue sapphires look almost black in artificial light. Others become purple in the light of the sun. Sapphire also has pleochroic properties: the color varies according to the angle of observation.

Sapphire Size

Traditionally, sapphire is cut with diamond dust. The polishing is carried out using a powdered abrasive based on ordinary corundum and declassified: emery also used in the polishing of optical glasses.

Faceted sizes enhance the sparkle of sapphires. The stones feature notable inclusions like cat’s eye sapphire (forming a vertical line as the cat’s pupil) or the highly sought star sapphire (a six-pointed star) will reveal all their beauty after an old classic size called “in cabochon “.

Deceitful Appellations and Confusions

There are several misleading names:

  • The “sapphire of Brazil” is a blue topaz often irradiated.
  • The “spinel sapphire” is actually a blue spinel.
  • The “water sapphire”, a cordierite.

The saphirine often found in association with corundum, is actually a silicate. It owes only its name to its blue color similar to that of sapphire.

Of producing synthetic sapphire since 1920. They replace natural sapphires in industrial applications. Jewelery also uses them as well as synthetic star sapphires obtained since 1947.

Heat treatments (around 1700 °) and irradiations aim at modifying or correcting the color and the transparency. The use of these methods must be mentioned.

Provenances of Sapphire

Sri Lanka

The sapphires of the Ratnapura region have been known since ancient times. Gems are extracted from the mauve (blue forget-me-not), rare star sapphires, and colored sapphires including padparadscha . And even today, almost half of the sapphires come from ancient Ceylon. Among these, some celebrities:

  • Logan 433 carats (more than 85 g). Surrounded by diamonds, it is cut into a cushion. Exceptional purity and brilliance can be admired at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington (below left).
  • The fabulous 563-carat Indian Star (below) and the Midnight Star, 116-carat (above right), astonishing in its violet-purple color. These two wonders are visible at the Museum of Natural History of New York.

Indian cashmere

It is a rare primary deposit unfortunately almost exhausted for forty years. Sapphires, extracted from kaolinite, come directly from the heights of Kashmir at more than 4500 meters of altitude. Deep blue velvety, they are considered the most beautiful of all. The current sapphires supposedly “Kashmir” usually come from Burma.

Myanmar (Burma)

The region of Mogok, cradle of rubies, also contains beautiful sapphires from the pegmatite. In the past, most oriental sapphires came from the independent kingdom of Pegu, located northeast of the current capital Rangoon.

Mineralogical properties of lapis lazuli

The Smithsonian Institution in Washington displays a magnificent Burmese star sapphire: the 330-carat Asian Star, medium dark blue.

Thailand

Extracts of basalt in the Chanthaburi region and the Kanchanaburi region , the sapphires, of good quality, are dark blue or blue-green sometimes starred. There are also colored sapphires.

Australia

Sapphires were quarried from Queensland basalt rocks as early as 1870 and from New South Wales mines since 1918. Their quality is often average but rare rare black specimens have been discovered there.

State of Montana (USA)

The exploitation of the deposits, on the edge of Missouri near the city of Héléna , begins in 1894 then stops in 1920 before taking again sporadically in 1985.

la France

The historic site of Puy-en-Velay in Haute-Loire is exhausted but it would have long provided Europe with sapphires and garnets. Very recently, a discovery of sapphires at the bottom of a river near Issoire in Puy-de-Dôme triggered an exciting scientific investigation. It is a question of retracing the course of the stones to find the primary origin, their place of birth, among the innumerable volcanoes of Auvergne.

Other producing countries include South Africa, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe in Africa; Brazil and Colombia in America; Cambodia and China in Asia.

Etymology of the name Sapphire

The word sapphire comes from the Latin sapphirus derived from the Greek sappheiros (“precious stone”) . Hebrew Sapphire and Syriac Saphilah are certainly the oldest origin of the word. We find in archaic languages ​​the term shapar used to designate first “the things of fire”, then “shiny aspect” , and then by extension “beautiful things”.

One of the Bestiary manuscripts written by the monk-poet Philippe de Thaon around 1120/1130 is written in French, the ancestor of French. It meets for the first time the sapphire in its French form: sapphire. Much later, during the Renaissance, Jean Nicot (famous for the introduction of tobacco in France) published in the dictionary “Thresor of the French language” a slightly different form: sapphir.

The adjective sapphire, or rarer sapphire, characterizes everything from the color of sapphire. There used to be a blue eye drop called sapphire water.

Sapphire throughout history

Sapphire in Antiquity

The Old Testament mentions sapphire several times, especially in Exodus. It is often said that the Tablets of the Law would have been sapphire. In reality, sapphire does not refer at all to the material of Tables. It concerns the vision of God by Moses and his companions:

The evocation of the sapphire is more understandable as well and allows noting the antiquity of the symbolism of the stone. The sapphire blue is always associated with celestial power: Indra in India, Zeus or Jupiter among the Greeks and Romans.

Antique sapphire does not always match blue corundum. The sapphires of the Greek scholar Theophrastus (- 300 BC) and the Pliny the Elder sapphires (1st century AD) are perplexing. Their descriptions of golden dots on a blue background rather evoke lapis lazuli. Ceylon corundum, known for at least 800 BC, is more related to cyanus , aeroids of the Romans, or hyakinthos than  to the Greeks.

In ancient times, the intensity of the colors is attributed to the so-called sex of the stones. For example, a dark blue sapphire is considered to be a male, while a little pale yellow sapphire is labeled as female.

There are few antique engraved sapphires. The Department of Antiquities of the National Library retains an Egyptian intaglio (intaglio engraving) of the 2nd century BC representing the curly head of a Ptolemaic queen or princess. We also see an intaglio representing the Roman emperor Pertinax who reigned three months in the year 193.

In terms of benefits, sapphire relieves headaches and soothes the eyes (virtues often attributed to blue stones). Dioscoride, doctor and pharmacist Greek (1st century AD), precursor lithotherapy, recommends sapphire powder, mixed with milk to heal boils and other infected wounds.

Sapphire in the middle Ages

From the 4th century, the hordes of Franks, Visigoths, and other invaders settle in our country and bring their know-how. They master a complex goldsmith technique already used in Egypt at the time of the pharaohs: cloisonné. This process consists of creating thin compartments using copper or gold to house various colored stones. This technique will persist in Merovingian and Carolingian art. One can admire at the Abbey of Saint-Maurice, in Switzerland, the reliquary box of Teudéric, the ewer said of Charlemagne, and the vase said of Saint-Martin, all adorned with sapphires.

From the twelfth century, medieval medicine confirms the virtues of sapphire recognized since ancient times:

“To be chaste, pure and clean, without any stain on him when one is wearing it “are the conditions required to enjoy these benefits.

Sapphire is also a stone of freedom if the prisoner is lucky enough to have it in his prison.  It suffices then to rub the stone on its irons and on all four sides of the prison. This ancient belief is to be compared to the secret world of alchemists who consider the sapphire as the stone of the air. Does the expression “plays the girl of the air” come from there?

Christendom adopts heavenly sapphire. Symbol of purity, it is frequently associated with the Virgin Mary. The cardinals carry it on the right hand. The pious king of England, Edward the Confessor does the same. According to legend, he would have offered his ring decorated with a beautiful sapphire to a beggar. This poor man would be St. John the Evangelist returned to earth to experience it. In the Holy Land, Saint John entrusts the ring to two pilgrims who bring it back to the English sovereign.

The king is canonized in the 12th century. At the opening of his tomb, the sapphire is removed from him. Enshrined in a Maltese cross, the “Saint Edward’s Sapphire” overcomes since 1838 the imperial crown of Queen Victoria and her successors.

In Italy, the Santa Casa de Loreto (Holy House of Loreto) would be truly the house of Mary. In Nazareth, the place is converted into a chapel since the Apostles. The Crusaders, driven out of Palestine, organize the translation of the house in Italy, by boat, between 1291 and 1294. The three stone walls become a rich basilica and over the centuries, the offerings of the pilgrims constitute a real treasure.

In a story of 1786 for Madame Elizabeth sister of Louis XVI, the Abbot of Binos reports having contemplated a wonderful sapphire. It measured, it seems, a foot and a half high on a base of two feet (pyramid of about 45cm x 60cm). Exaggeration or reality? No one knows because the treasure has totally disappeared today.

