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“The glowing Ruby shall adorn
Those who in warm July are born
Then will they be exempt and free
From love’s doubt and anxiety”
July- Ruby
What does a hero give his love to express his passion and the promise of his heart? A ruby, of course! Why? For one, this gem is “more costly than a diamond of equal size and exceeded in price only by the emerald.”(Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry) A surprising fact is that this ‘stone of love’ is only a red sapphire.
The ruby garnered its name from Latin ‘ruber’ meaning red and, according to a Hindu legend, the ruby was created from a colorless diamond of a queen who was stabbed to death by a jealous courtier, thus staining the stone blood red.
Ever heard of something red-hot? Well, it was once said that rubies could make cold water boil, which they cannot do, but tests have shown that some rubies do give off some heat.
Another unique claim is that, if this gem is stolen, the ruby will shine right through the thieves’ clothing and give them away. Maybe, Pegu, a king of southern Burma where the best rubies are said to come from and have been mined for over 700 years, stole his rubies because he was said to light his whole city with rubies that shone like beacons. The ruby on top of the Temple of the Holy Grail was also said to shine in the dark like a beacon. However, rubies will not glow in the dark unless exposed to ultraviolet light.
Ruled by Mars, rubies are associated with blood, heart, and high energy”, (Illustrated Dictionary…) and is second to the diamond in hardenss. More reasons for our hero to give this gem as a gift is that rubies are believed by some to inspire integrity, devotion, happiness, healing courage, romance, enthusiasm, generosity, inspiration, prosperity, power, and leadership ability.
Rubies are believed by some to balance love and all spiritual endeavors, strengthen neurological tissues around the heart and prevent miscarriages. If carved with the figure of a dragon, the ruby would guarantee health, wealth and happiness if worn on the left/female side of the body.
Rubies supposedly ward off toothaches, guard against poison, and plots of enemies. In addition, it helps one talk to the animals and all nature spirits like a mental microphone. (Walker). And, rubies preserve a house, garden or vineyard from storms and worms if touched to the corners of the buildings. So, wear a ruby and you possibly won’t need a gardener, animal trainer, or doctor.
And. keep in mind…only a virtuous woman is prized above this gem.
July tidbits: Ruby is the summer stone and the birthstone for July. July’s flower is larkspur, Tulip, or Water Lily. The color is pink and purple meaning good luck, laughter, levity, lightness, and opens heart. The ruby is the stone for the Modern[1], Traditional,[2] Ayurvedic[3] and Mystical[4] stone. The stones for Cancer is: Birthstone-emerald, moonstone, pearl, ruby; Planetary stone-moonstone; the lucky charm stone-emerald, agate, chalcedony; the talismanic stone-sapphire.
“Wear Sardonyx or for thee
No conjugal felicity
The August born without this stone
Is said must live unloved and lone”
August- Sardonyx
According to a 19th century bishop of Mainz, Hrabanus Maurus, the sardonyx on the breastplate of this high priest showed the classic three colors of the Virgin-white, Mother-red, Crone-black. Sardonyx is a layered stone with even bands of reddish brown sard, black onyx , and white onyx. For centuries, sardonyx has been used to make beautiful cameos because the dark backgrounds accent the white carving.
Sardonyx is said to ‘work well with the vertebrae, the thyroid, and larynx as well as balancing metabolism. This gem supposedly promotes, luck, friendship, happiness, good fortune, romance, marriage, stamina, energy, and creativity. And if worn often and consistently, Sardonyx is said to eliminate stupidity. I need this stone.
Peridot
This gem is out of this world. The peridot ‘enjoys the unique distinction of being the only precious gem known to exist in outer space' because it has been found in meteorites. (SHGresources) as well as in and around volcanoes—even in the black sand of Hawaii.
The history of the peridot is often confusing because it has long been associated with topaz . In ancient writings ‘topaz’ means peridot. And, ‘Chrysolite’, a now obsolete name, once referred to both peridot and topaz. Furthermore, peridots, have long been linked with a legendary topaz from isle of Topazin. However, topaz and peridots are not related…peridot being magnesium iron silicate and topaz being aluminium flusosilicate.
The earliest reference to peridot was in A.D. 70 from St. John’s island in the Red Sea near Egypt. Cleopatra was said to own peridot jewelry. Called by Romans as “the evening emerald,’ peridots vary from yellow green or dark green but mostly it is a beautiful olive green stone.
Peridot, a major healing stone of the fabled Atlantis, was said to stimulate ‘tissue regeneration’ in the entire body. It can drive away evil spirits and spells when attached to the left arm with the hair of an ass. If engraved with the figure of an ass, peridots could grant the wearer prophetic powers. However, engraved with a vulture, it would control demons. And most interesting of all, peridots transmit ray waves from an unseen planet. NASA are you listening?
Said to promote increased wealth, health, joy, and emotional well-being, peridots are claimed to protect against nervousness, helps alleviate spiritual fear, aides in healing hurt feeling and bruised egos. It brings about strength and physical vitality, aligns subtle bodies, amplifies other energies and positive emotional outlook, and helps the liver and adrenal function. The list goes on, making the peridots the wonder drug of gemstones.
August tidbits: Peridot is the 16th anniversary stone, but. Sardonyx is not an anniversary stone at all. Peridot is the birthstone and the flower for August and the gladiolus or poppy are August’s flowers. This month’s color is limitless but the meanings are beauty, strength of character, love, marriage and family The Modern[5] birth stone for August is the peridot; the Traditional[6] stone is the sardonyx; the Ayurvedic[7] stone is the sapphire; Mystical[8] stone is the diamond. The Star Stones for: Leo are: Birth stones-tourmaline, sardonyx, onyx; Planetary stone-rock crystal; Lucky Charm stone-peridot, onyx, amber; Talismanic stone-diamond.
