Elanthian Gem & Mineral Gallery

The Elanthian Gem & Mineral Gallery
© Violetskye's, 1998
This page is lovingly dedicated to
The Ladies Myssa & Leilannie ("Sparklies!")
and to
My very precious and beloved Lord Geijon Khyree,
who makes me carry all this stuff.

Gemstones

"THE FLOWERS OF THE MINERAL KINGDOM"

As colorful as the rainbow and more sparkling than fine leaded crystal, gemstones have captured the imaginations and desires of men and perhaps especially women for ages. The pursuit of gems have become the subject of legends, fairy tales and epics.

What makes a gemstone?

Generally speaking, a gemstone is a naturally occurring mineral that is beautiful, rare, and durable (resistant to abrasion, fracturing, and chemical reactions). Some minerals can be very beautiful, but they may be too soft and will scratch easily (such as the mineral Apatite). Others are too common and are given a semi-precious status (such as rock crystal). Fluorite is extremly colorful and pretty but has a hardness of only 4 on the Moh's hardness scale, and has four perfect cleavage directions, which makes it only an oddity as a cut gem. All gemstones have some characteristics falling short of perfection; even the seemingly perfect Diamond has four directions of cleavage.

Most gems are silicates which can be very stable, hard minerals. A few gems are oxides and only one gem, diamond, is composed of a single element, carbon. There are also a few gemstones are not true minerals but are included here: opal, amber, and moldavite. While almost any mineral can be cut in the manner of a gemstone, below is a list of some of the gem kingdom's more prized and recognized members:

Elanthian Gem & Mineral Resources

The Notorious
MANDIS CRYSTAL

About the Mandis Crystal

Our frontier town of Wehnimers Landing has come under threat by the Baron Leren Hochstib of Jantalar. Jantalar is a rather large barony on the northwestern boundaries of the Turamzzyrian Empire ruled over by Empress, Mynal' Lyanna. It is Hochstib's aim to expand his territory, Jantalar's resources having reached their limits. The baron, aided on occasion by The Empress, plans to take the landing in conquest. It would then be used as a staging point for the current war against a rival barony, that of Baron Malwind of Vornavis. Baron Hochstib seeks to take the port city of Solhaven within Malwind's barony for himself. Its regarded as one of the most wealthy and beautiful cities within the Turamzzyrian empire and is home to many of the finest craftsmen and merchants.

Baron Hochstib has been given a very powerful magical artifact by The empress called the Mandis Crystal. It is rumored that this crystal is of massive size, and is a living crystal of black stone which once activated absorbs all mana from the surrounding area within a radius estimated at up to two miles--a mana disruption crystal. Proximity to the crystal will greatly hinder the use of magic in almost any form to the point of it being useless by actually sucking the magical essence from the bodies and minds of those within its effective radius and throwing it out into the atmosphere.

THE LEGENDARY STONES OF VIRTUE

Truth

a clear crystal stone

Piety

a milky white stone

Humility

a dull grey stone

Faith

a flawless silver stone

Courage
Courage

a veil iron stone

Honor

a reflective glass stone

The Chosen:
Lady Heathyr, Lady Merry, Lady Nyte, Lady Tedra, Lord Terate and Lord Beldin.

[Top of the World, Aenatumgana]
Whirling snow is tinted an incongruous rose color by the low arctic light. Then, a lull in the wind offers a breathtaking vision! Mantled by the storm's flurry, a monument perches on the mountain's top, immense in size and of extraordinary beauty. Columns march across the facade, their tops almost lost in the clouds, framing a colossal door. Beside the door, a shining gold crown is mounted in bas-relief, erratically throwing out brilliant reflections as light fights through the fog to caress it. You also see a sweetfern potion.
Also in the room: Lord Krackenstar, Lord Kerl, Lord Mnar, Lord Omnirus, Lord Challen, Lord Decaine, Lord Ragni, Lady Teliana, Lady Kythyn, Lady Leanness, Lord Tzarrakyn, Lord Tens, Lord Ohr, Lord Setzier, Lord Terate, Lady Tedra, Lady Jylli, Lord Beldin who is lying down, Lady Risper, Lord Jala, Lady Merry, Lord Galaed, Lord Berr, Lady Heathyr, Lady Jecquelynn, Lady Silkie, Lord Nighthawk, Lord Chemial, Lord Truekillr, Lady Arwen, Lady Nyte, Lady Rayyne, Lord Thalior, Lord Karhl, Lord Kinshack

