The glittering stars of
rings,
bracelets,
necklaces,
earrings, and other pieces of
fine jewelry are gemstones, from
diamonds,
rubies, and
emeralds to
amethyst,
sapphires, and
topaz. These natural mineral formations are often cut and polished before being handed off to a jeweler. The earliest and simplest cut gem was the cabochon, or a jewel with a rounded top. By the 16th century, gems were being cut with increasing numbers of facets, which helped to show off a stone’s brilliance or its ability to reflect light. A so-called “brilliant” cut features a flat table on top with a conical shape below that’s composed of symmetrical facets. The “emerald” or “step cut” includes stepped facets around the flat table and culet (the bottom of a cut gemstone).
Gemstones are typically classified by their color, translucency, and hardness. Many gemstones are also crystals, which are pure substances whose atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an ordered, three-dimensional pattern. Other gemstones are made from non-crystalline rocks like lapis lazuli, while a few are formed from organic material, like
amber or
jet.
Like precious metals, gemstones are valued for their various chemical properties, shape, cut, and rarity. Beyond their monetary value, though, gemstones carry symbolic associations. “Sacred” stones have long been used for a variety of mystical purposes, from curing illnesses to aiding in childbirth to protecting oneself from evil. Different varieties have been tied to saints, planets, days, months, parts of the body, and numbers.
In the Christian religion, the famous Holy Grail—used for communion at the Last Supper and later to collect Jesus’s blood after his crucifixion—describes a chalice supposedly sculpted from a giant emerald or ruby freed from Satan’s crest during the fight between the fallen angels. Additionally, ancient Egyptian, Greek, Sanskrit, and Babylonian texts all mention precious stones worn by their people, and the graves of prehistoric...
The glittering stars of
rings,
bracelets,
necklaces,
earrings, and other pieces of
fine jewelry are gemstones, from
diamonds,
rubies, and
emeralds to
amethyst,
sapphires, and
topaz. These natural mineral formations are often cut and polished before being handed off to a jeweler. The earliest and simplest cut gem was the cabochon, or a jewel with a rounded top. By the 16th century, gems were being cut with increasing numbers of facets, which helped to show off a stone’s brilliance or its ability to reflect light. A so-called “brilliant” cut features a flat table on top with a conical shape below that’s composed of symmetrical facets. The “emerald” or “step cut” includes stepped facets around the flat table and culet (the bottom of a cut gemstone).
Gemstones are typically classified by their color, translucency, and hardness. Many gemstones are also crystals, which are pure substances whose atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an ordered, three-dimensional pattern. Other gemstones are made from non-crystalline rocks like lapis lazuli, while a few are formed from organic material, like
amber or
jet.
Like precious metals, gemstones are valued for their various chemical properties, shape, cut, and rarity. Beyond their monetary value, though, gemstones carry symbolic associations. “Sacred” stones have long been used for a variety of mystical purposes, from curing illnesses to aiding in childbirth to protecting oneself from evil. Different varieties have been tied to saints, planets, days, months, parts of the body, and numbers.
In the Christian religion, the famous Holy Grail—used for communion at the Last Supper and later to collect Jesus’s blood after his crucifixion—describes a chalice supposedly sculpted from a giant emerald or ruby freed from Satan’s crest during the fight between the fallen angels. Additionally, ancient Egyptian, Greek, Sanskrit, and Babylonian texts all mention precious stones worn by their people, and the graves of prehistoric humans have included gemstones such as amber,
garnet, lapis lazuli, jet, and
turquoise.
Throughout history, precious stones have often been prescribed to heal specific ailments, though there is little evidence these applications actually worked. During the Renaissance period in Europe, it was possible to purchase powdered gemstones to use as pharmaceutical supplements. More recently, this type of pseudoscience has been reborn as “gem therapy” or “crystal healing.”
In India, the oldest type of jewelry talisman, called the
Navratna or “Nine Gems,” includes nine different stones each linked to a metaphysical power and celestial body. Traditionally, the
Navratna featured a ruby at its center, surrounded by a setting with a diamond,
pearl,
red coral, hessonite, blue sapphire, cat's eye, yellow sapphire, and emerald.
Nearby Sri Lanka, sometimes known as Gem Island, has long been a primary source for precious stones including blue sapphire, yellow sapphire, pink sapphire or ruby,
alexandrite, cat's-eye chrysoberyl, almandine, and hessonite garnet.
Birthstones, which correspond to the 12 calendar months, likely originated from sources like the Babylonian zodiac and the biblical story of Aaron, whose breastplate included 12 stones—one for each of the tribes of Israel. In order, these birthstones are
garnet for January;
amethyst for February;
aquamarine or bloodstone for March;
diamond for April;
emerald for May;
alexandrite,
moonstone, or
pearl for June;
ruby for July;
peridot, sardonyx, or spinel for August;
sapphire for September;
opal or
tourmaline for October;
citrine or
topaz for November; and
tanzanite,
turquoise, or
zircon for December.
