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Composition   Carnelian is a orange or red type of chalcadony darkened by iron oxide impurities. The pigment ranges from a pale orange to almost-black in colour. Carnelian derives from the Latin word cornum, the cornel cherry whose glossy red fruits imitate the mineral.   History   Carnelian has been discovered in Bronze Era Minoan levels at Knossos, Crete in a shape which revealed its decorative usage; this artifact dates to approximately 1800 BC.Carnelian has been used throughout Roman times to create shaped gems for seal rings used to  imprint a seal with wax on communications or other significant documents. The ancient Egyptians referred to Carnelian...

Composition   Cymbidium is commonly referred to as "cat's eye". This stone  has a chatoyancy quality which reminds us of the marks of a feline's eye. When cut to create a cabochon, the crystal shapes a stone with a shiny, light-green exterior with a silky band of green running across the top of the stone.     History   Cat's eye was made more famous at the end of the 19h century when the Duke of Connaught offered an engagement ring with a cat's eye as the feature stone. The enhanced demand generated an intense quest for fresh supplies within Sri Lanka.   Healing Properties   Cat's...

Composition   Bloodstone (known as the Sun Stone in ancient times and later Christ's Stone), is a cryptocrystalline combination of quartz that appears often as dark jasper or sometimes as transparent chalcedony (translucent). "Classic" bloodstone is a popular opaque green stone with crimson inclusions of hematite. Red sections inside the stone mimic stains of blood, hence the label "bloodstone".     History   Pliny the Elder (1st century) first mentions the rock as a rock used by the local sorcerers. Damigeron (4th century) published on its capacity to render rain, induce solar eclipses, as well as its ability to preserve health and youth....

Composition   Chalcedony is a crystalline type of silica consisting predominantly of quartz and moganite. Chalcedony has a shiny luster, which can be translucent or semitransparent. The stone gets its name from the town Chalcedon in modern day Turkey.     History   Chalcedony was used at least 32,000 years ago in Central Australia to make tools. Pre-contact uses documented today include typical stone blades. In the nineteenth century, Idar-Oberstein, Germany, became the world's largest all-purpose manufacturing center for chalcedony, operating most frequently on stones from Latin America.  The Torah discusses the Breastplate of Aaron, which holds twelve gems reflecting the tribes...

Composition   Green sapphire is a variety of  corundum which is an aluminum oxide mineral. The trace quantities of iron found in the green sapphire are what gives it its bright green hue; based on the quantity of iron, the color can appear deeper or less vivid. Due to this characteristic, green sapphires are among the densest gems to date. There are occasions it incorporates both blue and yellow in the same substance, which makes the stone appear green. The green sapphire has just recently been introduced into the market and is therefore an uncommon gem but its value is steadily growing.   History   The finest...