The granite door is so monstrous, it's difficult to imagine anything strong enough to open it. It is framed by jambs and transverse beam hewn of a darker stone. Their surfaces are densely carved with a tangle of winged serpents which intertwine and cavort in lifelike complexity. It is impossible to tell in which direction the door opens, if it opens at all.

Fashioned of solid gold, the bas-relief crown is a magnificent piece of craftsmanship. Its ring is decorated with the images of winged drakes that have been rendered in exquisite detail. Precise etching breathe life into them, adding the texture of scales and subtle lines of tensed muscles. Between each of the the dragons, words have been engraved into the diadem's glittering surface. Starting at the d continuing clockwise, they read: Truth, Piety, Humility, Faith, Courage and Honor. Aligned with each of these is a heavy golden tine extending from the edge of the crown.

Heathyr puts a flawless silver stone in the setting atop the tine aligned with the word 'Faith'. It fits perfectly, locking in place with an audible click.

Merry puts a clear crystal stone in the setting aligned with the word 'Truth'. It fits perfectly, locking in place with an audible click.

Nyte puts a dull grey stone in the setting atop the tine aligned with the word 'Humility'. It fits perfectly, locking in place with an audible click.

Tedra puts a reflective glass stone in the setting atop the tine aligned with the word 'Honor'. It fits perfectly, locking in place with an audible click.

Terate puts a veil iron stone in the setting atop the tine aligned with the word 'Courage'. It fits perfectly, locking in place with an audible click.

Beldin puts a milky white stone in the setting atop the tine aligned with the word 'Piety'. It fits perfectly, locking in place with an audible click.

In an instant, the aura surrounding the crown explodes, sending a dazzling wave of light streaming outward. Before you can blink, the light envelops you, leaving you momentarily blinded!

As your vision clears, you notice the chosen have disappeared.

Suddenly, the crown and the tines around it begin to spin in opposite directions. They whirl around in a blur for a few rotations before coming to rest in new positions.

Reflections of Honor

Lord Geijon Khyree

Lord Geijon Khyree &
Lady Evialla Violetskye~Khyree

For a more complete telling of the tale of the Stones of Virture, please visit
Tales of the Vvrael

Magical Crystals

Since the beginnings of civilization, different gemstones have been attributed with properties that made them desirable, beyond their beauty or scarcity.

CRYSTAL BALL

From ancient times into the present, all manner of precious and semi-precious stones have continued to hold our fascination. Their beauty is natural and everlasting. Those who practice the magical arts have recognized this beauty and fascination and have used stones of all kinds in their magic for centuries. Gemstones have been sought throughout the ages for their mystical properties.

Blue Crystal

White Crystal

Black Crystal

Blue Crystals

Rubbing a blue crystal will call upon the magical, spiritual forces within it to provide guidance to ones attack strength for one swing of the weapon. The magical guidance this crystal imparts adds to the attack by 75. These crystals can also be magically enhanced beyond one usage by the means of charging by a mage or by placing one upon the onyx altar on Melgohen's Reach and allowing the moonbeam to works its power upon it. They can be found on creatures you have killed and searched, or often bought from other adventurers who have found them.

White Crystals

Upon rubbing a white crystal, one's attack strength is magically increased by 15 for one minute per training by the powers within the crystal. These crystals can be rubbed from one to four times, after which the magic is gone and they disappear. They can be found on creatures you have killed and searched, or often bought from other adventurers who have found them.

