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Very pleased and will come back for sure!!!
I received the order on Tuesday 24th. June.
Thank you, I am very pleased and will come back for sure! - Anjai
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Aquamarine Beads.
From the Middle Ages through the Renaissance, aquamarine’s pale blue color was connected with the moon and said to be subject to lunar influences. Considered most powerful during full moon, aquamarine was used for crystal gazing and finding lost objects. Aquamarine amulets were worn to grant invulnerability in battle and in legal disputes, and the stone was used to revive fading love in a marriage. Medicinally, it was used to treat toothache, digestive troubles, swollen glands, and liver and eye disease. Aquamarines were also loved by those drawn to the occult. It was considered sacred to the goddesses of the sea, and sea witches were said to cleanse the stone in the sea beneath a full moon and use them as a protection for flying over water. Nowadays in magical practice, aquamarines are used for purification before rituals, and are sometimes exchanged between lovers for a good relationship. The crystals are also said to strengthen psychic abilities, protect against storms (particularly if placed in a suitcase before a journey), and bring good health. Metaphysical beliefs draw on some of the older ones.
Aquamarine is still considered a stone of courage, and a stone that will enhance psychic powers. It’s said to be particularly helpful in meditation, opening you to intuition and clairvoyance. It’s also a stone of clarity, and when placed on the throat chakra, it may help with communication. In healing work, aquamarine is said to boost the immune system.
The gentle blue of aquamarine combines beautifully with pearls, rose quartz, peridot, pink or white coral, pink or green tourmaline, golden topaz, green jade, or a lavender amethyst. For contrast, try black onyx or labradorite. And for a lovely summery piece, combine aquamarine with pearls, smoky quartz, and blue-green chalcedony or chrysoprase. While aquamarine is not as brittle as emerald, it can be damaged by ammonia, acids or heat, or ultrasonic cleaners. To clean aquamarines, use gentle soap and lukewarm tap water.
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Moonstone.
Color: Colorless, yellow, pale sheen; rainbow moonstone has blue sheen
Chemical composition: K(AlSi3O8) potassium aluminum silicate
Mohs’ hardness: 6-6 ½
Transparency: Turbid, transparent
Luster: Vitreous
Fracture: Uneven, conchoidal
Crystal system: Monoclinic; prismatic
Cleavage: Perfect
Specific gravity: 2.56-2.62
Refractive index: 1.522-1.530
Dispersion: 0.012
Pleochroism: None
Fluorescence: Weak; bluish, orange
Occurrence: Australia, Brazil, India, Malagasy Republic, Mexico, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, United States
Astrology: September birthstone (Ayurvedic), and connected with the moon, Gemini, and the month of June
Chakra: 2nd (sacral) and 3rd (solar plexus)
Moonstone, a feldspar, is known for its moonlike opalescent sheen. This sheen, which mineralogists call adularescence or schiller, is caused by light scattering or reflecting off microscopic layers of albite and feldspar crystal plates inside the stone, which are parallel to the surface. Thicker layers of albite give a white “schiller”; thinner layers, a blue. The stone is usually cut as a cabochon, and will sometimes have a cat’s eye effect or rainbows. Occasionally, moonstones are carved, as in cameos.
Of all the mineral groups, feldspar is the most widespread on the planet and occurs in igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. In general, feldspars crystallize from cooling molten rock. The finest moonstone is found in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and India. Labrodorite, Amazonite, Oregon Sunstone, and Aventurine (sunstone) are also part of the feldspar group; moonstone is the most valuable of these feldspar gems.
In India, moonstone has long been regarded as sacred. It’s said that moonstone grows under the influence of the moon, and as it forms, it absorbs the moon’s magical powers. The Sanskrit name for moonstone is chandrakanta mani (Chandra is one of the names for the moon, kanta means light, and mani means jewel). Indian tradition holds that this moonlight gem helps us befriend the moon, and that the stone itself symbolizes the Third Eye, or enlightenment. In Ayurvedic medicine, moonstone is used to influence the body’s magnetic field, a clear connection to the moon’s gravitational influence on the Earth.
Moonstone is considered the “National Stone of Sri Lanka.” Anuradhapura, the first capital of Sri Lanka (previously Ceylon), was known for its “moonstone temple,” whose altar steps were said to be decorated with shimmering mosaics made of moonstone. Although the ruins of this temple still exist, none of the moonstone remains. As for the stone’s origins, according to Ceylonese legend, every 37th year the sea, under the influence of the moon, hurls opalescent blue moonstones onto the shores of the island.
The Romans used moonstone in their jewelry as early as 100 A.D. A great deal of the lore about moonstone seem to be based on the writings of the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder. It was Pliny who recorded the belief that the moonstone contains the image of the moon, and as the actual moon waxes and wanes, the image in the stone mirrors it. This link between the moonstone and lunar cycles, made the stone a popular talisman for women, who wore it as an aid in fertility, pregnancy, and childbirth. Since it was connected with the lunar goddesses, Isis, Selene, and Diana—it was believed that Diana’s image could be glimpsed in the stone--moonstone amulets were hung in fruit trees to assure fertile crops. Interestingly, moonstones—often paired with opals-- became very popular during the 1890s and early 1900s in Art Nouveau jewelry, much of which harkened back to the classical world.
In the Far East, moonstone was once believed to be made of solidified moonlight. The glimmering light inside it was thought to be a good spirit who lived inside the stone.
In Venice, during the Renaissance, the moonstone was considered a stone of prophecy. It was believed that if you held the stone up to the waning or Crone’s moon, you would see a vision of the future in it. During the waxing moon, the stone was said to excite lovers’ passions, especially if held under the tongue. Known as “the traveler’s stone,” moonstone is said to be a protection for travelers, especially those swimming in the ocean.
One famous piece of jewelry that incorporates moonstones is a tiara that Ernst Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse, gave as a Christmas present to his wife in 1906. The tiara, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, combines turquoise, representing true love, diamonds for eternity, and moonstone for innocence.
Metaphysically, moonstone is considered a stone of balance, especially in regard to the emotions. Working gently, it’s a soothing stone, believed to be good for stress. Moonstone is also strongly connected to the unconscious, a stone that strengthens empathy, intuition, and psychic abilities.
Moonstones look especially beautiful with celestite, opals, blue topaz, blue chalcedony, amethyst, and sapphires. A perfect, almost mystical, pairing is moonstone and the darker, equally opalescent, labradorite. For contrast, try moonstone with onyx, garnet, and clear crystal.
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