CHAPTER
- 1
GEMSTONES
:
INCEPTION
AND GROWTH
From time immemorial, gemstones
and precious metals have been a source of attraction for the
people. These are the nature’s choicest gifts to humankind.
Out of their fabulous beauty, colour and splendour numerous
magnificient works of art have been made. The workmen have
learned to utilize the possibilities inherent in each type of
gemstone. In a clear crystal, we may feel enchanted to behold a
reflection of eternal laws. The charm of magnificent colours,
sparkling luster and luminous effects bear witness to an
interior harmony to which everybody feels attracted.
Gemstones, which are
found almost in all parts of the world, are not only beautiful
and attractive to look at, but are also associated with the
delight and grief of people. A stone in itself does not know how
it is in line with human nature and human fate, but, however, it
remains a gem of imperishable value. People of ancient times
attributed to gemstones supernatural powers and associations
with stars and tried to use them for conjuring good and evil
spirits and demons. Religion and astrology have also associated
gemstones with human destiny. The people of modern age may no
longer believe in this but would be enchanted by old legends.
They will find that
gemstones are the mysterious symbols of the creative powers of
nature. Ancient kings and princes stored gemstones not only to
add to their wealth, but also believed that they were useful for
health, longevity, fame and prosperity. Possessors and wearers
of gemstones noticed strange effects on themselves with the
passage of time. Some issueless women might have been blessed
with an only son after wearing a particular gemstone. Some king
might have got a splendid victory in a battle or some patient
might have got rid of some nasty disease when he used a
particular gemstone. Learned people, especially astrologers and
medicinemen conducted research and made experiments with
gemstones long ago. And we see, now, that a systematic and
perfect science of gemology has developed.
USAGE
OF GEMSTONES
It is very difficult
to say since when the use of gems came into vogue in the
civilized world. There is a difference of opinion as to their
origin. References to the NAVA-RATNAS (the nine-principal gems)
are found in the most ancient Indian religious and sacred books.
Varah Mihir was one
of the greatest pioneers of the study of gems in ancient India,
who has in great detail dealt with the properties of precious
stones in his famous treatise ‘VRIHAT-SAMHITA’. Western
scientists have borrowed a lot from this famous treatise and
have based their observations mainly on the contents enumerated
therein.
Gems have also been
enumerated in ‘KALP-SUTRA’ of Acharya Deverdhigani, and
‘Jambudwip Shanti–Chandriyavritti’ etc., the ancient books
of Jain religion. In the latter one, it is mentioned that the
mother of the first Tirthankar (supreme sanctified spiritual
master) Rishabhdeo is believed to have seen a number of gems in
her dream. Similarly, the ‘Kalp-Sutra’ describes the beauty
of Goddess SRI in these words, “on all parts of her body stone
ornaments and trinkets, composed of many jewels and precious
stones, yellow and red gold … She wore strings of pearls made
by clever and talented artists....”
The ‘Nava-Ratna’
or ‘Nao-Ratan’, an amulet or talisman composed of
“Nine-gems” is certainly suggestive also of some connexion
with the URIM and THUMMIM, or sacred oracle of the Jews, taken
by Chosroes-II from Jerusalem, A.D. 615, and probably still
existing among the ruins of one of the old Sassanian palaces of
Persia. This ancient ornament gave its name as a collective
epithet to the ‘nine gems’ or sages of the court of
Vikramaditya, B.C. 56.
In ancient books the
nine gems of the amulet are said to be pearl, ruby, topaz,
diamond, emerald, lapis-lazuli, coral, sapphire, and a stone not
identified, called gomeda. The TRI-RATNA, is the
“TRIPPLE-GEMMED” ‘ALPHA and OMEGA’ JEWEL OF the
Buddhist, symbolical of Buddha, the Law, and the Church.
However, there are
ample examples to prove that gems were profusely used in ancient
India. The VEDAS which are the oldest scriptures of India, also
contain several references to the use of gems in various rituals
performed for an orderly conduct of life. The period of Vedas
spreads from 1500 to 1000 B.C.
Strabo, the
celebrated Greek geographer (63 B.C. to 19 A.D.), after having
visited India, described in his writings that various gemstones
were used in ornamentation of drinking vessels, crowns of kings,
emperors and princes, in the jewellery they wore and in the
chandeliers suspended from the ceilings of their palaces.
