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Onyx: Black Magic The story of onyx is that one day frisky Cupid cut the divine fingernails of Venus with an arrowhead while she was sleeping. He left the clippings scattered on the sand and the fates turned them into stone so that no part of the heavenly body would ever perish. Although black isn't generally the color one associated with fingernails, it is told that in Greek times, most all colors of the chalcedony from white to dark brown and black were named as onyx. Later, the Romans narrowed the name to refer to black only.
Jasper: Landscape in Stone
Jasper is often named according to its pattern: landscape jaspers, the most popular, offer a small world-scape in stone. Ribbon jasper, picture jasper, and orbicular jasper describe other designs. Jasper is found in many countries. It is sometimes used to create bowls and other objects and to adorn buildings, such as the Saint Wenceslas Chapel in Prague.
Ruby: King of Precious Stones
In fact, rubies are today still more valuable and rare than even the top quality colorless diamonds. Sizes above five carats are particularly rare. Ruby is the gem quality of the mineral corundum, one of the most durable minerals which exists. Corundum has a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale and is also extremely tough. In its common form, it is even used as an abrasive.
Topaz: Gem of the Setting Sun Wearing topaz will help only if you wish to be clear-sighted: legend has it that it dispels all enchantment and helps to improve eyesight as well! The ancient Greeks believed that it had the power to increase strength and make its wearer invisible in times of emergency. Topaz was also said to change color in the presence of poisoned food or drink. Its mystical curative powers waxed and waned with the phases of the moon: it was said to cure insomnia, asthma, and hemorrhages. Topaz is a very hard gemstone but it can actually be split with a single blow, a trait it shares with the diamond. As a result it should be protected from hard knocks. Topaz is the birthstone for those born in the month
of
November.
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Sidhe Queen
Scathach From the Isle of Skye Copyright ©
2004 Shimmerlings, Inc. ~ Jeane Margherite Meria |
Onyx,
a chalcedony quartz with a fine
texture and black color. Some onyx also displays white bands or ribbons against
a black background. If the layers are even, this type of onyx is often carved into
cameos.
Jasper is an ornamental rock composed mostly of chalcedony,
microcrystalline quartz, in association with other minerals, which give it
colorful bands and patterns. Jasper was a favorite gem in the ancient world, and
the name jasper can be traced back in Hebrew, Assyrian, Persian, Greek, and
Latin.
Ruby has been the world's most valued gemstone for thousands
of years. Ruby was said to be the most precious of the twelve stones God created
when he created all things. In the ancient language
of Sanskrit, ruby is called ratnaraj, or "king of precious stones" and
ratnanayaka, "leader of precious stones."
The Egyptians said that topaz was colored with the golden glow
of the mighty sun god Ra. This made topaz a very powerful amulet that protected
the faithful against harm. 
Garnet is a gemstone for all
seasons, they are a closely
related group of gemstones that are available in every color but blue. Dark
reds, tangerine orange, vivid lime green, soft bluish-pink, garnet is all these
colors and more.
Because the rich green color of emerald is the color of
spring, the ancients prized it as the gemstone symbolizing love and rebirth.
Treasured for at least 4,000 years by different cultures all around the world,
emerald is said to quicken the intelligence as well as the heart. Legend gives
its owner the gift of eloquence.
Sapphire, the celestial gemstone, has been treasured for
thousands of years. The ancient Persians believed that the earth rested on a
giant sapphire and its reflection colored the sky. 
Diamond is the modern birthstone for April, so we would
like to take this opportunity to say a few words about fancy colored diamonds
Hindu poets tell of the Kalpa Tree, the ultimate gift to the
gods, which was a glowing tree covered with gemstone fruit with leaves of
zircon. 
No gemstone is more creatively striped by nature than agate,
chalcedony quartz that forms in concentric layers in a wide variety of colors
and textures. Each individual agate forms by filling a cavity in host rock. As a
result, agate often is found as a round nodule, with concentric bands like the
rings of a tree trunk. The bands sometimes look like eyes, sometimes fanciful
scallops, or even a landscape with dendrite trees.
Purple has long been considered a royal color so it is not
surprising that amethyst has been so much in demand during history. Fine
amethysts are featured in the British Crown Jewels and were also a favorite of
Catherine the Great and Egyptian royalty. Amethyst, transparent purple quartz,
is the most important quartz variety used in jewelry. Leonardo Da Vinci even wrote that amethyst was able to dissipate
evil thoughts and quicken the intelligence. 
Everyone admires the green fire of emerald and the watery blue
charm of aquamarine, but not many realize that they are different colors of the
same mineral: beryl. There are other members of the beryl family much less known
then their famous cousins. Pink and peach morganite, named after gem collector
extraodinaire J.P. Morgan; heliodor, also known as golden beryl; rare red beryl,
which is as red as emerald is green; pale green beryl, which is a green version
of aquamarine; and colorless beryl, or goshenite, which shows off the brilliance
of this gem family.