The Louvre exhibits a religious work decorated with sapphires dating from the fifteenth century: ”  the Table of the Trinity  .” It is a kind of mounted piece set with precious stones. The sapphires predominate, the largest is intaglio engraved probably effigy of Jeanne de Navarre, Queen of England in 1403. She offers this present to the Duke of Brittany, his son. Anne of Brittany transmits the inheritance to the Royal Treasury of France by her marriage with Charles VIII.

Sapphires adorn jewelry and utilitarian objects. The hanaps (large glass vase-shaped with a lid) are richly provided: golden silver hanap sitting on a fountain-shaped foot garnished with two garnets and eleven sapphires … Hanap Or, with a fretelet (button shaped fruit or flower) trimmed with a rose gold and pearls with a large sapphire in the middle. These sapphires encountered in royal inventories do not all come from the East.

The sapphire of Puy-en-Velay

Many sapphires in the royal courts of Europe come from around Puy-en-Velay. The stream named Riou Pezouilliau near the village of Espaly Saint-Marcel, has been known since at least the 13th century to be full of sapphires and garnets. The kings of France Charles VI and Charles VII regularly frequent the place to stock up. The bishop of Puy, himself a sapphire collector, lodges them at the episcopal palace.

Sapphires are collected when the stream is almost dry. The peasants seek the deepest pools and then wash and sift the gravel. This “miraculous sin” continues for several centuries. A manual of mineralogy tells us that in 1753, there is still a man from the village to practice “the job of looking for hyacinths and sapphires  .”

The sapphire of Puy called “sapphire of France” is the only European sapphire. It can present a very nice blue and be of beautiful water but often it lacks luster and draws on the greenish. It does not compete with the sapphire of Orient but has the advantage of being less expensive. The sapphires of Puy-en-Velay have become a curiosity and rare are the museums that hold.

Modern Times and Sapphire

The property-named “Grand Saphir” appears in the collections of Louis XIV in 1669. In the absence of written transaction in the records, it is generally considered that it is a gift. This magnificent present, blue velvet color with violet reflections weighs 135 carats and comes from Ceylon. The Grand Saphir comes out a few times from its chest to dazzle prestigious visitors. He is then placed in a gold frame alongside his friend, the blue diamond.

It was long believed that this jewel was a rough stone. In 1801, the mineralogist René-Just Haüy notes that the stone has been the subject of a careful faceting carefully respecting its natural symmetry and its original shape of rhombus. Since its acquisition, Grand Saphir has never undergone other scrap. It is visible at the Museum of Natural Histories of Paris.

The Grand Sapphire is frequently confused with the sapphire of “Ruspoli” but it is about two different gems. The Ruspoli has an almost identical weight, but it is cut differently (cushion-shaped). He also comes from Ceylon where, according to tradition, a poor man, a wooden spooner, would have discovered him. It owes its name to the Italian prince Francesco Ruspoli, one of the first known owners. This sapphire knows an eventful route: sold to a French jeweler, it then successively belongs to the fortunate Harry Hope, to the Royal Treasury of Russia then to the Romanian Crown. Finally sold to an American buyer around 1950, we do not know what has become of him since.

The origin of the famous sapphire set of Queen Marie-Amélie, wife of Louis-Philippe is also full of mystery. Louis-Philippe, still Duke of Orleans, buys these jewels to Queen Hortense, daughter of the Empress Josephine and adopted daughter of Napoleon I. No writing, no portrait has allowed to explain the origin of the ornament visible in the Louvre since 1985.

In 1938, a young boy found in Australia a black stone with a pretty appearance of more than 200 g. The stone stays in the house for years, it is said to be used as a door-lock. The father, minor, will eventually discover that it is a black sapphire.

It will be sold 18,000 dollars to the jeweler Harry Kazandzhan, persuaded that the dark beauty conceals an asterism. A delicate and risky size actually reveals an unsuspected rutile star. The 733-carat Black Star of Queensland becomes the largest star sapphire in the world. It has been admired in various museums during temporary exhibitions. Estimated today at $ 100 million, it has always belonged to wealthy individuals and has not been presented for a long time.

Uses of Saphir in Lithotherapy

Modern lithotherapy attributes to the sapphire an image of truth, wisdom and harmony. It is recommended to calm angry and impatient temperaments, bring serenity, calmness and clairvoyance into the emotions. He intervenes on all the chakras.

The benefits of sapphire against physical wounds

  • Relieves migraines and headaches
  • Soothes rheumatic pains, sciatica
  • Regenerates skin, nails and hair
  • Treats fever and inflammation
  • Strengthens the venous system
  • Regulates blood effusions
  • Relieves sinusitis, bronchitis
  • Improves vision disorders, especially conjunctivitis
  • Stimulates vitality

It is used as an elixir to relieve headaches and ear pain, purify the skin, fight against acne and strengthen the nails and hair.

The Benefits of Sapphire on Psychism and Relational

  • Promotes spiritual elevation, inspiration and meditation
  • Calm mental activity
  • Soothes anger
  • Encourages dynamism
  • Raise fear
  • Stimulates concentration, creativity
  • Soothes depressive states
  • Restores joie de vivre, enthusiasm
  • Develops self-confidence and perseverance
  • Regulates hyper-activity
  • Increase the passions
  • Strengthens the will, the courage
  • Promotes sleep and positive dreams

Purification and Reloading of sapphire

All corundums are purified with salt water, distilled or demineralized. The reloading is done in the sun, under the rays of moon or on a mass of quartz. This stone is also used in Chakra Pendants.

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Onyx Stone

Properties and Virtues of Onyx | Mineralogical characteristics of Onyx

  • August 20, 2019
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The onyx, the “stone walnut white vain” of the Middle Ages would give to see devils and ghosts. Have these so-called evil powers been inspired by the diaphanous creatures and white faces of the ancient cameos?

Ancient civilizations were able to reveal all the sober beauty of onyx and sardonyx by engraving them with infinite delicacy and their knowledge has never been equaled.

Mineralogical characteristics of Onyx

Onyx is included in the broad group of silicates and in the subclass of tectosilicates. It integrates the large family of varied agates and chalcedonies, such as carnelian, sardoine, chrysoprase, plasma or heliotrope.

Onyx, of essentially siliceous composition, has a vitreous luster, an important hardness of 7/10. It is formed at low temperatures and occurs in massive aggregates or nodular sometimes flattened by the movement of water.

The great feature of onyx is the alternation of black bands, or very brown, with white bands. Other chalcedonies can mingle with onyx by forming layers of different colors. The names of these varieties evoke their associations:

  • Sardonyx (sardoine and onyx)
  • Agatonyx (agate and onyx)
  • Jasponyx (jasper and onyx)

These semi-precious stones with colored layers are called “banded”.

Confusions and Deceitful Appellations

The true black and white striped onyx sometimes takes the name of onyx “arabic or arabica” or “oriental onyx”. But there are many misleading names and confusions. For example:

  • Black onyx is often called black monochrome chalcedony.
  • The “onyx of Peru” is actually a pale pink stone from the group of carbonates called manganocalcite.
  • The onyx-marble also called “onyx limestone” or “onyx-marble” consists of a mixture of calcite and aragonite, its composition has nothing to do with that of onyx. No more than the spurious “Mexican onyx” which is also similar to the marbles?

The onyx becomes scarce hence the temptation to produce it artificially. Solutions of ammonium chloride and cobalt are used to obtain a dark color, often unstable over time, on a chalcedony or a uniform agate. A regular clear coat is then removed by removing the excess shade with hydrochloric acid.

The diapers of Onyx

The most common onyx has two parallel layers. Nicolino, nicollino or nichetto (from Italian onicolo) are called small onyxes with a thin black or bluish upper layer. Three-layer onyx is in great demand and rarities at four, five or even six layers, even more so.

Provenances of Onyx

  • South Africa
  • Argentina
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • United States
  • India
  • Iran
  • Italy
  • Madagascar
  • Mexico
  • Siberia
  • Turkey
  • Uruguay

Etymology of the word “Onyx”

Onyx means “nail” or “claw “in Greek (onux in Latin). Formed on the same basis, “onychophagia” means for example the compulsive habit of eating and eating one’s nails.

In ancient times, several minerals, and even shells, more or less resembling nails are called onyx. It seems nevertheless that the Greek word onychion and the Latin expression gemma onyche used by Pliny (1st century AD) particularly designate a variety of agate corresponding to the modern onyx.

