* In our busy daily life, we sometimes forget that we are part of a much greater universe. In ancient times, man was very close to his real world, living and building his life in the vast outdoors. Stone was very much a part of his life, whether it was part of decorating his dwelling, ornamentation for his body, showing wealth, rank, of tribal attitude, or just something in his path while doing his daily activities. Stone was everywhere then as it is today. In the modern world, most of it is used in building. Common easily found stones were often treasured in those early days. In this short work, we are going to look at some of those kinds of stones that are still common and easily found today, and some of the attributes of these stones.

1. Agate - Basically, Agate is just about everywhere, and all types of it. Some is translucent with vibrant natural colors. Some is showing inclusions of  various fossil materials, such as dendrites, plumes, agatized bones,  and many kinds of plants or animals that have broken down and become stone.  One variety, which is a Chalcedony, is blue with bands, or Blue Lace Agate. One can gain "peace of mind" simply studying the subtle patterns and merging tones of color. It is noted to cool and calm the body. Throughout the ages, Agate has been a favorite of beadmakers , those making ornamentation for adorning the body, and also for beads made for ritual. For example, the  famous "DZI" beads from the Tibetan culture. The beads were often etched with meaningful designs, such as "heaven and earth", or a number of eyes, such as the rare and  valuable 9 eye. Some believe these beads were actually alive at one time. We often find them today with the ends worn off, where they were worn down in ritual. In Asia, a stone with an eye is meaningful, such as warding off the evil eye.  Moss Agate, a quite common form of Chalcedony, is found in many areas of the world, and is often translucent when held up to the light. It can increase our feeling of well being and our oneness with the earth. Some specimens are so fantastic that they seem to be a world unto themselves. Agate reveals many possibilities for man, and a simple use, like setting some of your favorite found Agates near where you sleep or work,  could enhance your feeling of well being.



 

1st photo contains authentic rare beads. Top left is a double line lookme bead,  next a horsetooth bead, large single line lookme. Below those is a two eye DZI. Not sure on the small round bead. Next bead I believe is a small "heaven and earth bead. 2nd photo is showing a group of authentic etched Carnelian beads. They vary in rarity and value. There are several very rare patterns in this group. 3rd photo is showing a high dome Carnelian cab from Indonesia. They are often cut in layers like this, vary in sizes and color. Although Agate goes through popularity for making jewelry, or bead strings, you can see here that Agate is taken quite seriously here in Asia.

2. Jasper - Quite a common stone, seen everywhere in a variety of colors and patterns.  Over the centuries,  it has been used for decoration, jewelry items such as amulets, pendant beads, and carved items used in the home. Probably the most common Jasper is Red, the color of life. Some Jaspers have orbicular formations like Ocean Jasper, Willow Creek, Bruneau, Leopardskin, and Polychrome. Jaspers can relieve stress in times of turbulence, and empower you to be kind to others. Jaspers provide a good foundation when undertaking psychic work. Jasper is known to help repair damaged areas of the body. My recommendation is to seek out the natural patterns of Jaspers that  you find yourself attracted to, either as a finished stone product, or a rough specimen.  I found it quite interesting how nature seemed to recycle itself, and man is drawn to it.



The 1st photo shows an exceptional US Bruneau Jasper Cab set in a work of jewelry with small Tourmaline gems.  The natural orbs and color make this American gemstone easy to identify. In the next photo you will see 3 snuff bottles with merging Purple and Violet tones in the hand carved Cameos on the front of the bottle. This is a very rare gemstone only found in Utah. Not only are these rare, probably not found in the market anywhere, the color of the natural stone is just stunning. The 3rd photo show an inlaid cab, very colorful natural Ocean Jasper with a Sodalite frame. Ocean Jasper is now all dug out in Africa, and the cabs of this quality are non-existent.





