| Colorful choices in colored Gemstones | | | | moved about; probably another reason ancient |
| Other popular colored gems | | | | people believed it capable of seeing all and |
| - Bloodstone (Heliotrope) | | | | guarding its wearer. |
| Bloodstone (Heliotrope) believed by the ancient | | | | The stone called chrysoberyl, on the other hand, |
| Greeks to have fallen from heaven, this | | | | is a brilliant, transparent, very clear, and very |
| gemstone has held a prominent place throughout | | | | durable stone found in yellow, yellow green, and |
| history, and even into modern times, as a great | | | | green varieties. This is another stone that still |
| curative. It was (and still is in some parts of the | | | | offers excellent value. It's a real beauty, very |
| world) believed capable of stopping every type of | | | | moderately priced, and just beginning to be |
| bleeding, clearing bloodshot eyes, acting as an | | | | appreciated and used in contemporary jewelry. |
| antidote for snakebite, and relieving urinary | | | | - Chrysoprase and Carnelian |
| troubles. Today there are people who wear blood | | | | Chrysoprase has long been the subject of |
| stone amulets to prevent sunstroke and | | | | marvelous stories. In the 1800s, it was believed |
| headache, and to provide protection against the | | | | that a thief sentenced to be hanged or beheaded |
| evil eye. | | | | would immediately escape if he placed a |
| The birthstone for March, bloodstone is a more or | | | | chrysoprase in is mouth. Of course, it might be |
| less opaque, dark green variety of quartz with | | | | hard to obtain the stone unless he just happened |
| specks of red jasper (a variety of quartz) | | | | to carry one around! And Alexander the great |
| spattering red throughout the dark green field. | | | | was believed to have worn a "parse" in his girdle |
| Particularly popular for men's rings (perhaps they | | | | during battle, to ensure victory. |
| need more protection from illness?) bloodstone is | | | | Chrysoprase is an inexpensive, highly translucent, |
| most desirable when the green isn't so dark as to | | | | bright, light to dark green variety of quartz. While |
| approach black and the red flecks are roundish | | | | its color is often very uniform and can be very |
| and pronounced. It is moderately durable and is | | | | lovely in jewelry, for many years these gems |
| fairly readily available and inexpensive. | | | | have been dyed to enhance their color, where |
| - Chrysoberyl and Cat's eye | | | | necessary. Chrysoprase is another gemstone that |
| The chrysoberl family is very interesting because | | | | is usually cut in cabochon style. It has become |
| all three of its varieties; alexandrite, cat's eye, and | | | | very popular for jewelry as a fashion accessory. |
| chrysoberyl; while chemically alike, are quite | | | | Do not confuse it with jade, however. It is |
| distinct from one another in their optical | | | | sometimes called "Australian Jade" and is |
| characteristics and bear no visible resemblance to | | | | sometimes misrepresented as real jade. |
| each other. | | | | If you are the timid sort, carnelian is the stone |
| Chrysoberyl in its cat's eye variety has long been | | | | for you. "The wearing of carnelian is |
| used as a charm to guard against evil spirits, and | | | | recommended to those who have a weak voice |
| one can understand why, given the pronounced | | | | or are timid in speech, for the warm colored |
| eye effect; the eye, so legend has it, could see all | | | | stone will give them the courage they lack so |
| and it watched out for its wearer. But it was also | | | | that they will speak both boldly and well," a turn |
| believed that to dream of cat's eye signified | | | | of the century gemologist and historian. |
| treachery. On still another level, it symbolized long | | | | This gemstone is especially revered by Moslems, |
| life for the wearer, perhaps as a result of being | | | | because Muhammad himself wore a silver ring set |
| protected from the evil eye. | | | | with a carnelian engraved for use as a seal. |
| Cat's eye is a hard, translucent gem ranging in | | | | Napoleon I, while on a campaign in Egypt, picked |
| color from a honey yellow or honey brown to | | | | up with his own hands (apparently from the |
| yellowish green to an almost emerald green. It | | | | battlefield) an unusual octagonal carnelian, upon |
| has a velvety or silk like texture, and when | | | | which engraved the legend, "The slave Abraham |
| properly cut displays a brilliant whitish line of light | | | | relying Upon The Merciful[God}." He wore it with |
| right down the center, appearing almost to be | | | | him always and bequeathed it to his nephew. |
| lighted from inside. Genuine cat's eye gemstone | | | | Carnelian, one of the accepted birthstones for |
| should not be confused with the common quartz | | | | august, is a reddish orange variety of quartz. A |
| variety, which is often brown, and called tiger eye; | | | | moderately hard, translucent to opaque stone, its |
| the latter has a much less striking eye and | | | | warm uniform color and fair durability have made |
| weaker color altogether. This phenomenon is | | | | it a favorite. It is often found in antique jewelry |
| produced only in cabochon (cabs). | | | | and lends itself to engraving or carving (especially |
| To see the effect properly, the stone should be | | | | in cameos). It is still a relatively inexpensive |
| viewed under a single light source, coming if | | | | gemstone with great warmth and beauty and |
| possible from directly overhead. If the line is not | | | | offers an excellent choice for jewelry to be worn |
| exactly in the center, the stone's value is reduced. | | | | as an accessory with today's fashion colors. |
| The lines does shift from side when the stone is | | | | |