As Buffon explains, “the Greeks formed an elegant and mythological origin with onyx”. Thus, the legend tells that the little god of love Eros (the Cupid of the Romans) uses one of his arrows to cut the nails of his sleeping mother, Venus. The mischievous flies off and drops the trimmings on the shore of India. The Parques, three sister goddesses responsible for presiding over destinies, collect them and transform them into stones called since “onyx”.

From the Middle Ages, one finds indifferently the forms: onisse , onice , onix or onyce .

Onyx through History

In ancient times

Onyx comes from India or Arabia. The most beautiful ones would come from the Shibam Mountain near Mareb, capital of the prestigious kingdom of Saba (today under the sands of Yemen in the region of Hadramout). The large size of onyx blocks used always amaze historians and scientists.

All the peoples of antiquity skilfully use onyx.  In Abydos, Egypt, a large number of plates, vases and large onyx jars were discovered. Onyx earrings are frequently found in funerary temples. The Romans make signet rings engraved with various symbols.

The Cabinet of Medals retains a Phoenician seal dating from 780 BC representing with great finesse the child-sun god Nefertoum among lotus flowers.

Tourmaline Stone Benefits

According to the Greek historian Appian, Mithridates the Great, King of the Bridge around 100 BC (northern Turkey today), possessed two thousand gold vases and onyx. After his victory, Pompey will bring to Rome the precious vases, the number of which may have been exaggerated. Their material is not known with certainty because onyx also means alabastrite, a kind of veined white marble. This oriental alabaster is used to make containers used to store precious ointments and scented balms such as benzoin or myrrh. This odoriferous resin is said to be at the origin of murrhin or onyx murrheus vases frequently mentioned in ancient stories.

The vessels of Mithridates were perhaps in alabaster. The same confusion occurs today with the “marble-onyx”.

Onyx but more frequently sardonyx, is frequently called memphite. Around 200 BC, General Scipio the African would have brought to Rome the first sardonyx much sought after.

Antiquity excels in the art of glyptics (cameos and intaglios). The Greeks and Romans preferably use stones with straight and parallel layers. The more layers there are, the more complex the work. Some colors are enhanced to enhance the final rendering. There are many antique works in museums onyx or sardonyx.

Among the most famous, we can see admire two at the Cabinet of Medals of Paris, dating from the first century AD:

– Apotheosis of Augustus or cameo of the Sainte-Chapelle. It is the largest known cameo in the world (31 x 26 cm), it dates from the 1st century AD We see Augustus and all his lineage to the Roman emperor Tiberius, or 24 characters:

The middle Ages, by mistake, gave a Christian interpretation to this representation. King St. Louis acquired it and deposited it as a relic to the Sainte-Chapelle.

– The cup of Ptolemy, said vase of Saint-Denis. Carved in a single block of sardonyx, the canthar, dedicated to Bacchus or Dionysus, has two handles in the form of vines. We see, executed with incomparable precision, festive scenes where many characters and animals evolve among ornaments and plants.

The cup would have belonged to the Carolingian king Charles the Simple. The addition of a base adorned with precious stones, disappeared during the Revolution, transformed it into a chalice that would have been used for the ceremony of the coronation of the queens of France.

The glyptic disappears in the West at the time of the barbarian invasions. In the first centuries of the Middle Ages, Roman cameos were rediscovered, enriching royal treasures and churches. Clumsy imitations are made on glass, easier to work.

In the Middle Ages

In medieval texts, the term onice frequently designates all agate intaglios.  The animal intestines on certain animals have a good reputation, so the deer and the snake transmit courage.

To wear the night onyx in necklace or in ring is disadvised:  “it gives to see the devils and gives a lot of fentosmes to sleep”. In the best case, onyx allows you to converse during your sleep with a missing loved one and to keep the memory when you wake up.

The onyx, especially the black, would have other negative influences: It makes the mood difficult, arouses the sadness, salivates excessively the children and multiplies the processes.

Bishop Marbode said in the twelfth century: “If you have Sardinian with you, the onyx cannot harm you”. The Sardinian or Sardoine takes its name from the ancient city of Sardis, located today in Turkey. Sardinian brings sweetness and temperance to onyx.

In Modern Times

The rich collections of antique cameos are in fashion in the Renaissance. Isabella d’Este, wife of the Duke de Gonzague, has some very beautiful ones in Mantua. The most famous is known today as the Gonzague cameo or Malmaison cameo. This large cameo of 16 x 12 cm has traveled a lot and known other prestigious owners as the Empress Josephine and Tsar Alexander I.

It dates from the 3rd century BC and comes from Alexandria. He represents Ptolemy II and his sister-wife Arsinoe. (Visible at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg).

Onyx frequently enters into the composition of art objects made by contemporary goldsmiths. Austria keeps onyxkanne (the onyx ewer) at the Vienna Museum of Art History.

This spectacular vase made of onyx and gold, enriched with precious stones, 28 cm high is an achievement of the French artist Richard Toutain. King Charles IX of France offers it, during his union with Elizabeth of Austria in 1570, the Tyrolean prince representing him at the marriage by proxy. The onyx ewer contributes to the influence of French art in Europe and brings a striking touch to the dark reign of the penultimate Valois.

Onyx remains popular in the time of the Bourbons. We learn that the beautiful Gabrielle d’Estrée, favorite of Henry IV, has ” a pendant of an onice in which is engraved the figure of the king “.

Louis XIV enriched his collections by buying a sumptuous mirror made of rock crystal, adorned with onyx, sardoine, jasper and precious stones. Directed by Venetian artists during the Renaissance, this mirror, said of Marie de Medici, would never have belonged to the grandmother of the king.

Louis XV has a stamp with the motto “love assembles” made of two-layer onyx, carnelian and gold. We can see the delicate profile of Madame de Pompadour protected by a pretty lid decorated with foliage and red fruits.

The Marquise devotes herself to the art of cameos. She receives in her small workshop of the castle of Versailles, the courses of Jacques Guay, famous engraver. A touching testimony of the “creative leisure” of the favorite has survived: a charming onyx nicolo on a blue background representing, according to a drawing by Boucher, a small musician god winged and chubby.

François de Gillet-Laumont, mining inspector and brilliant mineralogist discovers onyx in the Paris region around 1795. The hill of Champigny-sur-Marne, already exploited for the extraction of carbonaceous lime conceals, among siliceous infiltrations, pink chalcedony and three-layer onyx. Two layers have a reddish-brown color separated by the third from a bluish-white semi-transparent. The dough lacks a bit of finesse but the engraver of fine stones Romain-Vincent Jeuffroy makes very beautiful cameos.

Imperial Topaz stone Benefits

The deposit is unfortunately depleted very quickly and the onyx of Champigny becomes a rarity. During the 19th century, most European onyx came from Scotland or Germany.

The Virtues of Onyx Lithotherapy

It was once mistrustful of its dream powers but modern lithotherapy recognizes many virtues to the onyx. He embodies strength and self-control.

The Benefits of Onyx against Physical Injuries

  • Fortifies bone marrow, nails, teeth, hair
  • Attenuates tinnitus and tinnitus
  • Strengthens the circulatory system
  • Improves cholesterol and triglyceride levels
  • Relieves feet (in elixir)

The Benefits of Onyx on Psychism and Relational

  • Gives confidence in the future
  • Promotes weighting , control of emotions and passions
  • Soothes hypochondria
  • Encourages sense of responsibility
  • Stimulates the search for truth
  • Keep away from nightmares  and bad dreams
  • Reduces worries and bad memories
  • Provides support in difficult times, mourning

Precautions in the use of Onyx Lithotherapy

Extended wear is not recommended for depressed people, children and during pregnancy because it can bring sadness.

Purification and Reloading of Onyx

The onyx is purified frequently. Distilled water or slightly soapy water followed by rinsing will be best for it. Avoid other substances that are too aggressive. The recharging will be indifferently in a cluster of quartz, or in sunlight or lunar.

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Apatite stone

The properties and virtues of Apatite | A beneficial stone for bones and joints

  • August 16, 2019
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In this article, we will talk about apatite, a stone with multiple properties and powers. It is known to foster union with the inner self in order to draw healing, communication, balance and knowledge. It is also one of the stones used to lose weight: it is well known that recognition is the first step of change and this statement is even truer when it comes to overweight people.

A stone of lithotherapy to lose weight

Apatite is effective for weight loss because it not only reduces appetite but also allows you to look inward to discover the truth. This incursion is often necessary in the fight against the overweight because thanks to it, you will be able to determine the source of the problem, the reason for which you make excesses food.