3. Quartz -  Quite a common stone that comes in many forms. It is a fantastic aid in manipulating energy, and thus is a perfect tool in the hands of a healer, or a novice seeking to empower himself with more knowledge about healing with stones. Quartz can bring your body back into balance. Quartz can enhance your psychic abilities. Quartz can give  you stronger mental concentration and unlock  your memories. A variety of quartz can be found in finished jewelry, often translucent or clear stones with floating inclusions.  Tourmaline Quartz is a favorite,  a clear stone with dark threadlike inclusions. Some of the better stones for jewelry will be less dense, often with intriguing and harmonic patterns. Wearing such a crystal could  give you the sense of being grounded.  Another Quartz that is good for grounding is Smoky Quartz. It promotes a positive feeling about oneself and can prepare you for meditative thoughts. It could be used for treating  illness such as cancers or other diseases (blood disorders) needing radiation treatments. Rutile Quartz,  an often clear Quartz with inclusions of bright Yellows, Brown Reds, Blacks, and other inclusions, often plantlike, is said to nurture spiritual growth. It is a great enhancer of spiritual vibrations, and mind travel. There is something fascinating about this stone that brings the observer back to viewing it again and again, holding it  and feeling the energy. Rose Quartz, the gemstone of  unconditional love, will open the heart  to love and inner peace.  Rose Quartz could draw others to you that you want to love or want to love you.  Phantom Quartz, often seen in jewelry, can give  you a sense of spiritual growth and heightened awareness. It can include stunning landscapes, ghostlike patterns,  and floating particles such as crystals, needles, or a combination of  rutiles and  plantlike areas. This only represents a few of the possibilities you will find in Quartz.  It can be used in healing in its natural form, faceted as in jewelry, or be cut in specific ways to be used in healing, meditation, and magic.





1st photo is a very large gem sample of what is supposed to be Strawberry Quartz. My friend that is a geologist claims it was treated in some way. My buddy I shop with in Asia says its the real thing, and the shop it came from guaranteed it. Regardless, its quite a beauty. The 2nd photo is showing a nice Rutile Quartz gem sample, with some other floating inclusions. Quite a beauty in the light. 3rd photo is a quite nice Phantom Quartz. Whats strange about this cab is dead center there is a small geometric formation (crystal). This cab expands into some kind of 3D, almost like a small world of its own.





 * In todays world, we need something to hang on to, to relate to, to care about, to be apart of, to feel hope for.  Religion and belief systems can do that, and I offer stone as a simple solution to getting back in relationship with the earth.  Even carrying a string of beads in your pocket, as many Asians do, those made of Agate, Quartz, or Jasper, can take your mind off your troubles, or center around what you have to accomplish. As they say in religion, if there is no God and you still have believed all your life, what have you lost? Stone is something you can relate to right away. You can see it, touch it, hold it, and anything that comes from that, its pretty immediate. Some friends from Nepal used to talk about the older beads having certain properties. I once bought a "heaven and earth" bead. It had a etched oval on one side and a etched rectangle box on the other side. I noticed some heat and discomfort the first few days I wore it. It later because part of my person, feeling right in place. One day I had to sell it and felt terrible despair and bad luck for several months. I still feel empty at times, wondering what it would be like to sill be wearing it. My friends told me that a relationship with beads was normal.  Some people they knew that wore their DZI beads for years , and as their power diminished, the beads turned white just before they passed away. What I wanted to say was this. You can have a relationship with any stone or bead you feel drawn to. I later found a beautiful Botswana barrel bead with Grey on the outside and a wonderful Pink fortification in the center. The heat generated between myself and this bead was quite empowering. I later just kept it in my pocket throughout my travels. It didn't matter it was not an old bead, but it was an old stone. The point being, was that we found each other, and traveled together through better or worse. My idea here was not  to supply conclusive information about these stones, but only to share the possibility of what they could be. In truth, as in belief systems, we all need to find our own, and since stones will be part of our planet forever, it will be a good place to start to explore, if you have not done so already. Since I have not been a stone person all my life, in testimonial fashion, I can say, that the last 10 years of bringing stone into my life in various ways has left me more happy, less sick, and more calm than I have ever been in my life.



This is a pretty nice  "Heaven and Earth Bead", probably not from Nepal, but found in Afghanistan. Bigger thicker beads are seen as more healthy, perhaps more powerful or empowering.  I suspect the value of this bead in 2008 is $5000 or more. Recently the value of such antiques have grown quickly as the demand for them has also grown. Probably age is 1500-4500 years old. If you see any for .99, saying they are 100-300 years old, or even $500, just pass on buying them, they are likely to be fakes. All real beads up close will have something that shows they are an old bead. Most of the ones you see on Ebay are cooked. They did not cook them to get an old texture. If you have an interest in beads, there are several books now that show much about them.



Mygemgarden