Black Crystals

A black crystal when rubbed causes a magical disk to float serenly over to its owner and hover nearby, following dutifully. Items may be stored inside the magical disk, and it can be opened and closed by its owner. The disk remains until the owner leaves the lands or is killed, upon which the disk comes crashing to the ground, dropping whatever may have been stored within it. These crystals can be rubbed from one to four times, after which the magic is gone and they disappear. They can be found on creatures you have killed and searched, or often bought from other adventurers who have found them.

Other Gems and Minerals

ALMANDINE

(Almandine Garnet - Iron Aluminum Silicate)

The mineral Almandine is the most common of the garnets. Color is typically red to brown, sometimes with a tinge of purple and sometimes a deep enough red to appear black.

Lore of the Garnet

The name Garnet comes from the Latin granatus, which means "seedlike" or "having many seeds" from the crystals resemblance to pomegranate seeds. The color of red gems suggested blood to primitive cultures. Red garnets were thought to stop bleeding and cure inflammation. They were believed to have the powers to smooth discord between enemies" and to prevent bloodshed. Tribal clultures of Asia used them as bullets, believing that their rich, glowing color might cause more deadlier wounds. Garnet is considered the gem of faith, constancy, and truth. It occurs in every color of the spectrum, except blue.

AMBER
Amber

The Gemstone Amber (Succinite: fossilized tree resin)

Color is amber yellow to orange.
Amber is a beautiful stone that is cut and polished and used as a valuable gemstone. It is also a fossil, and can contain many preserved insects and other animals and plants that are tens of millions of years old. The odd inclusions that are often seen in amber usually add to amber's unique look and in many cases greatly increase its value.

AMETHYST

The purple variety of Quartz (Silicon Oxide)

Color: various shades of purple.

Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz and is a popular gemstone. If it were not for its widespread availability, amethyst would be very expensive.

The name "amethyst" comes from the Greek and means "not drunken." This was maybe due to a belief that amethyst would ward off the effects of alcohol, but most likely the Greeks were referring to the almost wine-like color of some stones that they may have encountered. Its color is unparalleled, and even other, more expensive purple gemstones are often compared to its color and beauty. Although it must always be purple to be amethyst, it can and does have a wide range of purple shades.

Lore of the Amethyst

Amethyst, takes its name from the Greek word "amethysts" which means "not drunken". Because it has been considered a charm against intoxication - especially if the drinker used an amethyst cup. Amethyst was also considered an aid to the brave, it would protect soldiers and bring them victory, and help hunters capture wild beasts. In the Middle Ages, only persons of noble birth were allowed to adorn themselves with Amethyst.

The color purple is traditionally the color of royalty and amethyst has been used since the dawn of history to adorn the rich and powerful monarchs and rulers.

In anicent myth, Bacchus, the god of wine and conviviality, was angry because of some slight against him and swore revenge. He announced that the first mortal to come across his path would be eaten by tigers. Just at that moment along came the lovely maiden Amethyst, on her way to worship at the shrine of the goddess Diana. Diana saw what was happening and transformed Amethyst into stone to rescue her from a violent death. When Bacchus viewed the miracle, he repented and poured wine over the stone, sustaining it purple. This is the legendary creation of the gemstone amethyst.

AQUAMARINE

The blue variety of Beryl (Berylium Aluminum Silicate)

Color: various shades of blue to blue-green.

Aquamarine is the blue, or perhaps more correctly, blue-green or aqua variety of the mineral beryl. Aquamarine is colored by trace amounts of iron that find their way into the crystal structure.

The Lore of the Aquamarine

Aquamarine comes from the Latin word for "sea water".

Aquamarine has been credited with providing courage, curing laziness and quickening the intellect. In the Middle Ages it was believed to give the wearer both insight and foresight and freedom from insomnia. Among various peoples, it had the reputation of providing happiness and everlasting youth. Water in which an aquamarine had been soaked was believed to cure eye troubles, stoppage of breath and hiccups.