In this context, you can use it during a meditation and introspection session, and carry it on you permanently, for example in the form of a pendant, in the solar plexus chakra, which is linked to the stomach and digestive system.

The apatite is also the gemstone suitable for any of the chakras as it can both invigorate you in case of sagging and restore balance in case of stiffness. In addition, it eliminates clutter.

A beneficial stone for bones and joints

Apatite is also recommended for fast bone repair and strengthening. It helps your body absorb calcium from the foods you eat, helping to keep your bones and teeth strong.

To treat arthritis, wrap the inflamed joint in an elastic bandage that can hold several pebbles by holding them against the affected area. Apatite relieves pain and heals the joint faster.

Make an elixir of apatite by placing one or more stones in a glass container containing water. Leave the mixture outdoors overnight, preferably under a full moon. This elixir can help strengthen, heal bones and prevent joint pain.

Apatite, a balancing stone

To calm hypertension, wear an apatite close to the heart. The medallion pendant will do the trick. Otherwise, pin it inside your shirt.

If you tend to let yourself be dominated by your emotions, especially in emergency situations, apatite may be the answer. Thanks to this stone, calm will prevail in a crisis situation and logic will always be your watchword.

How and why to use amethyst?

Wear one or more apatite crystals during any creative process. It helps you to come into osmosis with the source of your originality and creativity and to produce spectacular works.

Does shyness or lack of trust prevent you from having fun at parties and other mundane parties? Apatite gives you the confidence to go to others. It also gives you the security you need to be to your advantage.

Need motivation to complete your tasks? Holding a red or gold apatite during meditation allows you to stay focused on the work and thus gives you the urge to continue to the end.

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In addition, the apatite crystal helps the development of psychic powers and the adaptation of the mind, body and soul to the spiritual forces that traverse the universe. Apatite is particularly renowned for developing the capacity to receive visions of the future. With this in mind, meditate with apatite stuck on your chakras 3 e eye (slightly above between the eyebrows). Blue or purple apatites are best for this exercise.

Purification and reloading of apatite

With apatite, you can follow 3 of the 4 methods of stone purification described in the article on the purification of stones and crystals, namely: water, incense and burial. The simplest method is, as with many other minerals, to soak your stone in a bowl or glass of water overnight. To reload the apatite, you can place it in sunlight, in an amethyst geode or on a cluster of quartz.

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Labradorite

Properties and virtues of Labradorite | Mineralogical properties of labradorite

  • August 16, 2019
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During a survey on our Facebook page dedicated to Lithotherapy, to the question “What is your favorite stone?” It was labradorite that came in first place, in front of the amethyst. To be sure, the “Labrador Stone” is highly appreciated by mineralogists and lithotherapy enthusiasts.

This popularity is due, among other things, to the beauty of labradorite, with its play of colors in metallic luster dominated by blue, green and gold. But beyond its aesthetics, it is a crystal with many qualities from the point of view of therapeutic practice. Let’s discover in this article the properties and virtues of this powerful healing stone…

Mineralogical properties of labradorite

Labradorite is a mineral from the group of silicates, a subgroup of tectosilicates, of the plagioclase feldspar family. It is found primarily in Canada, but also in the United States, Finland, France, Madagascar, Russia and Ukraine. Its crystalline system is triclinic.

Etymology and meaning of the name “labradorite”

The name Labradorite comes from the name of the area where it was discovered in 1770: Labrador, Canada. Romé de L’Isle describes it as “Labrador Stone” in 1783, which is the very meaning of “labradorite”, the suffix ” -ite ” from ancient Greek -itês, “mineral” and labrador indicating the origin of this mineral.

The virtues of labradorite against physical ailments

Labradorite is used to balance disorders related to the digestive system, as well as hormonal and menstrual disorders. It is also effective in stimulating the muscular system and blood circulation, as well as in the treatment of certain inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatism or gout.

Great fatigue

By the energy it brings, labradorite can recover from fatigue, whether physical or intellectual.Take the stone in hand and focus on the energy it gives you to regain strength and tone. If you suffer from chronic fatigue, wear a labradorite.

Emphysema

If you have emphysema, carry a labradorite on your chest.

Migraines and headaches

To lessen the headaches, you can gently rub a labradorite on your forehead and aching areas, while refreshing the stone in a bowl of water if you notice that it is heating up.

Warts

You can use labradorite to help you get rid of warts by gently rubbing the stone on the affected parts.

Psychic and psychological virtues of labradorite

Stabilizer of the mood

Against the swings of mood, labradorite is all advised. It is a stone that brings balance and consistency in feelings. It helps to overcome stress and feelings of anxiety, and promotes intellect, inspiration and intuition.

For healing by laying on of hands

Labradorite is a powerful stone, intimately linked to the chakra of the hand that allows deep activation.For this reason; healers who heal with their hands should use it daily to activate their chakra with their hands.

Protection stone

Labradorite is an excellent protective stone against psychic energies and negative thoughts. It forms a barrier of protection against mental pollution.

Mental sharpness, creativity and problem solving

By allowing us to preserve ourselves from mental pollution, labradorite promotes clarity of thought and mental acuity.   It is a beneficial stone for helping professionals, but also for artists by stimulating inspiration.

Gemotherapy and Its Effects

It allows you to find original solutions to a problem and make the right decisions. You can use it by placing it under your pillow and thinking about the problem you want to solve.

Care and cleaning of labradorite

The maintenance of labradorite is simple: unload it in a large container of water overnight, and recharge it in the sun.

How to use crystal quartz?

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Properties and virtues of amethyst | How and why to use amethyst?

  • June 25, 2019
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Mineralogical properties

Amethyst is a violet-colored quartz crystal. It holds its color of manganese, iron and titanium. It is found particularly in South Africa, Brazil, Canada, India, Madagascar, the Urals and Uruguay. Its crystalline system is trigonal.

Properties and virtues of amethyst in lithotherapy

The virtues of amethyst are soothing and purifying. It relieves stress, calms insomnia and promotes concentration and meditation. It is a very beneficial stone for the mind, which helps to find balance and serenity. Leonardo da Vinci also wrote about her that she had the power to “dispel bad thoughts and sharpen intelligence”.

You can use our search engine of stones and crystals by entering “amethyst” to see directly the affections against which this crystal is used in lithotherapy. But before focusing here on the properties of amethyst and the ways to use them in the context of lithotherapeutic practice, let’s take a detour by mythology and etymology…

The etymology and the meaning of the word “amethyst”

The term amethyst comes from the Greek amethystos , and more precisely from the verb methyo which means “to be drunk”. The private particle “a- ” leads to the translation of the term “who is not drunk”.

How and why to use amethyst?

Amethyst is a stone particularly popular with lithotherapists, and in general by all lovers and lovers of stones and crystals. It has the power to refocus energies, in particular psychic, and it is often worn as a necklace. In addition, using amethyst as a center of meditation broadens the chakras. This unique stone helps to get rid of fears, addictions and heals migraines. It improves the general nervous state and helps to find the psychic balance.

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Amethyst virtues against physical ailments

From the point of view of the individual to receive care, he will often be asked to hold the amethyst in his hands during the session. The healer will place the various amethyst stones at the places of the body that need to be healed, usually the heart and lungs.

Migraines and headaches

If you are constantly suffering from headaches and migraines, the solution is at your fingertips: an amethyst crystal. Lie down and close your eyes. Put the crystal on your forehead and relax: let the stone heal you. To protect yourself from migraines, wear an amethyst and yellow amber.

Stress

With the madness that characterizes our world, we are often exhausted because our body is used beyond its normal limits. In order to repair your nervous system and relieve stress, spend a few minutes each day drawing on the power of amethyst crystals. It is also used for children who are subject to anger and rage.

Skin problems

Against skin problems, amethyst can bring you its beneficial influence. If you have acne, wear an amethyst on you. You can also apply it (clean) daily to the most affected places. Do the same with the boils.

If you have shingles, keep an amethyst crystal on you, and place a good one near your bed. In case of burns, you can apply an amethyst to relieve pain and speed up the healing process. Finally, if you have developed abscesses, apply them an amethyst.

Respiratory and blood problems

Amethyst is very often used for problems related to breathing and the blood system.

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You can heal breathing problems faster by using it. It is sufficient, in addition to the medications prescribed by the doctor, to place an amethyst on the chest, between the lungs. If the damage is severe, hold the stone in place during sleep, using a bandage or a suitable tape.

