A Guide to Semi-Precious Stones

A gemstone or semi-precious stone is a piece of mineral, when cut or polished that is used to make jewelry. Most gemstones are hard, but some soft minerals may be used in jewelry because it gives the gem a shiny coating.

One ancient gemstone is Jasper. It is mentioned in the Bible as a stone from the breastplate of Aaron. The Greeks believed that a piece of jasper tied to a woman's thigh would ease the pain of childbirth. It was also known to be a great rainmaker in the fourth century.

Jasper can be various colors, but is usually brick red to brownish red. This color comes chiefly from admixed hematite, but if the hematite is mixed with clay, the color is a yellowish white or gray. It has a hard surface like quartz.

Jasper is usually worn as beads or cabochon jewelry, and is usually not expensive. Clean your jasper jewelry with a clean dry cloth, as water can wash away the polish on the stone.

Turquoise started being used before 4000 BC. The ancient Egyptians used turquoise as an important ornamental mineral for jewelry. Native Americans used it to adorn their ceremonial dress, and the Egyptian Pharaohs wore it around their necks. Turquoise was transported to Europe through Turkey.

Mystical powers have been attributed to turquoise. Turquoise is thought to bring happiness and good fortune to all who wear it, as well as warning the wearer of impending illness by changing colors.

The color of turquoise can range from a sky blue to various shades of green, and can even be a yellowish gray. This gem is composed of turquoise, hydrated copper, and aluminum phosphate. The finest stone is an even blue, green, or blue-green color without mottling

Avoid hot water and chemicals when wearing turquoise. The stone's luster and color tend to deteriorate with exposure to sun and heat.

The bands of a tiger eye resemble the eyes of a tiger, hence the similarity of the name. Tiger eye, also called tiger's-eye, has rich yellow and golden brown stripes, with a fine golden shine when polished.

Roman soldiers wore tiger eye for protection. Tiger eye is also thought to have healing ability in the presence of high blood pressure, heart disease, and psoriasis.