There is a Buddhist teaching, one of the most important Mahayana sutras, called the Diamond sutra. Due to these physical properties, they’ve long symbolized power, strength, innocence, incorruptibility, longevity, constancy, and good fortune. In numerous cultures, black tourmaline was believed to protect against dark magic, and Native Americans gave certain shades of the stone as funeral gifts.ĭiamondDiamonds are the only gemstones comprised of one pure element, carbon-the molecules of which bond in perfect symmetry and make the hardest naturally occurring substance on the planet. Some African and Australian shamans believed that they were teller stones that could locate sources of trouble, provide insight, and suggest direction towards good. According to Egyptian legend, the stone found its array of colors (tourmaline commonly occurs in pink, blue, yellow, green, and red) when it left the earth’s center and passed through a rainbow. TourmalineThe symbolic properties of tourmaline vary quite a bit by region. Similar to beliefs about emeralds, some ancients thought that placing a moonstone in the mouth during a full moon could help a person glimpse his or her future. Other cultures associated this gem with moonlight as well the geological structure of the stone scatters light, creating a phenomenon called adularescence, which visually resembles scattered moonlight. MoonstoneIn Hindu mythology, moonstones are believed to be comprised of solidified moonbeams. The Chinese believed amber to be the soul of the tiger transformed after death. ![]() Amber is affiliated with electricity and light: We derive the word electricity from the Greek name for amber, elektron, and the stone, once believed to be made of congealed sunlight, was sacred to the Greek god Apollo. In Norse mythology, Freyja cried tears that turned into gold and amber when her husband was away. ![]() Wearing an emerald was believed to grant a person the ability to reveal the truth or falseness of a lover’s oath.ĪmberThough technically fossilized tree resin and not a stone, amber is still considered a gem. Some even believed that placing an emerald under the tongue could help one see the future, reveal truths, and be protected from evil spells. In doing so, they made European and Asian royalty privy to the stone’s majestic qualities. The Incas used them in both their jewelry and religious ceremonies, but the Spanish-who generally treasured gold and silver far more than they did gems-traded the stone for precious metals. EmeraldAccording to legend, an emerald was one of the stones given by god to King Solomon-a gift that endowed the king with power over all creation.
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