It is also known for its beneficial effect on blood diseases, blood pressure and anemia.

Pains

Amethyst is known for its ability to relieve pain in the muscles and joints, including sprains. To heal these ailments faster, you can place an amethyst placed inside an elastic bandage wrapped around the sore area.

Strengthen the bones

Wear an amethyst around your neck or keep one in your pocket to strengthen your bones.

Amethyst elixir

Make an amethyst elixir by placing one or more stones in a clear container filled with water. Let the mixture sit outside in the moonlight all night long. For this realization, the nights of full moon are most indicated.

This elixir can also be used against imperfections and to soften the skin. Apply directly on these imperfections or use it as an ingredient for your masks.

Dial an amethyst elixir and use it to bathe the body parts prone to circulatory disorders. It accelerates the circulation in both bodies: physical and etheric.

For blood diseases, you can drink this elixir every morning before breakfast.

Psychological and psychological virtues of amethyst

Nervousness and nervous disorders

Amethyst is a balance stone, which is beneficial to all disorders of nervous origin. To calm nervousness, always wear an amethyst. Take it in hand when you feel that your nervousness is intensifying. You can use it the same way if you are subject to anxiety states. It is also known to calm the attacks of hallucination.

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Virtues and Benefits of Tourmaline | Tourmaline Stone Benefits

  • June 25, 2019
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PHYSICAL AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF TOURMALINE

Tourmaline refers to a group of minerals belonging to Silicates, more exactly to cyclosilicates, of complex and highly variable composition. The formula can be presented as: (Ca, Na) (Al, Fe, Li, and Mg) 3 B3 Al3 (Al3, Si6, O27). Tourmalines can be transparent, translucent, and even opaque. Their brilliance is glassy and their break is unequal, conchoidal. Their crystalline system is rhombohedral; they are found in the form of six-sided prismatic crystals, granular aggregates, compact, fibrous and radiating, like the characteristic “tourmaline suns”. Tourmaline has a hardness of 7 to 7.5. It has a strong pleochroism, that is to say that its color changes according to the angle of observation and reveals a lighter shade and a shade darker.

TOURMALINE COLORS

There are many colors of tourmaline, some frequent as the variety elbaite (colorless, blue, green, pink) and others much rarer as the variety Watermelon (pink in the center, green on the edges, like watermelon …). Here are some examples:

The black tourmaline, very bright, is opaque and sometimes has blue, green or brown shades.

Rubellite, as the name suggests, is bright and deep red.

The Afghan tourmaline of the Kunar Valley is peachy and soft green.

The indocolite is a deep blue, while the Brazilian Tourmaline Paraiba presents a range of tones of bright blue, even electric!

Pink tourmaline looks like pink sapphire but at a much more affordable price. Others are yellow, orange, and even gray…

THE MAIN DEPOSITS OF TOURMALINE

The pegmatites are rocks of magmatic origin, which are formed from the liquid residues of the formation of the neighboring granite. Their composition is therefore close to that of granite, but their richness in water allowed a good diffusion of minerals and favored the appearance of large crystals. This is how many gems appear, and among them, tourmaline … It is found in the form of rods triangular base, convex faces.

The majority of tourmaline comes today from Brazil. But depending on the colors and varieties, these stones can come from Afghanistan (indicolites), India, Madagascar (rubellites), Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Burma, Russia (sibérites) or Thailand. There are even some crystals in France but they are not used in jewelry.

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR TOURMALINE?

The colors, shapes and prices of tourmaline are very varied, it is therefore necessary above all to rely on his tastes to choose his tourmaline jewelry. The intensity of its hue and the quality of its size are the main criteria of choice.

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Tourmaline was not too hard, is one of the gems easy enough to carve; however, it requires great skill in finding the growth axis and taking into account the strong pleochroism of the stone. The color often varies inside the crystal itself. All the art of the lapidary is therefore to choose the right place and common sense to carve, the shape that will best highlight the beautiful colors of tourmaline. Thus, for example, the table should be parallel to the main axis for dark stones, and perpendicular to lighter stones. The tourmaline cat’s eye, she is cut in simple cabochon, whose base is parallel to the fibers, to bring out its shimmer.

METALS ASSOCIATED WITH JEWELERY TOURMALINE

The lightest tourmalines, as well as the smaller ones, are preferably associated with discrete metals such as white gold or silver, even pink gold, which will allow them to freely express their brilliance and delicate nuances. The others, more intense or larger, also go very well with yellow gold or black gold.

STORIES AND LEGENDS AROUND TOURMALINE

The word “tourmaline” comes from the Sinhalese “thuramali”, which means “stone with mixed colors” and which indicates all the stones whose name was not known. What a beautiful name for a stone arrived on Earth crossing a rainbow, imbued with all its colors, as the Egyptians believed!

Known in Europe since the early eighteenth century, it was identified by the naturalist Buffon in 1759. The Empress of China Tzu Hsi, who ruled from 1860 to 1908, adored pink tourmaline and reserved the entire production of the Stewart Mine, Southern California!

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Tourmaline has piezoelectric properties, that is, it charges electrically under stress (pressure). It is also pyroelectric, which means that it charges static electricity at its ends when it is heated. It is also called Ceylon magnet. This is why it is used in hair straighteners, whose purpose is to remove the static electricity that makes it frizz…

Its presence in the soil is sometimes the precursor to the formation of a gold deposit.

The tender pink tourmaline is often offered, mounted on a ring, on Valentine’s Day.

VIRTUES AND BENEFITS OF TOURMALINE

It is undoubtedly its electrical properties that explain its use in geobiology. Tourmaline is reputedly protective of habitats against bad waves, whether technological origin (wifi network, mobile phones …) or natural, as the harmful areas of the Hartmann network, the electromagnetic grid that would cover the Earth.

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The properties attributed to tourmaline vary according to the type of gem. The black tourmaline would be particularly effective, placed at the four corners of a house, to protect it from a geobiological point of view. It would strengthen the muscles, especially the heart. The “watermelon” version would be effective against emotional problems. Rubellite would help to keep the liver healthy; it would also protect the lymph and joints, not to mention the circulatory system. The blue tourmaline has beneficial effects on the glands like the thyroid, while the green concentrates its benefits on the blood problems (anemia, poisonings).

ASTROLOGICAL CORRESPONDENCE OF TOURMALINE

Tourmaline is associated with different astrological signs depending on its color. Thus, Aries will be helped by green tourmaline; black, too, but she also has a good relationship with Scorpio. As for pink tourmaline, it keeps these two associations but adds an affinity with Libra. Tourmaline is the 52nd wedding anniversary, and it’s the birthstone of October’s children.

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Imperial Topaz stone Benefits | Physical and Optical Properties

  • June 25, 2019
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PHYSICAL AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF IMPERIAL TOPAZ

Topaz is a mineral of the family of silicates of formula Al2 [F2 SiO4]. The Imperial Topaz is a usually golden variety, whose formula is Al2 SiO4 (F, OH) 2. Like the diamond, it is both hard and brittle. Its hardness index on the Mohs scale is 8, its density ranges from 3.49 to 3.57. An orthorhombic crystalline system, it has a vitreous luster, a conchoidal, uneven fracture, and is transparent to translucent. Its fluorescence is yellow under short ultraviolet rays and beige under long UV. Its glittery gold appearance is undoubtedly caused by its high refractive index and its particular chemical composition, where part of the aluminum is replaced by iron, cobalt, or chromium. Pleochroism varies according to the colors of imperial topaz: it is clear for the yellows,

COLORS OF THE IMPERIAL TOPAZ

The color palette presented by the Imperial Topaz ranges from gold and violet to pink, peach, cognac and bright red. The rarest colors are ‘sherry’, cherry, (only 0.5%) and purple, while the more common ones revolve around the golden yellow.

MAJOR DEPOSITS OF IMPERIAL TOPAZ

Mineral of magmatic origin, the imperial topaz can be generated by pneumolysis, that is to say that when the magma finishes to crystallize, gases, containing metals, water and other elements, deposit them in fractures. This stone is sometimes found in alluvium.

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The topaz jewelry are rare, the old deposits of Pakistan are now almost exhausted, just like those in Russia. There are some veins in the United States and even in France, Auvergne (Echassières) or Burgundy (Gilly-sur-Loire). However, the main deposits exploited commercially today are those of Brazil. From the mine near Belo Horizonte, in the Ouro Peto region, imperial topazes are extracted from a layer of kaolin where quartz and hematite are also found. The amount of raw stone extracted amounts to about forty kilos per month, of which only 600g will be selected and cut for jewelry.