AVENTURINE

(Quartz)

Jade-like green in color and opaque. Aventurine is a metamorphic rock, meaning that it's made up of more than one mineral. In this case, aventurine is mainly quartz, and other crystals, usually green mica. It is sometimes confused with jade and improperly called Indian Jade. The name can also be confused with a red variety of albite, known as aventurine feldspar.

BERYL

Golden Beryl (Heliodore)

Lemon yellow to golden in color. Yellow beryl is colored by iron, the golden variety by uranium oxide.

CHRYSOBERYL

The Mineral Chrysoberyl (Berylium Aluminum Oxide)

Color is yellow, green and brown.

CITRINE
Citrine

The yellow variety of Quartz (Silicon Oxide)

Color: various shades of yellow and orange.

Citrine is any quartz crystal or cluster that is yellow or orange in color. Although, often cut as a gemstone, citrine is actually somewhat rare in nature.

CORDIERITE

The Mineral Cordierite (Magnesium Aluminum Silicate)

Color is typically blue, violet, gray, brownish or colorless. Its unusual blue-violet color is attractive and is compared to a light blue sapphire with a purplish tint. It is the reason that cordeirite is sometimes called "water sapphire."

CORAL
Coral

(genus Corallium)

The calcareous or horny skeletal deposit produced by anthozoan or rarely hydrozoan polyps; especially : a richly red precious coral secreted by a gorgonian.

DIAMOND
Diamond

The Mineral Diamond (Carbon)

Diamond is the ultimate gemstone, having few weaknesses and many strengths. It is well known that Diamond is the hardest substance found in nature.

Color is variable and tends toward pale yellows, browns, grays, and also white, blue, black, reddish, greenish and colorless.

DIOPSIDE

The Mineral Diopside (Calcium Magnesium Silicate)

Still another variety is quite dark, with included rutile needles aligned so as to produce a 4-rayed star, hence the name star diopside.

Color is clear, white, blue, bright and pale green to yellowish or greenish brown.

EMERALD
Emerald

The green variety of Beryl (Berylium Aluminum Silicate)

The Lore of the Emerald

The ancients prized emerald highly and believed it held many powers. They felt it could endow the wearer with the ability to think clearly in the past, present and future. It was supposed to improve one's memory, promote eloquent speech, quicken intelligence and endow the ability to foretell the future. It was also believed to promote honesty and frugality. Powdered and taken as a medicine, it was considered a preventative of epilepsy and other serious disorders.

Like many other gems, emerald had to share its earliest fame with other green gems which had not yet been recognized for their uniqueness. Also called emerald by the ancient Romans were green sapphire, turquoise, smithsonite, malachite, jasper and glass. According to the historian Pliny, the Romans believed that emeralds ripened into their color, so gems with light patches or consistent paleness were considered immature.

The ancient Egyptians believed it stood for fertility and rebirth. It was also used to cure eye diseases. In the 18th century European gem engravers would look at emeralds when their eyes were tired. Legends claims wearing Emeralds would strengthen your memory, help guard against evil spirits, and reveal the truth of your lover’s love.

Emeralds have always been highly prized by royalty. Cleopatra, queen of Egypt wore emeralds from her mine in Upper Egypt. Emeralds are heavily represented in the Russian Crown Jewels from the time of the czars. The Emperor Nero is said to have gazed through a large emerald to soothe his eyes as he watched the gladiator games in the Coliseum.

GOLD
Gold

The Mineral Native Gold (Au)

Gold is almost indestructible and has been used and then reused for centuries to the extent that all gold of known existence is almost equal to all the gold that has ever been mined. Gold is a great medium metal for jewelry, as it never tarnishes. Color is golden "butter" yellow.

Other than in our crafted jewelry and other such items, gold in the lands of Elanthia can be found by adventurers in one location in the form of small nuggets of gold.

LABRADORITE

The Mineral Labradorite (Calcium Sodium Aluminum Silicate)

Color is gray to smoky black.

