Magical Qualities of Gemstones Both Precious and Semi-Precious

The theory of stones possessing magical qualities originated in ancient times. The more brilliant and beautiful stones were not usually regarded as having magical qualities; it was the large masses of stones, or the strangely shaped stones with indentions. Sometimes a magical stone was not even a gem, it was merely a random stone that was thought to possess magical powers.

Different stones possess different magical qualities. Some stones were thought to be able to produce musical tones. The most famous musical stone was called the Vocal Memnon of Thebes. The Vocal Memnon of Thebes was an enormous statue that was rumored to emit melodious sound when the sun rose. The stone was said to be a fake because it was later discovered that a person could hide inside of the statue and the noise was the striking of a metal bar. It was a secret that was kept for a very long time.

The river of Hydaspes was said to furnish a musicals stone. When the moon was waxing, this stone gave forth a melodious sound. This means that when the stone was struck at the end of that season the sound was different from what it was at other times. This stone was not believed to be a moon stone, it was thought to be phonolite or a chinkstone. Phonolite rings like a musical instrument when it is struck.

The stone galactite came from the Nile and had the color and odor of milk, and when moistened and scraped produced a juice resembling milk. The galactite juice was handed out by nurses to increase the flow of milk. The galactite had lots of other uses besides increasing the flow of milk. Galactite was also supposed to increase a child’s saliva, if bound to a child’s arm. Galactite is not even really a stone, it is a nitrite of lime. Old churches often times had a jar of galactite juice, which they claimed to be the Virgin’s milk. To the later pilgrims of Bethlehem, galactite was believed to be petrified milk of the Virgin. By some tribes galactite was believed to be a rain stone.

Rain stones have been around since the Medieval times, they were even to be a well known truth. Rain stones were rubbed together producing the effects. Even today some African tribes still believe in the power of rain stones. Rituals were often performed by the sorcerers and magic men with the rain stones and other artifacts, and they were thought to be able to make it rain.

The shamir stone has been mentioned throughout early civilization in great detail. It was esteemed for its great strength and invulnerability. The shamir has been mentioned in the Old Testament three times and in each it is noted for its extreme hardness. The word has been translated into the word diamond, in the first example. The shamir was a pointed object used for engraving. In the other two cases it is rendered adamant and adamantine stone, thus leaving the determination of the substance in open question. The shamir also appears in Rabbinical times as well. It was said to have been the seventh of the ten marvels created at the end of the sixth day of creation. The size of the shamir was only about the size of a barley corn. It had the power to split the hardest of substances. It was said that great buildings could be constructed because of its help.

Pebble-mania or lithomania is an inherent trait in all mankind. From the most primitive of man to the most modern, this trait is present in a lesser or greater degree. People will collect pebbles for any reason including their bright colors, or markings, transparency or translucence, and those of an investigating turn of mind, under the impression that the find was perhaps a diamond or a gem of some kind.

Pebble-mania is not confined to the human race alone, birds and other animals also have it. The magpie is a bird that collects and bright objects, including odd shaped pebbles, and either hides them or stores them in their nest. These stones are said to be used for digestive purposes, but if you were able to take a look in their nests, you would see a preference to transparent ones.

Pebbles origins can sometimes be determined by their shape and surface. Well rounded specimens of a fairly uniform size, can be determined as marine pebbles. River pebbles are subangular and usually flat, while pebbles of glacial origins would have faceted edge, rounded edges, and their surfaces are polished and striated. These facts are not true in all cases, depending on their origin and life.

Crystal balls have been of value since the ancient times. Crystal balls for valued for their magical visions, and they were also worn as amulets against illness. Crystal balls are beautiful and mystical objects that people are still fascinated with today.

In Yucatan quartz crystals were not only used for divining, but also to ensure the success of the crops. Quartz crystals have been found in Indian mounds and other important places. Often times the crystals found in the mounds were not worked in any way, meaning they were either if some value or used for something important. White quartz pebbles were often found in the graves of the mound builders. The white of the quartz is believed to symbolize purity, and clean soul. Quartz may have been a talisman for the dead.

The California beaches have been furnishing the world with some of the most interesting ornamental pebbles since ancient times. Most of these pebbles are of chalcedony, jasper, and fossilized coral. It is believed that the ancient Indians collected these pebbles and used them for amulets and talismans. Natives will often fill bottles full of water and pebbles to take advantage of the vibrant colors.

Throughout the existence of man, amber has always had many uses. Romans used to hold balls of amber in their hands on hot days to cool them. The Chinese often placed pieces of amber on, or in their pillows. They did this for either the cooling effect, or the magnetic effect. Amber has yielded a high price for a long time as well.

For example, in Roman times amber yielded a higher price than a vigorous slave. Amber was believed to have some curative powers, as well as being a prized amulet. Amber necklaces were an extremely auspicious decoration for a bride at her wedding. The electrical property of amber was remarked as early as 600B.C. by the Ionic philosopher Thales, since then the study of amber and the electric phenomena has been well documented.

Amber is believed to possess magical powers if it has been gifted. This belief is still prevalent in some parts of the world. In the early 1900s a woman died at the age of one hundred and six years old, she credited her long life due to the possession of a very large amber necklace. The necklace had been gifted to her by her mother, who also lived for more than a hundred years.

The photo shown is of quartz crystals.