Metaphysical Properties of Gemstones A - J

-Abalone is a shell, not a stone.  Believed that its many colors affect all of the chakras of the human body.  It is especially good for the heart, cleansing fear, sorrow and dull negative energies so that the heart shines bright.

-Agate is a tough stone with a strong resistance to chemicals.  It is said to foster love, create an appreciation of nature, provide abundance and soothe emotions.

-Blue lace agate enhances grace and lightheartedness. For spirituality, inspiration, and inner attunement.  It's a soothing stone known for calming the mind, releasing stress and removing anxiety. It is especially effective after long, severe struggles. 

-Crazy lace agate contains creamy browns, blacks and golds and occasional pinks swirl together creating complex patterns that make this a unique agate. Use it wherever you want to combine calmness with your own uniqueness. Sufi saints and Hindu sadhus use agate for rosaries and necklaces because it brings calmness which leads to good luck.

-Moss agate, a beautiful clear stone with its mottled, moss-like inclusions, is neither moss nor agate, but it looks like both. It helps balance male/female energies whenever they become extreme.  A stabilizing stone strongly connected with nature.  It is said to refresh the soul and enable you to see the beauty in all you behold.  It attracts abundance, improves self esteem, strengthens positive personality traits, and promotes self expression and communication.

-Tree agate is white with inclusions like dappled, green leaves.  It is said to assist with introspection and relieve tension.  It can help improve ego, self esteem, and providing emotional balance.

-Amazonite is a mostly opaque stone textured with pale milky-white cloudiness or streaking ranging from light green to greenish blue to deep green/blue.  Amazonite has a soothing effect - calming emotions, tense and aggravated situations and enhancing love. It is said to bestow truth, honor and integrity.  Amazonite is sensitive to chemicals, abrasives, heat, acids, and ammonia.

-Amber is said to bring romantic love, purification, wisdom, energy and balance.  It is also believed to enhance patience and remembrance of past lives or ancient knowledge.  Amber has long been believed to be a stone of healing, used to alleviate problems of the stomach and liver. It has been used as a talisman for courage and self confidence.  Amber is easily scratched and sensitive to chemicals, abrasives, acids, caustic solutions, alcohol and perfume. Amber is flammable and can be ignited with a direct flame.

-Amethyst is the most highly valued stone in the quartz group and one of the most popular metaphysical stones. The color purple is traditionally known as the color of royalty.  Thought to encourage celibacy and symbolize piety, the name literally means "not drunken" (Greek), worn to guard against drunkenness, instilling a sober and serious mind.  Da Vinci wrote that amethyst has the power to dissipate evil thoughts and quicken the intelligence. It is a great stone to increase your psychic abilities and enhance your intuition.   Amethyst has been a symbol of peace, purity and unification and can aid in bringing serenity and calmness.

-Ametrine comes in a variety of shades from pale lavender to a deep purple to yellow-purple to yellow-orange. Ametrine is a combination of amethyst and citrine, which are both a variety of quartz.  Ametrine is believed to relieve tension, bring serenity, stimulate creativity, and balance mental stability and self-confidence. This stone may lose color in the sunlight. 

-Angelite is a form of celestite that is opaque blue & white, sometimes flecked with red, and is often veined like wings.  Angelite represents peace and brotherhood. It facilitates conscious contact with the angelic realm.  A powerful healing stone that deepens attunement & heightens perception.  It helps you speak your truth, whatever it may be.  Helps to promote compassion & acceptance.

-Aquamarine is derived from the Latin word, aqua marina, meaning sea water and was considered the ''treasure of the mermaids'' because it was believed the power of the stone increased when submersed in water.  Aquamarine is said to have protective qualities for those at sea. On land, it is believed to have soothing effects on couples and helps them work out differences that ensure a long and happy marriage. Aquamarine, when worn or carried is said to give insight, foresight, freedom from insomnia, cure laziness, quicken the intellect, provide courage and happiness and make youth everlasting. Aquamarine is often used as a ''good luck'' stone to bring feelings of peace, love, joy and happiness.

-Aragonite is a stone that helps keep the 4th, 5th and 6th chakras open and working together. It clears the thinking process, combining reason and intuition so we can see things from a higher perspective. Their creamy, golden rich color is like a ray of sunlight that brings hope and helps you "see" things more clearly and sanely in the darkest moments.

-Aventurine is for joy, inside and out, creativity, motivation, and leadership.  It keeps various chakras open and unblocked, allowing good things to come your direction. It can balance male-female energies and corresponds to the heart chakra.  Is said to relieve anxiety and calm emotions, bringing opportunity and good luck.  Most aventurine is quartz, but the orange and red-brown shades (aventurine feldspar) are called sunstone.

-Blackstone is made from one of a variety of abundant stones that take a nice polish and can be dyed permanently black.  The spiritual value of these stones will vary depending on the dyed stones they come from. Some people believe any black stone intensifies the spiritual values of the gemstones around them.