Labradorite is truely a fascinatingly beautiful mineral. Its a mineral whose charm is not fully noticed and may be overlooked if not viewed from the proper position. Generally a dull, dark looking mineral with no special virtue until the colorful shiller is observed glowing on the surface. Labradorite can produce a colorful play of light across cleavage planes and in sliced sections called labradorescence. The usually intense colors range from the typical blues and violets through greens, yellows and oranges. Some rare specimens display all these colors simultaneously.

LAPIS LAZULI
Lapid Lazuli

The Mineral Lazurite or Lapis
(Sodium Calcium Aluminum Silicate Sulfur Sulfate)

Color is brilliant blue with violet or greenish tints. Lazurite is a popular but generally expensive mineral. Well-formed, deep blue crystals are rare and valuable. It is more commonly found massive and combined with other minerals into a rock called lapis lazuli.

Lapis lazuli or lapis for short is mostly lazurite but commonly contains pyrite and calcite and some other minerals. The name means "blue rock" and is always a brilliant blue with violet or greenish tints. The rich blue color is due to the sulfur that is inherent in the structure of lazurite. Small crystals of pyrite are always present in lapis and their brassy yellow color is both attractive and diagnostic in distinguishing lapis from its also blue cousin - sodalite rock, which lacks pyrite. The calcite produces white streaks in the lapis and too much calcite will lower the value of the stone.

Lapis lazuli has been mined for centuries from a locality still in use today in the remote mountain valley called Kokcha, Afghanistan. First mined 6000 years ago, the rock was transported to Egypt and present day Iraq and later to Europe where it was used in jewelry and for ornamental stone. Europeans even ground down the rock into an expensive powdered pigment for paints called "ultramarine".

JADE
Jade"

The gem variety of both Jadeite and Nephrite
(variety of Actinolite)

Color: shades of emerald green as well as white, gray, yellow, orange and violet.

The toughness of jade is remarkable. It has a strength greater than steel and was put to work by many early civilizations for axes, knives and weapons. It was later that jade became a symbolic stone used in ornaments and other religious artifacts during the eons.

Morganite

The pink variety of Beryl

Color: various shades of pink.

Morganite is the pink variety of beryl, the "mother of gemstones". Other gemstone color varieties that belong to beryl include emerald, heliodor, and aquamarine. Other colors of beryl are simply refered to by their color, such as red beryl. Morganite is colored by trace amounts of manganese that find their way into the crystal structure.

By some mysterious, mystical means those who first discovered this lovely pink stone among the rich resources of Elanthia gazed far into the distant future and gazed transfixed upon a vision of the young industrialist J. P. Morgan in a strange land called America. Awakening somewhat startled and more than a bit confused by this alarming vision, they called their new pink stone Morganite, never recalling why.

OPAL

White Opal

Fire Opal

The Gemstone Opal (Hydrated Silica)

Color is white, colorless, pale yellow, pale red, gray or black when impurities are common. Diffraction can cause flashes of any color of the rainbow (opalescent).

The Lore of the Opal

Opal with it’s fiery colors takes its name from the Sanskrit word, upala, meaning "precious stone". In Twelfth Night Shakespeare referred to opal as "the queen of gems." Pliny, a learned Roman scholar, described Opal as having "the fire of the carbuncle, the brilliant purple of the amethyst, and the sea-green color of the emerald, all shining together in incredible union." The Romans believed it was the symbol of hope and purity. They called opal "cupid paederos" (child as beautiful as love) and thought the wearer safe from disease. The Arabs believed that Opals fell from heaven in flashes of lightning and thus acquired their marvelous color. Ancient Greece also believed the Opal had the power of giving foresight and the light of prophecy to their owners.

These romantic notions are inspired by one of the most uniquely beautiful gemstones nature has ever produced--the dramatic, mysterious opal. The phenomenon displayed by opal is called play of color. It is caused by the diffraction of light set up by the layers of silica spheres in its composition. The effect is similar to the rainbow colors displayed on a soap bubble, only much more dramatic.