“A maiden born when autumn leaves
Are rustling in September’s breeze
A sapphire on her brow should bind
Twill cure diseases of the mind”
September- Sapphire
What comes blue, white, green, violet, yellow, brown, orange, pink…and red? Sapphires. Yes. A ruby is a red sapphire, named ‘ruby’ before this fact was known. In Greek, sapphire is ‘sapphiros’ meaning beloved of Saturn, and in Arabic sapphires are ‘safir’. In the early English translation, it is ‘sappur” or substance of God’s throne. Persians call this gem ‘saffir’ and once claimed that sapphires were made of the last drops of ‘amrita’ or the elixir of immortality or life-giving milk of the goddess.
According to the Jewish tradition, the tablets of the Ten Commandments were made of sapphire—or possibly lapis lazuli. And according to the Moslems, Solomon’s magical and mysterious seal was a sapphire.
In the Orient, sapphires were considered effective against venomous poison. According to Bartolomeus, sapphires would work great wonders in the hands of witches. And Saint Jerome once thought that the sapphire could gain the goodwill of princes, liberate the captive, and counteract sorcery and enemy plots…even assuages the wrath of God. Churchmen and witches in medieval Europe believed sapphires could grant powers of prophecy to the bearer as well as ward of the plague, poison, sorcery, smallpox, headache, and, of courses, eye troubles with only a touch of this gem. Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, dementia, fevers, burns, swellings and inflammations are supposedly healed by sapphires as well as treat depression and stress, cleanse the aura and facilitate psycho kinesis, telepathy, and clairvoyance. It was also thought that if sapphires were given to an unfaithful lover, it would turn pale, yet in some mystical circles, the star sapphire will attract love and keep their owners out of prison.
Now, there is a sapphire elixir consisting of seven drops of water in which a star sapphire has lain for how long I do not know. However, when a person is fasting for one week a month, living on nothing but a quart of mango or papaya juice, they should drink this once a day. Why? I do not know that either.
The position of the stone on the body is important. As a ring, it sends out healing; but a heart stone or pendent draws destructive forces to the wearer. Not only is the position of the sapphire important, so is the color. Dark blue sapphires are supposed to help creative expression, intuition and meditation. Green sapphires help with luck; Orange sapphires help with wisdom, optimism and friendliness. Pink sapphires help with generosity, love and loyalty; White sapphires help with self-appreciation and spiritual development. And a yellow sapphire helps with intellect, study, knowledge and memory.
Of course, sapphires should be the real gem not a fake. Pope Innocent III ordered his bishops to wear sapphire rings to enable them to resist ‘inharmonious influences.' The decree was followed and Pope Gregory XV ordered sapphire rings to be worn by his cardinals. But, the ornaments placed in these ‘clumsy, block-shaped hump-backed’ rings were made of blue paste or even opaque glass. (Walker) Oh well. But, even today, colorless synthetic sapphires have been sold as diamonds, but they don’t have the diamond’s brilliance.
Lapis Lazuli
Four thousand years ago, BC, near the river Euphrates in legendary city of Ur existed a busy trade in Lapis Lazuli. Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia, Greece and Rome and even as far as the Orient has cherished this gem. According to the Lemurians, a celestial sulphur floating in the atmosphere solidified into lapis lazuli, which Pliny the Elder later described as a blue sapphire with ‘spots like gold’. Throughout ancient times, this bright blue stone has been beloved by all civilizations and considered holy.
Egypt’s goddess Isis had lapis as her symbol of truth and had it worn by her chief high priest as her All-Seeing Eye. Some say her lap was made of lapis lazuli where Horus once sat. The oldest Sumerian myths say that the palace of their great goddess sat above a mountain of lapis lazuli. Lapis was highly treasured and was worn by royalty and decorated their palaces in Babylonia and Rome. Early Christians even declared it as sacred to the Virgin Mary.
The Old Masters would pulverize this gem to make their gorgeous blue for their paintings. In fact, during the 18th Century, lapis lazuli was so desired that its value was fifteen times more than emeralds. Why? Because amulets of lapis lazuli were believed to cure apoplexy and blood disorders and give confidence to children. Lapis was believed to cure snakebite, melancholy, heal boils, sore throats, eyes, and sores, strengthen heart, help focus energy for teachers, lecturers, and speakers. It is said to cure depression, painful nerves, and opens the ‘third’ eye if worn on a headband over the brow.
Lapis Lazuli is often confused with a blue stone known as lazulite or azurite. Lapis Lazuli can be dyed darker and, like sapphires, lapis can be imitated so well even experts are fooled.
September tidbits: Sapphire is the gem of fall and the anniversary gem of 5th 23rd, 45th, and the star sapphire is for the 65th. Lapis Lazuli is the 7th and 9th anniversary gem. The birthstone for September is the sapphire and the flower is the aster or morning glory. September’s color varies with pink and purple and stands for beauty, strength of character, love, marriage, and family. The Sapphire is the Modern[9] stone and the Traditional[10] stone. Moonstone is the Ayurvedic[11] stone. Agate is the Mystical[12] stone. The Star Stones for Virgo is: birthstone- jasper, carnelian, jade, sapphire; Planatary stone-citrine; Lucky charm stone-carnelian, sardonyx; Talismanic stone-zircon.
[1] Modern Birthstone is the official lithe American National Association of Jewelers and was adopted in 1912 It is the official list in the United States.
[2] Traditional Birthstone list contains older stones that are sometimes combined with the Modern list. This reflects the societal stones tradition going back to 15th century.
[3] Ayurvedic Birthstones list is from the Ayurvedic Indian Medicine used for over a thousand years
[4] Mystic birthstone is from the Tibetan origin from over a thousand years ago.
To see references- go to 'Other precious gems'
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