-Bloodstone is a deep green and white chalcedony with occasional red spots.  A stone of courage, said to bring strength of mind, firmness of purpose and confidence in difficult situations.  It can be used to assist one in taking the actions dictated by the heart's desire.  This gemstone is also called heliotrope. During the Middle Ages, the red spots were thought to be drops of Christ's blood, which gave the stone magical powers.  

-Calcite comes in a wide range of colors and is usually translucent and waxy, often banded.  It is a powerful amplifier and cleanser of energy.   Calcite facilitates higher awareness and psychic abilities, channeling, and out-of-body experiences.  It accelerates spiritual development, connects the emotions with the intellect, combats laziness, promotes hope and motivation, calms the mind, stimulates insights and boosts memory.

-Carnelian reminds us to be "in the moment".  It is a stone of courage, strength and protection particularly from anger, jealousy and fear.  From antiquity, carnelian has been worn in cameos in the belief that it will ward off insanity and depression. In contemporary times, carnelian is thought by some to enhance self esteem, to combat feelings of inadequacy, and to increase physical energy.  This stone brings serenity and acceptance of the great cycle of life and can even assist one in finding the right mate.

-Chinese writing stone is a mauve/brown colored gemstone so beautifully mysterious even where it is found remains a mystery. Chinese writing stone connects us with the earth and makes us more aware of the ancient that is present in all of us. Like a snowflake, its unique patterns make each gemstone beautiful and unique. Use Chinese writing stone to remind yourself of your own unique beauty.

-Chrysocolla is an alluring, vivid blue-green color and is often mistaken for turquoise because they share many visual similarities. It can often be found intermingled with malachite, turquoise and azurite, creating a wonderful mixed gemstone known as eilat stone.  Known as a stone of calming reconciliation and reassurance, this stone also has the ability to help people who are violent to become more sensitive and tolerant.  Chrysocolla, with associations of tranquility, peace, intuition, patience and unconditional love, is known as a healing stone. Can be used to purify a place or restore balance to a person.  It has the ability to bring harmony, increase wisdom and guide you toward discretion. It promotes level headedness, encouraging clarity of thought and a neutral, calm attitude during turbulence by purifying the home, environment and the mind.

-Chrysoprase is the most valuable chalcedony and is comparatively rare. It is believed to release negativity from the body. This release is for emotional tension and stress anchored in the body. It is said to bring the mind and body together as one. This increases courage, self awareness and is believed to act like a shield against any incoming negativity. Because of its color, it is related to money and success. This stone is often considered a good luck stone or charm. It has a "cooling" property to it so it is used in various ways for healing.

-Citrine promotes optimism and attracts abundance.  It is good for mental focus, endurance and self-esteem.  Its color was associated with gold and it became known as the merchant's stone. It was thought to improve communication and to attract wealth. The color of the solar plexus chakra is yellow, so citrine is associated with this chakra. Citrine is a macrocrystalline form of quartz, as are amethyst, aventurine and rose quartz. It is a mineral based on silicon dioxide.  Natural citrine is rare. Most citrine on the market is heat-treated amethyst or smoky quartz. These heat-treated stones have a slightly reddish tint.  Due to its color, citrine is sometimes confused with yellow topaz, yellow beryl and yellow tourmaline.

-Dumortierite is called the "blue denim stone." It's often mistaken for lapis lazuli, which costs 2 to 3 times as much. Like lapis lazuli, it appeals to both men and woman. This is a no nonsense stone and encourages a clear-eyed approach to life, prioritization and organization.

-Emerald corresponds to the hearth chakra.  It is for loyalty & sensitivity.  A stone of successful love and domestic bliss.  Enhances memory and mental capacity.  Eliminates negativity and allows one to focus.  Emerald brings harmony to all aspects of life.  

-Fluorite, also called fluorspar, is a useful stone for clarifying one's mental processes and bringing one's energies "down to earth". It is believed to facilitate enhanced concentration and more rapid learning, as well as to help one to make better judgments.  It reminds us of the connection to something larger than ourselves and to everyone and everything.  It reminds us that we can always begin again.

-Garnet is a rich, deep red with a subtle brown tint.  Garnet has always been considered insurance for travelers against misfortune. Likewise, some believe that it is useful in warding off bad dreams and as protection from theft. The stone is thought to attract love and soul mates and to enhance creativity. It can also be used for inspiration, positive thoughts, past life recall, career success, social popularity and self confidence. 

-Goldstone is a man-made stone of glass (often brown or blue) with copper flecks glittering through them. The power of this man-made "stone" is all in the color and in the association, mostly subliminal, that many of us have with gold. It reminds us that in the midst of our daily lives, we all want and deserve some glitter and excitement.

-Hematite is the most widely used stone for "grounding".  A wonderful stone for grounding us in who and where we are.  It enhances mental activity and dissolves negativity.  It balances yin/yang energies and emotions.  Hematite corresponds to the root chakra and is believed to be excellent for the circulation system.