PEARL
Pearl

Many types of shellfish are capable of producing a pearl, or something resembling one.

When something gets stuck inside of a shellfish it will try to expel it. If it is not capable of ridding itself of the irritant, the shellfish then protects itself by coating the object with the same materials used to make the shell.

Over time the object is fully encased in a hard, rounded covering. The longer the object stays in the oyster the thicker the covering.

A pearl consists of hundreds of skins (or layers) of nacre covering a nucleus. Each skin of nacre consists of thousands of "microscopic tiles" placed in a remarkably uniform manner. Light is reflected from the surface of the pearl and simultaneously refracted from inside the pearl nacre.

The seemingly infinite number of combinations possible in the construction of the nacre "tiles" leads to variations in the appearance of different pearls, and the elusive beauty which comes from inside the pearl itself (orient). The more perfect the construction and laying of the tiles, the more perfect the reflection of light from the nacre.

The Lore of the Pearl

An old Arab legend tells us that pearls were formed when drops filled with moonlight fell into the ocean and were swallowed by oysters.

The Pearl was the favored gem of the wealthy during the time of the Roman Empire. This intriguing gift from the sea had been brought back from the Orient by the Crusaders. Roman women wore pearls to bed so they could be reminded of their wealth immediately upon awakening.

Pearls were once considered an exclusive privilege for royalty. A law of 1612 drawn up by the Duke of Saxony prohibited the wearing of pearls by nobility, professors, doctors or their wives.

PERIDOT
Peridot

The gemstone variety of Olivine

Color: various shades of green.

The Lore of the Periodot

Peridot takes its name from the Arabic word faridat which means gem. The French were the first to call this yellowish-green stone Peridot. It had been called Topaz up to this time in the eighteenth century. As early as 1500 B.C. the Egyptians used Peridot as a gem. It was considered the "gem of the sun". To develop its full strength as a talisman it had to be set in gold. Legend tells us that miners searched for Peridot crystals at night, they would mark the spot, then come back in the daylight to dig them up.

According to astrologers, the wearer of peridot will enjoy happiness in marriage, the power of eloquence in speech and enduring freedom from insecurity, both emotional and physical.

Ancient Egyptians called peridot "the gem of the sun," although they believed its seekers might not find it in sunlight. Because of their brightness in the desert sun, the stones were supposedly invisible by daylight. In darkness, however, they were alleged to give off a light of their own. By night, miners were said to mark their location accordingly and return to recover their treasures by day.

Peridot was believed to have the power to dissolve enchantments. To exert its full potential, the stone was to be set in gold. Then it would drive away night's terrors. If it was to be used to protect the wearer from evil spirits it had to be pierced, strung on the hair of a donkey, and worn on the left arm.

As a medical remedy, it was powdered to cure asthma. Holding a peridot under the tongue was supposed to lessen the thirst of a person suffering from fever.

QUARTZ
Quartz

The Mineral Quartz (Silicon Oxide)

Varieties of quartz include: Amethyst, Citrine, Rock Crystal, Rose Quartz, and Smoky Quartz.

Quartz is the most common mineral on the face of the Earth. It is found in nearly every geological environment and is at least a component of almost every rock type. It frequently is the primary mineral, >98%. It is also the most varied in terms of varieties, colors and forms. This variety comes about because of the abundance and widespread distribution of quartz.

Color is as variable as the spectrum, but clear quartz is by far the most common color followed by white or cloudy (milky quartz). Purple (Amethyst), pink (Rose Quartz), gray or brown to black (Smoky Quartz) are also common. Cryptocrystalline varieties can be multicolored.

Jasper, Bloodstone and Carnelian

Jasper

Bloodstone

Carnelian

(Part of the Quartz Group)

Cryptocrystalline (crystals too small to be seen even by a microscope) varieties are also used as semi-precious stones and for ornamental purposes.

These varieties are divided more by character than by color. Chalcedony or agate is divided into innumeral types that have been named for locally common varieties. Some of the more beautiful types have retained their names on a world-wide basis while other names have faded into obscurity.