THE ADVICE OF OUR GEMOLOGIST: HOW TO CHOOSE HIS IMPERIAL TOPAZ?

The choice of the buyer is primarily based on color preferences, followed closely of course by budget considerations … The rose and cherry are the most expensive. As for the size, the colorless ones are often cut in pears, while the colored ones are cut in ovals, in scissors (stairs with triangular facets), in emerald. The stones with many inclusions are found in cabochons, sometimes faceted.

METALS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPERIAL TOPAZ IN JEWELERY

The different shades of imperial topaz open the field to all possible stone-metal combinations. This gem blends with silver, black gold, yellow, pink or white, as well as platinum.

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STORIES AND LEGENDS AROUND THE IMPERIAL TOPAZ

The topaz name comes from the Greek name of the island of Zabargad, in the Red Sea: Topazos. There were indeed minerals, which were not necessarily topazes … But this name was long wrongly attributed to various minerals, before being clearly attributed to the appropriate mineral, in the seventeenth century, by Anselmus Boëtius de Boodt. The term could also come from the Sanskrit “tupas”, fire.

In ancient Egypt, the imperial topaz was a symbol of the sun, the god Ra, and power. The Greeks and Romans lent him the ability to increase their courage when they went to battle. It was also supposed to cure depression, sterility and fight poisons.

In the middle Ages, it was believed even capable, probably because of its metallic shimmer, to attract gold and facilitate its search.

The Russian tsars, when they took control of all the Russian production of this flamboyant variety of topaz, attached to it the imperial adjective. Kings of Europe, like Premysl Ottokar of Bohemia, king in the 13th century, also took the habit of wearing them: there were deposits in Germany.

VIRTUES AND BENEFITS OF IMPERIAL TOPAZ

Many physical or psychic benefits are attributed to the Imperial Topaz. No doubt because of its flamboyant colors, it is often linked to the idea of ​​enthusiasm, courage, passion, will, in sum of powerful and positive constructive forces.

Thus, it would bring dynamism and creativity, it would increase fertility, combat depression and mental disorders help develop his spiritual quest and good self-knowledge. It would help to carry out the projects and tone the whole body. Some say it may change color near a poisoned food, and may detoxify the liver and gall bladder. It will not be surprising to learn that it is related to the solar plexus, and to the chakras of the heart (especially the rose), forehead and throat.

ASTROLOGICAL MATCHES OF THE IMPERIAL TOPAZ

The imperial topaz is associated with the sign Gemini, which promotes imagination and creativity. It is also connected to Capricorn and Sagittarius. Imperial Topaz is the birthstone of December children, and is associated with the 23rd wedding anniversary.

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Calming your places of life with Amethyst Stone | Amethyst Gemstone

  • June 21, 2019
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Calming your places of life

You can dispose amethyst clusters and geodes in your home to maintain a positive vitality in your place of life.

An amethyst placed on the edge of a window is very effective in protecting against sickness and negative waves. Keep this window open at night so that it receives moonlight and can restore it as soothing energy during the day.

Arrange amethyst varieties in a room where the atmosphere is generally tense, including offices of stressful occupations. Amethyst is a stone of peace that distils love and happiness to those who come in contact with it.

Protect your place of life

Bury amethyst at each entrance to your home to guard against theft. Some fragments will do the trick. Do not forget to bury them under each window and door. If you have a window where the earth is out of reach, a window above a cement patio or a porch for example, places fragments or a crystal on the glass.

Use the same technique to protect yourself from harm. Amethyst protects your home and prevents anyone who wants to hurt you or your loved ones from entering your home.

Fight against addictions

The phenomenon of addiction is complex and must be understood both as a physiological and psychological process. Amethyst is in any case likely to help you get rid of your addictions.

If you suffer from an addiction you can hardly break you, an amethyst crystal can be of great help. Hold one and ask him to free you from your addiction. Then, draw the strength of the crystal. Amethyst releases all kinds of addictions, especially alcoholism.

Facilitate sleep

If you have trouble falling asleep, you are an insomniac or have restless nights, place an amethyst under your pillow to find peaceful nights.

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Before going to sleep, you can hold your amethyst in hand and let you get a feeling of relaxation. For example, you can imagine yourself in the center of a giant amethyst geode to reinforce your attention to the power of the stone.

Promote dreams

To help you multiply your dreams and remember it upon awakening, drag an amethyst in a headband and wear while you sleep. If this solution is not comfortable, just place it under your pillow.

To best develop your dream memory, always write them down in a small notebook as soon as you wake up. Do not forget to regularly purify your stone by dipping it in a large bowl of clear water.

An amethyst placed under your pillow also protects you from nightmares.

Access to the Higher Self

In order to commune with your Higher Self, choose a peaceful moment during which you will not be disturbed. Take an amethyst in each hand. Breathe deeply, close your eyes and feel the powers of the stone. Let them run from your arms to your head. When you feel their effect consciously, invite your guiding spirit to introduce them and to discuss with you. This exercise allows you to unite with your Higher Self.

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Meditation and concentration

Hold an amethyst in each hand during meditation. It is excellent for meditation because it helps to improve the accuracy of visions. It helps, in a general way, to have a better concentration.

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Properties and virtues of Aventurine

  • March 8, 2019
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The beautifully glittering sun quartz bears the charming name of Aventurine. A shower of golden or silvery dots makes all their appeal and the dull and dull “aventurines” that are sometimes presented to us do not deserve their name. Other minerals have brilliant inclusions, so they can at best be called “adventurized stones”.

It is rare that a natural phenomenon is referred to as a manufactured product, so beautiful and so precious. But the fact is there: the aventurine stone comes out of anonymity around 1600 thanks to an artistic technique and a process of manufacture of the master glassmakers of Murano near Venice.

Mineralogical characteristics of aventurine

Aventurine is a variety of quartz, itself classified in the group of silicates and in the subgroup of tectosilicates. Like the chalcedonies, the aventurine is cryptocrystalline quartz, ie formed of microscopic crystalline granules; this particular composition gives to the mineral an opaque aspect.

Adventurine has other features common to quartz, however its hardness is slightly lower (6.5 instead of 7 on a scale of 10) and its density slightly higher. The presence of mineral or metallic inclusions explains these differences.

The color comes from these inclusions: the more they are abundant (usually 10 to 20% of the matter) the more the aventurine will be colored in a uniform way.

Micaceous inclusions are the most common. Mica, formed of aluminum and potassium, is also a silicate but belongs to another group: phyllosilicates. It comes in several species and subspecies of composition and thus of various colors. The green aventurine, very widespread and appreciated for the intensity of its shades owes its color to the fuchsite, rich chromium mica of the muscovite species.

Other inclusions are possible: brown aventurine is colored by pyrite, red by hematite, goethite or copper, blue by dumorérite or ilmenite.

The aventurine is everywhere; it is formed in the magmatic and metamorphic rocks into multiform aggregates (nodules, stalactites, pebbles …). The main extraction sites are in India (State of Tamil Nadu), Brazil (State of Minas Gerais), Russia (Urals and Siberia), Tanzania, and Tibet, United States (State of Vermont), in Central Europe (Bohemia, Silesia), Spain, Austria, and France (Finistère).

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The aventurescence

This name is given to the shiny and glittery appearance produced by light reflected in mineral or metallic inclusions. This term does not apply only to aventurine. Other minerals have this characteristic: for example, iolite or some feldspar such as sunstone, especially that from Oregon (known as Oregon sunstone), very clear and very colorful with inclusions of copper.

The beautiful adventurines are rarely found and most of those offered for sale have unfortunately an insufficient adventure.  Adventurines without any adventures are mostly brightly colored crystals used for low cost jewelry. A wide range of colors is sure to announce an artificial treatment!

The misleading name “Indian jade  ” sometimes refers to green aventurine. Jade and amazonite are rarer then the aventurine of the same color sometimes replaces them. The vases, cups and other small objects in green aventurine have a beautiful fresh and frosty appearance. Jewelers frequently carve cabochon aventurine to reveal the beauty of this semi-precious stone.

Etymology and meaning of the word “Aventurine”

Aventurine derives from the word “adventure”, a term from the popular Latin adventura (“what must happen”) , from the verb  advenire (“to occur”, “to happen”). In ancient French, the word takes the meaning of “fate, destiny” (meaning that we still find in the phrase “good adventure”). Adventure is finally and also chance, a meaning found in the adverbial phrase “adventure “(if by chance, you go on an adventure, come what may!)