-Howlite is soft and takes on rich hues of color when it's dyed, it becomes an inexpensive alternative to more costly stones. Its natural color is like snow softly falling. This mineral combines the inner abilities of reasoning, observation and patience while encouraging the arts of subtlety and tact.  It can help balance anger and stress issues.  Can encourage trust, openness and discipline.

-Iolite is a clear medium blue to violet.  This rather rare stone looks dichroic (its hue appears to change when you view it from different angles). One moment it's blue, the next it's violet. Iolite encourages improved sleep patterns, productive dreams, easing pregnancy.  It reminds us that we are connected to a greater source and part of a larger, natural rhythm. Iolite helps us to see the path we are on and the path we should be on. It calls for us to honor ourselves and to surrender some space so the sacred can work through us to make the necessary changes.

-Jade may be either nephrite or jadeite.  The Chinese have traditionally believed that jade increases energy and prolongs life.  Green-white jade reminds us that there is more to life and to who we are than what we see on the surface. Jade gives balance to what we see (body) and what we don't see (spirit), so each revitalizes the other.  It promotes deep, enduring peace and strength. Green jade promotes that kind of strength. It offers physical and emotional well-being, especially during unpleasant or difficult situations, by helping us feel more grounded. Though we may not be able to change the situation, jade can help us accept and deal with it sanely.

-Autumn jasper has a mixture of warm brick reds and avocado greens.  It is believed to protect oneself from negative energy and is thought to be very strengthening.  Jasper, like agate, is a powerful healing stone. It helps us move beyond just surviving to making us glad to be alive.  

-Brecciated jasper is rich browns, brick reds and creams blended or swirled in. Usually considered as chalcedony, jasper is found all over the world. Its spiritual powers are evident in its gloriously rich colors, stopping us in our tracks, making us instantly and deeply happy.

-Dalmation Jasper is an opaque, white jasper spotted with brown and black.  While jasper may also be multi-colored or striped, its name comes from the Greek and means "spotted stone." Dalmatian jasper is so full of life, it practically wiggles.  Jasper helps us release our tendencies to over think or over analyze things.  It is also thought to increase patience, remove disillusionment and increase loyalty.

-Fancy jasper is mauves, lilacs, creams and greens all mixed together. Jasper is always regarded as a stone that gives a sense of well-being. Fancy jasper intensifies and lightens that feeling. In fact, it's referred to as "the party stone." It is especially helpful for people whose male energies are extreme. Like dalmation jasper, it helps people lighten up and enjoy themselves, but fancy jasper's subtler, blended colors make for a quieter kind of partying.

-Leopardskin jasper is an unusual golden-tawny stone with its intricate brown leopard skin markings. It is credited with supporting and strengthening the spine and thigh muscles, giving us the strength to take action gracefully and powerfully. It serves as a reminder of the oneness we have with the natural world around us.

-Moukaite Jasper has broad patterns of red-browns and golds that sweep through it that are actually finely-divided minerals such as clay and iron oxide.  Sumptuous, voluptuous, and sensual-all are words we usually associate with physical pleasure rather than with spiritual values. Moukaite blends the two. Because it makes us more comfortable with our bodies, our physical activities elevate our spirits.

-Picasso jasper has wide streaks of black, grey and occasional red and is found in Utah.  It encourages us to celebrate life.  We enjoy life more when we don't ignore it.

-Picture jasper is a stone of harmony.  When we've stepped off the path or gone down a path we never intended, most of us need some time and space alone to sort through things. That's the great spiritual value of picture jasper. It helps us get quiet and recall earlier memories, so we can understand their significance and move beyond them.  It stimulates creative visualization and is a good counterpart for business growth and success.

-Rainbow Jasper - Instead of your usual rainbow, imagine a rainbow of warm sensual colors: burgundy-red, golds, browns and tans. Like all jasper its deeply banded colors come from organic material and iron oxides imbedded in it. Rainbow jasper helps us focus without overanalyzing things.

-Red jasper is unlike most jasper as brick red jasper is almost one pure color. Red jasper has been used as a stone of protection for thousands of years. Part of the reason is its ability to create and help balance aggressive, dynamic energy.  A useful stone for self-healing, providing a consistent flow of beneficial energies that help one to embody wholeness. 

-Silver Leaf Jasper may contain grey, brown, black and white in a swirling leaf pattern. Like all black/grey stones, silver leaf jasper encourages willpower. It's worn by independent, highly disciplined people, or by people who aren't highly disciplined but would like to be.

-Tigerskin Jasper has pencil-thin streaks of brown in the dark golden matrix.  Jasper is not about thinking or analyzing things. It's about experiencing life right in the moment. Tigerskin jasper's animal colors intensify those things. Tigerskin jasper takes us out of our heads and puts us back into our bodies.

-Jet is actually formed from fossilized wood but looks like coal.  It draws out negative energy & alleviates unreasonable fears.  Jet has been thought to guard against violence and illness and provide protection during spiritual journeying.  Also said to stabilize finances and to protect businesses, Jet promotes taking control in life.  It balances mood swings and alleviates depression, bringing stability and balance.