Some of the more common of these types are chrysoprase (a pure green agate), sard (a yellow to brown agate), sardonyx (banded sard), onyx (black and white agate), carnelian (a yellow to orange agate), flint (a colorful and microscopically fibrous form), jasper (a colorful impure agate) and bloodstone (a green with red speckled agate).

Rhodochrosite

Named from the greek "rose-colored", rhodochrosite is a remarkable rose-pink colored by manganese. In the massive form, it is found along with calcite and siderite, and forms banded stones, often in the form of stalactites. In this form it is an ornamental stone, used in art and jewelry. Rhodochrosite also forms as small crystals. These are very rare, and are seldom cut. These are collector's gemstones.

ROCK CRYSTAL

The clear and colorless variety of Quartz (Silicon Oxide)

Rock crystal is the name given to all clear colorless quartz. It is widely used as a popular ornamental stone and is also used as a gemstone.

The most use for rock crystal is in ornamental carvings. The most well known ornamental carving for rock crystal is the crystal ball of fortune telling fame. While rock crystal is common it is hard to find large crystals of quartz with the clarity and size required for crystal balls that most of us associate with fortune tellers.Rock crystal is used for many ornamental carvings from spheres (crystal balls) to pyramids to obelisks to figurines to eggs to bowls to wands. There are many fine chandeliers that are outfitted with rock crystal ornaments.

ROSE QUARTZ

The pink variety of Quartz (Silicon Oxide)

Color: various shades of pink to a rosy-red.

Rose quartz is one of the most desirable varieties of quartz. The pink to rose red color completely unique, unlike any other pink mineral species.

RUBY
Ruby

The red variety of Corundum (Aluminum Oxide)

Color: various shades of red.

Ruby is the red variety of corundum, the second hardest natural mineral known to mankind. The non-red variety of corundum is Sapphire Sapphires are well known among the general public as being blue, but can be nearly any color. The red color in ruby is caused by trace amounts of the element chromium. The best shade of red for ruby is often given the name "pigeon blood red", but ruby can be any shade of red up to almost pink.

The Lore of the Ruby

Ruby comes from the Latin word "rubrum" which means red. There are many legends about the Ruby. It was believed that the wearer of a ruby was blessed with health, wealth, wisdom, and outstanding success in affairs of the heart. The wearer also acquired the magic ability to live in peace with his enemies, as long as the Ruby was worn on the left hand or as a brooch on the left sides. According to an ancient verse of uncertain origin, "The gleaming Ruby should adorn, all those who in July are born, for thus they’ll be exempt and free, from lover’s doubts and anxiety. The very best Rubies come from Burma, but beautiful Rubies are also found in many other countries.

Ruby has acquired special attributes from its admirers over the centuries. It has been regarded as a symbol of freedom, charity, dignity and divine power. The Burmese believed that gemstones ripened like fruit. The redder the color, the riper the ruby. A flawed ruby was considered overmature.
RUBY AMULET

Great magical forces are held within the somewhat rare Ruby Amulets found about the lands of Elanthia. When rubbed the Minor Spiritual spell Wall of Force is cast upon the wearer. This powerful spell imparts a +100 defensive strength for 10 seconds per training age of the wearer. These valuable amulets typically hold two charges. They can also be magically enhanced beyond one usage, up to forty by the means of charging by a mage or by placing one upon the onyx altar on Melgohen's Reach and allowing the moonbeam to works its power upon it. They can be found on creatures you have killed and searched, or often bought from other adventurers who have found them.

SAPPHIRE

The non-red variety of Corundum (Aluminum Oxide)

Color: various colors, except for red.

Sapphire is the non-red variety of corundum, the second hardest natural mineral known to mankind. The red variety of corundum is Ruby. Sapphires are well known among the general public as being blue, but it can be nearly any color. The blue color is by far the most popular color for sapphire but orange-pink, golden, white, and even black have generated much interest in the gem trade. Oriented rutile crystal inclusions cause a six-pointed-star light effect (called asterism to form the popular Star Sapphire.

