For as long as human civilization existed, people were always fascinated with gemstones and minerals.  Gemstones inspired various myths and legends in all the cultures, there are numerous stories about amulets and talismans, about healing or magical properties of gems, and to this day people are willing to pay thousands of dollars for a piece of shiny colored rock, so there must be something magical in them. While we don't necessarily believe to all the claims associated with gems, it's fun to read about it. There are lots of different systems, but all of them agree on a few points: in order for the stone to conduct all the positive energy, it has to be natural (untreated) and rather large. Translucent stones need to be faceted, opaque ones are better as cabochons.

And here are a couple of our favorite systems, explained. 

Color system

The first system comes from the Hindi texts and classifies gemstones according to colors, where each color is associated with a certain energy.

• Red stones are good for increasing energy, confidence, assertiveness

• Pink stones help in love

• Orange stones increase sexual energy

• Yellow stones help in communication

• Golden stones bring happiness

• Green stones are good for your health

• Light Blue stones improve creativeness

• Blue stones are good for philosophers, writers, and teachers

• Purple stones are spiritual, they help with meditations

• Brown transparent stones increase your imagination

• Black stones are good for discipline, planning, strategical thinking, time management

• White stones protect children and help in pregnancy

• Colorless transparent stones improve ability to focus

• Stones with "eyes" (Tiger's eye, Cat's eye) are the best protectors (supposedly, because they watch over you?)

Individual stones

The second system is based on the horoscopes (and gemstones were often connected with astrology, each stone representing the energy of one or several planets, also depending on the color). While it is believed that for the best match it's necessary to do a full horoscope, there's a simplified system, where only Sun sign is considered. A person would typically have 3 types of stones - helpers (associated with a planet ruling the Sun sign), protectors (associated with a planet exiled in the Sun sign), and extra power for special occasions, not to be worn every day (associated with a planet exalted in the Sun sign).  This system of  different types  is a foundation for a subtle difference between the amulets (things that protect you) and talismans (things that bring you luck).

So here's a quick reference chart (the dates are approximate and can slightly change from year to year, but pretty much everyone knows their Sun sign, right?).

• Stones of Sun: golden stones - golden Beryl (Heliodor), yellow Carnelian (no inclusions), also Diamond, Quartz (Rock Crystal - has to be faceted)

• Stones of Moon: green or milky white stones - Emerald, Moonstone, Pearl, Chrysoprase

• Stones of Mercury: violet or yellow stones - violet Amethyst, Citrine, golden Topaz; also Rock Crystal (as a polished sphere or natural crystal)

• Stones of Venus: pink stones - Spinel, Rose Quartz, pink Tourmaline, pink Carnelian

• Stones of Mars: red stones - Ruby, Garnet, red Carnelian, also Hematite, red Jasper

• Stones of Jupiter: blue stones - blue Sapphire, blue Turquoise 

• Stones of Saturn: black stones - black Onyx, Diopside, very dark Smoky Quartz (morion quartz)

• Stones of Uranus: multi-colored stones - Jasper

• Stones of Neptune: color-changing, chatoyant stones, stones containing sparkling particles - Aventurine, Labradorite, Opal

• Stones of Pluto: dark, brown or brown-red stones - Smoky Quartz (Smoky Topaz)

There are many stones that combine the energy of two or more planets. Here are a few examples:

• Peridot: Venus + Neptune

• Jade: Venus + Moon + Saturn

• Onyx: Mars + Mercury + Venus

• Lapis Lazuli: Venus + Uranus

• Obsidian: Saturn + Uranus + Sun

Where do i buy stones?

We recommend checking out gem or mineral shows that are quite popular in a lot of places. The Tucson mineral show in Arizona is the most famous, but it’s huge and can be overwhelming, there are lots of smaller shows in pretty much all the states. They typically run once or twice a year, so you have to find out when your local show is happening. The great thing about the shows is that you have a much better chance to find an unusual cut or shape - stores mostly carry standard round, oval and square gems.

Another option is shopping online. There are a lot of the gem sellers out there, from tiny shops on Amazon or eBay to large operations as JTV or Rio Grande. It’s better to stick with a reputable seller as there are a lot of fake or synthetic stones you probably do not want. Make sure to check the description of a gem - ideally, you are looking for a natural (untreated) stone; or, it should disclose the treatment, such as ‘heated’ or ‘irradiated’.