At the beginning of the seventeenth century, a glass worker whose name is unknown would have dropped at random “per aventura  ” flakes of copper or brass filings in the molten glass. Maladresse or will to innovate? No one knows but the result is conclusive. The glass containing a constellation of glittering particles is a great success and becomes the adventurine or aventurine , specialty and monopoly of the Venetian master glassmakers (we speak of “aventurine glass” or avventurina ).

Subsequently, all things are dotted with small bright dots of “adventurine” including natural things as the stone aventurine (pietra venturina).

Some argue for the opposite of this explanation: it might be natural adventurine that gave its name to the artificial. This version is unlikely because there is no trace of this name before. It is also possible that the glassmakers invented the story in response to the curious too interested in their manufacturing secrets. Chance does things well and cannot be explained!

In France, the first written trace of the stone called “aventurine” dates from 1686. We owe this testimony to a very famous lady of this century, Madame de Maintenon: “I found that a rosary that I believed the nuns was calambur and another of aventurine …  “

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Aventurine throughout history

Aventurine in the ancient world

The Egyptians exploited quartz mines and found in Upper Egypt greenish micaceous quartz that might well be aventurine but we do not know the old name or names of the aventurine. Modern naturalists have tried some approximations but without certainty.

According to the descriptions left by Pliny and by other authors of Antiquity, the aventurine could hide, among others, behind these strange minerals:

The coralleachate or coralloagate , a coral red precious stone dotted with small golden dots.

The star or starry stone, so called because “we see the figure of all the stars”, the most beautiful come from Egypt and Arabia; it is the size as opal.

The sandarésus or sandastros , found in India and southern Arabia, a religious stone of the Chaldeans, with an interior fire placed behind a transparent substance shining with stars that seem like drops of gold.

On the other side of the sea, pre-Columbian civilizations have left some concrete evidence and one can see in the British Museum of London, a famous statuette of the very old Olmec civilization. This curious character of about thirty centimeters, is in green aventurine, stocky with a big human or animal head, it dates from 400 BC

Adventurine in the middle Ages

Jean de Mandeville, explorer and naturalist tells us about a stone that could well be the medieval aventurine:

“Stone verde tasted like drops of gold: this stone gives” moult “of goods to the one who wears it. It is good for people who are fearful because it gives boldness, good sense and good countenances grace and honor …  “but it is also specified that this stone being a holy stone, we must avoid lust.

Adventure in modern times

As we have seen, in the 17th century, stones with small bright dots are called aventurines. The difference between minerals is not yet well established. On the one hand there are the stones, natural aventurines, and on the other hand the artificial aventurine, this wonderful glass of Venice with golden particles.

From that time, a third aventurine is very famous: the Chinese and Japanese aventurine lacquer. This vegetable lacquer is obtained from latex derived from Asian softwoods “lacquer tree”. On this lacquer, often black, flakes of mica, bronze or gold are blown.

This very delicate art is very pleasing in France, and the ships of the East India Company bring a number of screens and delightful objects in aventurine lacquer. We try to imitate these complex processes but not possessing trees or know-how, we create very beautiful varnishes (the famous Martin varnishes) with adventurized varieties that will contribute to the renown of the French cabinetmaking under Louis XV.

In the eighteenth century, scholars pondered the fate of the stone aventurine. It is described as a kind of yellowish or yellow-brown gemstone with small gold dots that gives it a lot of brilliance. Diderot in her great Encyclopedia defines her as shimmering and classifies her in precious stones “like agate, lapis and others”.

In 1802, Nicolas Jolyclerc attributes the “label” aventurine to “feldspars sprinkled with small sequins”; he said that the others, the aventurines are “false (although natural)”.

This division into two species, one true feldspar and the other pseudo-aventurine quartz, will persist more or less throughout the nineteenth century. However, some mineralogists, such as Balthazar-George Sage, relate it to the genera of quartz. Today aventurine is definitely a quartz and feldspar that does not belong to the same group can simply be adventurinated.

Russian craftsmen from Yekaterinburg carved an immense basin, in a single block of ocher aventurine extracted on a summit of the Ural around 1830. This imposing work required several years of work, it measures 2.46 m wide and 1.46 m high. It is exposed in the center of the coat of arms of the magnificent Winter Palace of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.

Closer to home, under the dome of the Invalides in Paris, visitors from all nations, disturbed by the extreme solemnity of the place, circulate in silence around an impressive realization in quartzite of red aventurine. The tomb of Napoleon I required twenty years of work before being definitively erected under the dome in 1861. The stone comes from Karelia, Finnish region formerly Russian territory. This choice was not unanimous, the emperor would not he wanted a rock extracted from French soil?

Properties and virtues of aventurine in lithotherapy

A stone of introspection and prosperity, aventurine brings positive solutions and promotes general well-being. It absorbs harmful waves including electromagnetic waves present in our environment.

Adventurine is traditionally associated with the heart chakra. It combines very well with pink quartz. The elixirs of aventurine are excellent for all dermatological conditions (eczema, acne …).

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The benefits of aventurine against physical ailments

  • Soothes dermatoses (eczema and other rashes)
  • Promotes the harmonious growth of young children
  • Regulates heart rate (beneficial action on heart conditions in general)
  • Improves circulatory disorders
  • Activates cellular regeneration
  • Balance the blood pressure
  • Promotes lowering cholesterol
  • Relaxes the muscles
  • Preserves the urogenital system
  • Soothes tired eyes
  • Attenuates headaches
  • Calm nausea (green aventurine)

The benefits of aventurine on the psyche and relational

  • Brings a clear and positive view of events
  • Soothes fears and anxieties (especially of early childhood)
  • Promotes inner tranquility, self-control
  • Boosts decision-making ability
  • Help to complete the projects (patience and perseverance)
  • Calm the anger
  • Stimulates creativity
  • Promotes compassion
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Properties and Virtues of the Carnelian

  • March 8, 2019
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Carnelian frequently accompanies emerald, turquoise and lapis lazuli in ancient Egypt. This blood-red stone, the color of the rising and setting sun, symbolizes the terrestrial life and the passage in the other world. It also represents the disk of solar gods that will become the halo of new religions. This sacred emblem crowns the god Re, Isis and his falcon-headed son Horus, Uræus the female cobra, and Hathor the horned goddess. A great example is the Tutankhamen breastplate exhibited at the Cairo Museum.

Cornalines must be bright and vibrant. In the 18th century, the great naturalist Buffon writes:

Mineralogical characteristics of carnelian

Carnelian belongs to the family of chalcedonies such as agates, jasper, onyx, sardoine, heliotrope or chrysoprase. This quartz, often brightly colored, consists mainly of silica and aluminum oxide. In the vast group of silicates they belong, by their architectural structure, to the sub-group of tectosilicates. These represent more than half of the mineral kingdom of the earth’s crust.

Carnelian is usually formed at low temperatures in volcanic rock cavities. Mainly composed of micro-crystals agglomerated in rounded masses, one can also observe it in the form of veining traversing other crystals. It holds its red color of iron oxide. The intensity of the hue may vary from red blood, the most esteemed, to russet orange.

Confusions and Possible Frauds

The confusion with sardoine is very frequent because it is very similar to him. However, sardoine (or Sardinian) shows a less translucent appearance and especially a browner coloring. Carnelian pulp is also finer than that of agates and does not usually have pronounced zoning. This united aspect also differentiates it from jasper.

For a long time, it is known to accentuate the hue of cornalines by heating, even by a simple exposure to the sun. A heat treatment “embellisher”, commonly allows more common agates to pass for cornalines the real red cornalines of good quality become rare.

Provenances of the Carnelian

The most famous cornalines come from India, mainly from the region of Pune.  Other extraction sites are found in Brazil, Peru, Uruguay, the United States (in Washington State), Mali, Scotland, Iceland and Romania.

Etymology of the word “Carnelian”

The traditional explanation is that the carnelian would take its name from the reddish fruit of the dogwood, the cornel. This shrub, of the plant family of the cornaceae, grows in the natural state at the edge of the forests and in the hedges of the eastern Mediterranean countries. The Latin origin of dogwood and dogwood is corneolus (“appearance of the horn”) in reference to the hardness of its core.