Halen Souter writes
in her book – The book of Luck – “This appropriation of
gems, however, is not exclusively a Jewish or a Christian
practice, for it is common almost in every part of the world to
choose a characteristic stone as their distinctive emblem.”
Between the first
and the last chapters of the Bible a total of 1704 references
have been made to gemstones and minerals under different Hebrew
and Greek names. The Holy spirit, in describing the glory of the
dominion, states: “Thou hast been in Eden, the garden of God,
every precious stone was thy covering, the Sardius (carnelion),
Topaz, Diamond, Beryl, Onyx, Jasper, Sapphire, Emerald,
Carbuncle (Garnet and Sard) and Gold.”
We also read a
fascinating account of the directions given to the High Priest
for a marvelous breastplate he must wear: “And thou shall set
in it settings of stones, even 4 rows of stones. The first row
shall be a sardius, a topaz and a carbuncle. The second row
shall be an emerald, a sapphire and a diamond, and the third row
a ligure, an agate and an amethyst. And the fourth row a beryl,
and an onyx and a tasper.”
Richard B. Sapir has
rightly said, “great gems went with great people … gems were
the historical perfume of the rich and powerful. History was
about the rich and the powerful. The gems went along with it.
Only in the last few hundred years the jewels were considered a
form of monetary exchange. For most of man’s history they were
considered to have magical powers.”
WHAT
IS A GEM ?
Meaning of the word
‘GEM’, as per an English dictionary is – “A precious
stone when cut and polished, on which a design is engraved.
Anything of outstanding quality, worth beauty, the best, the
choicest.” Thus, the GEM is a thing of outstanding quality,
full of valued properties, worth class and beauty, whether it is
a precious stone, a person or anything else. Similarly,
gemstones which are superb in quality, rich in colour and lustre,
are highly valued and rare, are called precious stones.
VARIOUS
TYPES OF GEMSTONES
Traditionally, the
total number of gemstones, as mentioned in various treatises on
gemstones, is 84. This number includes nine precious and 75
semi-precious stones. There are many important books written by
learned authors relating to the investigation of gemstones. Shri
Jindutta Suri (a Jain saint) enumerates 84 types of gemstones
and 22 types of Manis (sub-gems) in his treatise – ‘Ratna
Pareeksha’.
As per Indian
gemmology, amongst the nine precious gemstones, Ruby, Pearl,
Diamond, Emerald and Sapphire have been distinguished as
‘Maha-Ratnas’ or the principal gemstones, while the rest
four viz. Pukharaj (Topaz), Gomedak, Cat’s eye and Coral are
described as ‘Manis’ or the sub-gems.
Out of 75
semi-precious gems, the following names are
quite familiar:
|
1. Turquoise |
11. Garnet |
|
2. Peridot
|
12.
Smoky-quartz |
|
3. Opal |
13. Aquamarine |
|
4. Tourmaline
|
14. Jade |
|
5. Spinal Ruby
|
15.
Blood-stone |
|
6. Topaz
|
16.
Lapis-lazuli |
|
7. Amethyst |
17. White Jade |
|
8. Gold-stone |
18.
Kidney-stone |
|
9.
Rock-crystal |
19. Amber |
|
10. Moon-stone
|
20. Agate,
etc. etc. |
The eighty-four gemstones have been classified further according
to their utility under four categories :
1. those which are
suitable for jewellery;
2. those which are
required for medicinal purposes;
3. those which are
considered efficacious for propitiating adverse planets; and
4. those which are
required for the manufacture of art pieces.
GEMS
AND PLANETS
Astrologers have
established that there are nine such stars in existence, which
like the earth are sustained in their orbits by the gravitation
of the Sun, and have close relationship with the Earth. These
stars or planets are the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter,
Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu. These planets have an intimate and
profound relationship with terrestrial beings. When in their
natural course these powerful heavenly bodies come into clash
with our own course, we feel more intensely the adverse and
prejudicial effects in our lives; when their course is
favourable to us, not only do our ailments come to an end, but
we are blessed with great prosperity and happiness.
