There has been much discussion about this stone, how it was created, where it originated from, if it should be considered a gem or simply glass….
There are a few stories of alchemist monks attempting to make gold (some are French Monks, some Italian Monks) and in the process either a monk or a general worker accidentally knocked some copper shavings into a pot of molten glass…hence to variations of how it came about its name.
Historically known as Aventurine Glass (From the Italian ‘avventurina’ meaning “accidental” which is derived from the root ‘avventura’ meaning “by chance, luck or risk”, there are also French derivations as well. This story explains the trade names “Monk’s Stone, Monkgold, Gold Flux as well as Goldstone”. These versions of the story talk about the “recipe” being lost or forgotten until more modern times. Some of these stories evolved into this gem being falsely represented as a mineral that was a natural mineral secretly mined by monks.
Although it is Vincenzo Miotti, the 17th century Venetian glass crafter, who is often credited with the invention of this sparkling beauty, by those who do not believe that it existed in antiquity. The Venetian island of Murano has been the center of art glass in Italy for centuries, and glass artists were discouraged from divulging their crafting secrets. In this version of the story the “recipe” was kept secret until sometime in the early 19th century when the information was shared and others began producing this beautiful ornament.
The original Goldstone seems was especially prized by the Chinese, it was named Jinxing Boli which is said to mean “gold star glass”.
It’s been rediscovered or recreated in modern times, though, and goldstone is a popular material because of its beauty as well as its metaphysical properties lore. Goldstone comes in the original “reddish-brown” marked by the copper flecks, as well as a blue and green.
Each color brings its energies and properties to the goldstone as well.
