More than you ever wanted to know about Cat's Eye

This edition of my ongoing series of blog posts about gem and mineral fact, fiction and lore, features cat’s eye chrysoberyl.

Cat’s eye chrysoberyl, also called cymophane, gets the cat’s eye description from the resemblance of the stone’s eye to the narrow iris of a cat’s eye. The name chrysoberyl comes form the Greek chrysos (a reference to the golden color).

Lore

Cat's eyes are thought to protect against witchcraft and assaults of the devil upon the soul. Once believed to guard the wearer against physical danger and enable one to weather all storms.

"No gems have afforded more interest to the Oriental peoples than those that are known as phenomenal gems; that is, such as exhibit a phenomenal quality, either as a moving line as in the chrysoberyl cat's-eye, or the quartz cat's-eye, or as a star, a class represented by the star-sapphire and the star-ruby, all these being considered to bring good fortune to the wearer." 1

"Yellow chrysoberyl prevents others form manipulating you, whether psychically or psychologically. It fosters a strong work ethos in a workplace and is good to set near a colleague who is idle or constantly chatters." 2

"Cat's-eye is also used in wealth and money spells. Possession of the stone guards the owner's wealth and will increase it as long as the stone is retained. It is often kept with money for this purpose. Not only does the stone prevent financial ruin, it will also restore wealth lost prior to ownership of the stone. Cat's-eye brings riches and is an excellent talisman for gamblers. 3


1) George Frederick Kunz "The curious lore of precious stones"

2) Cassandra Eason "The Illustrated Directory of Healing Crystals"

3) Scott Cunningham "Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem, and Metal Magic"

More than you ever wanted to know about Cassiterite

This edition of my ongoing series of blog posts about gem and mineral fact, fiction and lore, features cassiterite.

 Cassiterite is tin oxide; an ore of tin. Crystals generally form as short prismatic twinned crystals; with a hardness of between 6 and 7. It comes in green-yellow, brown, red and black.

The name, cassiterite, comes from the Greek kassiteros – tin. It is also called tin stone. Without tin there would not have been a Bronze Age, bronze being made from copper and tin.

Lore

There was trade in tin from the Cornwall area of Britain from at least the fourth century B.C. In those times “Smelting was as much an art as a science and depended upon the skill of the smelter who judged from experience when the molten tin was ready for casting into ingots. Thus it was that the aid of Joseph of Arimathea, who later became the patron saint of tin miners, was invoked at this crucial point in the process.” 1

“Cassiterite assists in the manifestation of new forms and the destruction of past forms. It acts as a dimensions doorway between the manifest and unmanifest realms and assists with passages of the soul from the Light into body and back into Light.” 2

“It helps to eliminate feelings of separateness and prejudice. It can be used to ameliorate rejection, to dispel energy related to disapproval, and to encourage optimism.” 3

“Native tin can be used to ease passive-aggressive behavior patterns, and to bring about material, emotional, mental, and spiritual increase.” 4

“This is a great stone for grounding and protecting against negativity. It is said to reflect negativity back to the sender.” 5


1) Glyn S. Lewis “Did Jesus Come to Britain-- An Investigation into the Traditions That Christ Visited Cornwall and Somerset“ pg. 21

2) Naisha Ahsian “The Book of Stones- Who They Are & What They Teach“ pg. 94

3)Melody “Love is in the Earth- A Kaleidoscope of Crystals” pg. 104

4) Marguerite Elsbeth “Crystal Medicine (More Crystals and New Age) pg. 76

5) Dragons Crystal Reverie http://www.dragonsreverie.com/UnpolAC.html

More than you ever wanted to know about Bloodstone

This edition of my ongoing series of blog posts about gem and mineral fact, fiction and lore, features bloodstone.

Heliotrope is sometimes called bloodstone or blood jasper in the jewelry trades. However, heliotrope is not jasper at all. It is a dark green chalcedony with red spots. Hornblende needles impart the green color and the red spots are colored by iron oxide. Hematite is often called blood stone as well because when its being cut it turns the lubricant bright red.

Lore

“Because it is green, it is utilized in wealth, money, and business spells. A bloodstone kept in the cash register draws money. Carried in the pocket or purse, or worn, it also attracts wealth. In this regard, since food and money are magically connected, it was a farmer’s talisman in the Middle Ages, worn during planting to increase the yield of crops.” 1

“Other beliefs concerning this common stone abounded in the Middle Ages. Rubbed with the juice of the herb heliotrope, the stone would make the wearer invisible.” 2

“A bat, represented on a heliotrope or blood stone, gives the wearer power over demons and helps incantations.” 3

“[Bloodstone]. . . is a general healing stone and stimulant. Carry it to enrich iron-poor, tired blood or to help balance other blood-related disorders. Hold bloodstone against a bleeding would to staunch the flow of blood.” 4

In ancient times stones with the color red in them were thought to work as antidotes to poison.

Blood stone is a birth stone under the sign of Aries; and is a birthstone for the month of March.

1) Bruce G. Knuth “Gems in Myth Legend and Lore“ pg. 53

2) George Frederick Kunz “The Curious Lore of Precious Stones” pg. 133

3) Marguerite Elsbeth “Crystal Medicine (More Crystals and New Age)“ pg. 153

4) Scott Cunningham “Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic“ pg. 92

More than you ever wanted to know about Bertrandite

This edition of my ongoing series of blog posts about gem and mineral fact, fiction and lore, features bertrandite.  Opalized flourite

Bertrandite, sometimes called tiffany stone or ice cream opalite, is beryllium silicate hydroxide, in everyday language you’d call it opalized fluorite. It is only recently that it has come on scene in the mainstream jewelry industry. Once you have seen it’s easy to see why it is gaining in popularity. Bertrandite does look like ice cream, blueberry. I don’t think I’d take a bite though; it’s an ore of beryllium.

I do not know the date of its discovery; however, it is not listed in my 1915 copy of “Dana’s Manual of Mineralogy”, the standard mineralogy text of its day. Scanty information is available on the internet.

Bertrandite’s hardness is about 4; which makes it unacceptable for use in rings but fine for pendants and earrings.

Lore

Said to be called tiffany stone because some stones look like the patterns in tiffany glass. Some think that it is a reference to Tiffany Co., the New York jewelry store.

Because of its recent (in historical terms) discovery one has to look to the minerals that combine to make bertrandite to better understand its metaphysical properties.

Bertrandite “. . . can assist one in conservatism in judgment, in generosity with respect to favour, and in stimulating the growth of appreciation” 1

A number of the references say that bertrandite is a stone for business and business success. Most agree that it has a beneficial effect on the third eye chakra. It is also said that bertrandite can boost the sex drive and enhance sexual experience.

1) A. Melody "Love is in the Earth- A Kaleidoscope of Crystals" pg. 79