In this strange and
mysterious creation of nature, it has already been investigated
that the origin of the principal nine gems, viz; Ruby, Pearl,
Coral, Emerald, Topaz (white and yellow Sapphire), Diamond, Blue
Sapphire, Gomedak and Cat’s eys, is due to the effect of the
rays directly falling in the sphere of the influence of the Sun,
the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu
according to the specific elements contained in each of them.
Thus, this explains that the colour of a gem varies according to
the colour of the planet governing it, and the gem concerned
posseses the particular propensity attributed to its governing
planet.
There is a slight
difference between the findings of the Indian, the Western and
the Islamic astrologers about the relationship between various
gems and their governing planets. Though, the Western astrology
is very near to the Indian concepts, the Islamic astrologers do
not make mention of any particular gemstone, they only suggest a
particular colour of the stone instead. The following table will
show this difference:
|
Sl No. |
Name
of Planet |
Suggested |
Colour |
|
English |
Farsi |
Gemstone |
|
| 1. |
The Sun |
Shamsh |
Ruby |
yellow/golden |
| 2. |
The Moon |
Kamar |
Pearl |
green/blue |
| 3. |
Mars |
Marrikh |
Coral |
black |
|
4.
|
Mercury |
Ataru |
Emerald |
yellow/green |
| 5. |
Jupiter |
Mushtari |
Topaz |
pink |
| 6. |
Venus |
Johara |
Diamond |
blue |
| 7. |
Saturn |
Juhal |
Blue Sapphire |
black |
| 8. |
Uranus |
Ras |
Gomedak |
light black |
| 9. |
Nepture |
Jainub |
Cat’s eye |
golden |
COLOURS AND HUMAN LIFE
The symbolism of
colour played an important part in recommending particular
stones for special purposes in jewellery. Red stones were
generally thought to be remedies for bleeding and inflammatory
diseases and provided a calming influence and removed anger.
Yellow stones were believed to cure bilious disorders and
diseases of the liver. Green stones traditionally have been
suggested to correct diseases of the eyes. The blue stones
calmed spirits of darkness, brought the aid of light and ensured
sure-footedness.
In England, a
folk-song says:
Blue is true; red’s brazen;
Yellow’s jealous; white is love;
Green’s forsaken, and black is death.
The following table
further shows the importance of colours in human life alongwith
their mystical symbolism in GEMS :
|
Colours and
their mystical symoblism in GEMS : |
|
Color |
Worn
by a man |
Worn
by a woman |
| YELLOW |
Secrecy |
Generosity |
| WHITE (Colourless) |
Friendship,
Integrity, Religion |
Purity, Affability,
Contemplation |
| RED |
Command, Nobility,
Lordship, Vengeance |
Pride, Haughtiness,
Obstinacy |
| BLUE |
Wisdom, High and
magnanimous thoughts |
Jealousy in life,
Politeness, Vigilance |
| GREEN |
Joyousness,
Transitory hope, Decline of friendship, |
Unfounded ambition,
Childish delight, Change |
| BLACK |
Gravity, Goodsense,
Constancy, Strength |
Fickleness and
Foolishness but for a married women constancy of love and
perseverance. |
| VIOLET
|
Sobar judgement,
Industry, Gravity |
High thoughts,
Spiritual love. |
GEMS
AND DAYS OF THE WEEK
According to the
various beliefs that grew about their powers to do good,
different gems were designated as lucky on particular days of
the week in the following way :
Sunday
Ruby
Monday
Moon-stone
Tuesday
Coral
Wednesday
Emerald
Thursday
Cat’s eye
Friday
Diamond
Saturday
Sapphire
GEMS
OF THE ZODIAC
Since ancient times
gemstones have been considered lucky depending upon their
associations with the various signs of the constellations in the
Zodiac. These are not necessarily the same gems associated with
the months of the year, but because the days governed by the
constellations overlap the month divisions, some similarities
appear. The selection given below represents what many people
believe to be lucky stones of the Zodiac today:
| Aquarius |
Jan. 21 to Feb. 21 |
Garnet |
| Pisces |
Feb. 22 to Mar. 21 |
Amethyst |
| Aires |
Mar. 22 to Apr. 20 |
Blood-stone |
|
Taurus |
Apr. 21 to May 21 |
Sapphire |
| Gemini |
May 22 to June 21 |
Agate |
| Cancer |
June 22 to July 22 |
Emerald |
| Leo |
July 23 to Aug. 22 |
Onyx |
| Virgo |
Aug. 23 to Sept.22 |
Carnelian |
| Libra |
Sept. 23 to Oct. 23
|
Chrysolite |
| Scorpio |
Oct. 24 to Nov. 21 |
Beryl |
| Sagittarius |
Nov. 22 to Dec. 21 |
Topaz |
| Capricorn |
Dec. 22 to Jan. 21 |
Ruby |
PRESENT
DAY BIRTH-STONE
Shakespeare once
remarked that it is the stars above us that guide our destiny.