A less frequent but probably more accurate interpretation indicates that carnelian comes from carneolus (appearance of the flesh) referring to its light red hue. Our carnelian would then belong to the same family as carnation and other predator and carnivore. The word would have been improperly transcribed corneolus . The Romans mean indifferently carnelian and sardoine of the same name sardus or sarda .

The word carnelian probably originated in the middle Ages. At that time, the language used by scholars was Medieval Latin, an altered form of classical Latin. The corneolus form is most often found in ancient lapidaries, and the Frenchized forms become corneol and then corneline . The inventory of John, Duke of Berry, evokes “two grants cornalynes “. From the sixteenth century, the carnelian takes its current form.

It should be noted that large glass balls, beautifully called “agates” in old playgrounds, become “cornalines” in French-speaking Switzerland.

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The Carnelian throughout History

The Carnelian in Antiquity

The earliest concrete testimonies come from Mesopotamia. They date back to around 2700 BC the remains of Queen Pu-abi were found in the tombs of the ancient city of Ur. She wears countless necklaces and a gold lapis lazuli and carnelian headdress (see illustration below from the Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology, USA).

Excavations at a nearby tomb have revealed a kind of little chest, known as Ur’s Standard. Decorated with friezes of warlike adventures, we see characters and horses made of ivory and mother-of-pearl enhanced with Indian red carnelian. It is visible at the British Museum in London.

The Cabinet des Medailles in Paris has a tiny carnelian from the ancient Cretan Minoan civilization. Dating from the second millennium BC, this intaglio, engraved with great dexterity, represents an eagle removing a heron.

In Egypt, the carnelian protects the pharaoh and the solar gods. We find this sacred stone frequently enshrined in royal ornaments.

The Musée de l’Antique in Arles has a jewel representing this trend, in the form of a ram-headed hawk covered with a cloisonne of multicolored precious stones. The red feathers are made of carnelian. This fabulous bird dates from 1550 BC. Auguste Mariette discovered it in the 19th century during excavations at the tombs of the sacred bulls of Saqqara.

Egyptian lithotherapy also uses carnelian for curative purposes which does not seem the case of the Greeks and Romans. It is however one of the most appreciated stones. The sardines should preferably have a bright, intense red like the flesh, without any haze or unsightly filaments.

Pliny the Elder reports that the purest cornalines have “a figure of heart “. These are male stones from the quarries of ancient Babylon already in ruins in the 1st century AD. It also comes from India, Ceylon, Arabia and Paros and Assos in Greece. These, described as females, often have “tones of honey or terra cotta” much less esteemed.

The Romans place under the carnelian a little dull, a thin sheet of gold or silver to enhance their color as is still practiced today. Besides, the manufacture of jewelry and various small objects, the fine material of the carnelian allows beautiful achievements of colored cameos. It is also used for the intaglio engraving of stamps and “annulus signatorius “(rings to be signed).

The Carnelian in the middle Ages

The West of the middle Ages knows and uses carnelian. Bishop Marbode evokes it from the eleventh century: “The horn is stone oscure (obscure), grant virtue has its nature “. Medieval lithotherapy recognizes him with pleasant qualities:

The carnelian, red as the heart, transmits courage on the battlefield. The heart (the cuer ) symbolizes the courage and the virtues warriors, hence the expressions: “heart to the work”, “high hearts” … Logically, it also evokes the color of the blood, and it is recommended to stop haemorrhages of all kinds.

In the East, its tonic and astringent properties are commonly used.  The Chinese exploit another quality of carnelian: its resistance to the heat of the oven. They mix carnelian powder called “ma-nao “with copper oxide to obtain a powerful red for enameling fine porcelain.

The carnelian in the Renaissance

Two types of carnelian are described: one bright red, called “old rock”, comes from the Orient. The other, more ordinary, “cinnabar red”, is commonly found in Germany near the Rhine or in Italy. A scholar, Anselme Boethius Boot distinguishes a third species, very pale, yellow-orange. This Flemish doctor also specifies the indications of carnelian:

Renaissance artists engrave carnelian with great skill. The Cabinet of Medals retains the famous “seal of Michelangelo” that would have belonged to the artist before joining the collection of kings of France.

It is a carnelian of 3, 5 x 2,5cm reproducing intaglio, a scene of finely detailed harvest, populated with fifteen characters and various animals. It has long been thought, as the Egyptologist Auguste Mariette, that this perfectly executed work, dated back to antiquity. In fact, it would be a friend of Michelangelo who would have realized: The famous engraver Pier-Maria de Pescia.

The cathedral of Reims holds a very different treasure, but with the course and history equally interesting. It is the nave of St. Ursula, ship of gold and silver, decorated with carnelian of Japan.

Its history begins in 1500, when the city of Tours offers it to Anne of Brittany. Later, the queen makes it an object of devotion by adding twelve small statuettes: a gold statuette representing St. Ursula and eleven statuettes of holy virgins enamelled silver.

The nave then belonged to Queen Claude of France, then to Henry II, who had it repaired.  In 1574, Henry III offers it to the cathedral of Reims on the occasion of his coronation. The nave of Saint Ursula is visible today at the Palais du Tau located near the cathedral.

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The Carnelian in Modern Times

Thanks to the expansion of trade, carnelian loses some of its rarity in Western countries. From the seventeenth century, the famous stones, “old rocks” arrive in large numbers thanks to the VOC, the Dutch maritime trade. They come primarily from Japan where they usually undergo a treatment to enhance their color. These cornalines are frequently exchanged for German agates called “Oberstein”. Multicolored and often herborised, the Chinese particularly appreciate them.

The carnelian becomes a semi-precious stone, very appreciated in goldsmith’s art and for the creation of small objects of decorative or useful objects such as snuffboxes. The pale, yellowish carnelian is always discarded. Edme-François de Gersaint, a merchant of art and natural curiosities in Paris, wrote in the 18th century that carnelian must present a “bright red color of freshly cut flesh”. For the Swedish mineralogist Wallerius, the beautiful carnelian is “like the serosity of the blood”.

Some scholars, however, are interested in imperfect coralines : stained, milky, or crossed irregularities. Jean-Christian Kundmann, doctor-naturalist and antiquary gives the name of “stone of Saint-Etienne” to a whitish carnelian spotted with blood red.

Louis Daubenton, the first director of the National Museum of Natural History, describes a carnelian-onyx, a winged carnelian and a carnelian carnelian. The latter says he is more beautiful and more esteemed than the simple agate of the same name because “its vibrant colors of several shades of red form a delightful picture of small flowering mosses “. At the same time, we discover, on limestone hills near Le Havre, some curious samples of carnelian alternated with chalcedonies “water color”.

In the gallery of coaches of the Palace of Versailles, one can admire a sumptuous sedan with four windows and inside padded with ivory satin. Named “Carnelian”, it is used for the wedding of Napoleon I with Marie-Louise. She accompanies other ceremonial cars with precious names: Amethyst, Turquoise and Topaz.

Napoleon also has real cornalines. The museum of the Army to the Invalides exposes a small gusset lorgnette made of carnelian, suspended with a chain of gold. The emperor uses this miniature telescope in all his military campaigns.

The Virtues of the Carnelian in Lithotherapy

The carnelian symbolizes blood and vitality. It has always been given positive and protective effects, especially for women, children and the elderly.

The Benefits of Carnelian against Physical Aches

  • Stop bleeding (of all origins)
  • Activates the healing of wounds
  • Relieves rheumatism, osteoarthritis
  • Calm neuralgia, low back pain
  • Strengthens the circulatory system, the heart
  • Purifies the blood, protects the kidneys
  • Relieves stomachaches: colic, colitis, painful menstruation
  • Facilitates digestion and intestinal transit
  • Promotes sexual fulfillment (impotence fight, frigidity)
  • Improves fertility
  • Strengthens bones and ligaments

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The Benefits of Carnelian on Psychism and Relational

  • Restores vitality and energy
  • Transmits the love of life
  • Removes the fear of death
  • Fight against apathetic, depressive states
  • Promotes resolution, success
  • Facilitates adaptation to new situations
  • Stimulates concentration and meditation
  • Strengthens the memory
  • Give confidence to the shy
  • Encourages speaking skills and stimulates speech
  • Increases resistance to adversity, abuse
  • Soothes anger, resentment and jealousy
  • Maintains and stimulates creativity
  • Protects the house

Carnelian essentially activates the root, sacred and solar plexus chakras (in direct contact with the skin). It can be used as a tonic and detoxifying elixir.

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