There is an old tradition of designating particular gem/gems as
lucky for the people born in each month of the year. It was
thought advantageous to strengthen the hands of the ruler of our
birth planet by wearing gems for him.
The following is the
selection of birth-stones adopted in 1912 by the American
National Association of Jewellers:
|
Month |
Birth-stone |
Alternate
stone |
| January |
Garnet |
|
| February |
Amethyst |
|
| March |
Jasper, Blood-stone
|
Aquamarine |
| April |
Diamond/Sapphire |
|
| May
|
Emerald |
|
|
June
|
Agate/Pearl |
Moon-stone |
| July |
Turquoise/Ruby |
|
| August |
Carnelian |
Peridot |
| September |
Sapphire |
Chrysolite |
| October |
Beryl/Opal |
Tourmaline |
| November |
Topaz |
|
| December |
Ruby/Turquoise |
Lapis-lazuli |
History tells us that throughout the world gems have been a much
sought after commodity. Their beauty, rarity, and inherent
magical powers have made them the symbol of kings, the symbol of
power, the symbol of wealth, and in more recent history the
symbol of love. Every civilization, every society grandly
exhibits man’s fascination with the desire to possess these
beautiful gifts of nature. The experience of purchasing a gem
can be a magical one. It can be filled with excitement,
anticipation and pleasure.
THE
OCCULT POWERS OF GEMS
“Modern western
spiritualists have endeavoured to discover, in the present day,
what was so well known in ancient times, about the hidden
virtues of gems. Apart from their medicinal properties, it has
been ascertained that certain gems facilitate the ‘rapport’
of certain classes of spirits with the owners of those gems.
Monsr. Cahagnet, the well-known magnetist, obtained from his
celebrated clairvoyant Adčle certain interesting information on
this subject. He addressed himself to the spirit of Emmanuel
Swedenborg, through the assistance of Adčle, when in magnetic
sleep.
“Some of the
revelations of Swedenborg are being given hereunder :
Q. What are the
spiritual virtues of white Diamond ? (You know that there are
Diamonds of various colors, – yellow, red, violet, black etc.)
A. This gem is
beloved by the Spirits of Light and consequently puts one en
rapport with them by illumining the intelligence of those who
wear it for this purpose.
Q. What do you think
are its physical virtues ?
A. I have already
told you : it has influence over the intelligence, that is, it
purifies the brains.
Q. What are the
spiritual properties of the Ruby ?
A. This color is
loved by spirits who are ardent in study, desiring to know much.
Q. And physically,
what are its properties ?
A. It has influence
on the blood.
Q. What are the
spiritual properties of Emerald ?
A. It is sought
after by lucid spirit, and it places one en rapport with them.
Q. What is the
physical power of the Emerald ?
A. The same as its
spiritual powers : it illumines, clears and strengthens the
globe of the material eye.
Q. What is the
spiritual power of the Sapphire ?
A. This gem puts one
in communication with the spirits of many societies, fond of
different studies, but united in one society.
Q. What is its
physical virtue ?
A. It strengthens
the nervous fluid.
Q. What are the
spiritual qualities of the Topaz ?
A. The wandering
spirits in the sulphurous atmosphere of the earth are fond of
it. It puts one in communication with them.
Q. What are its
physical properties ?
A. It is applicable
in cases of uneasiness occasioned by bile.
Q. What is the
spiritual property of the Opal ?
A. It is regarded
with affection by the spirits of Peace and Quiet.
Q. What are its
physical virtues ?
A. It is beneficial
in cases of sleeplessness and of too light sleep.