The Lore of the Sapphire

At one time any blue gem material was called sapphire. References to a blue-flecked stone led mineral experts to realize that some of what had been called "sappheiros" was actually lapis lazuli. "sappheiros" is Greek for "blue."

The legends behind Sapphire are many. Kings in ancient times believed it protected them from harm and envy. The Persians believed that the earth rested on a great Sapphire, the color of which was reflected to give the sky its blue color. It was also the symbol of truth and constancy.

Damigeron, a historian of old, wrote that sapphire was worn by kings to protect them from harm. It was also believed that sapphire would protect the wearer from envy and attract divine favor. The gem was regarded as a symbol of truth,sincerity and constancy.

Legend has it that if a poisonous snake were put into a vessel along with a sapphire, the rays from the gem would kill it. Our ancestors interpreted this to mean that sapphire was an antidote against poison.

SILVER
Silver

Elemental Silver

Color is silver white with exposed specimens tarnishing black. Silver has been mined for eons and has always been popular in jewelry and for coinage. Only in the past hundred years however, has the demand for silver been so great. The reason for this demand is the use of silver in the photography industry, which takes advantage of silver's reactivity to light. Native Silver is rare and much silver is produced from silver-bearing minerals such as prousite, pyrargyrite, galena, etc. Specimens of Native Silver usually consist of wires that are curved and intertwined together, making an inspiring mineralogical curiosity.

SMOKY QUARTZ

The black or brown variety of Quartz (Silicon Oxide)

Color: various shades of black and brown.

Smoky quartz is a popular variety of quartz. It has an unusual color for a gemstone and is easily recognized and is well known by the general public. Only a few other brown or black minerals are ever cut for gemstones such as the smoky topaz, the very rare black beryl or the brown corundum. Smoky quartz is also popular as an ornamental stone and is carved into spheres, pyramids, obilisks, eggs, figurines and ornate statues.

SPINEL
Spinel

The Mineral Spinel (Magnesium Aluminum Oxide)

Color is red, green, blue, purple, brown, and black; but red is by far the more common color.

Spinel is a very attractive and historically important gemstone mineral. Its typical red color, although pinker, rivals the color of ruby. In fact, many rubies, of notable fame belonging to crown jewel collections, were found to actually be spinels. Perhaps the greatest mistake is the Black Prince's Ruby set in the British Imperial State Crown. Whether these mistakes were accidents or clever substitutions of precious rubies for the less valuable spinels by risk taking jewelers, history is unclear. The misidentification is meaningless in terms of the value of these gems for even spinel carries a considerable amount of worth and these stones are priceless based on their history, let alone their carat weight and pedigree.

SUNSTONE AND MOONSTONE

Moonstone

Sunstone

The Mineral Oligoclase

Color is usually off-white or gray or pale shades of green, yellow or brown.

Oligoclase is not a well known mineral but has been used as semi-precious stone under the names of sunstone and moonstone. Sunstone has flashes of reddish color caused by inclusions of hematite. Moonstone shows a glowing shimmer similar to labradorescence, but lacking in color. The display is produced from lamellar intergrowths inside the crystal. These intergrowths result from compatible chemistries at high temperatures becoming incompatible at lower temperatures and thus a seperating and layering of these two phases. The resulting shimmer effect is caused by a ray of light entering a layer and being refracted back and forth by deeper layers before it exits the crystal. This refracted ray has a different character than when it went in and produces the moonlike glow.

TOPAZ
Topaz

The Mineral Topaz (Aluminum Silicate Fluoride Hydroxide)

Topaz is a common gemstone that has been used for centuries in jewelry. Its golden brown to yellow color is classic but is confused with the less valuable citrine, which is sold under the name topaz. The blue topaz that is often confused with aquamarine is rarely natural and is produced by irradiating and then heating clear crystals.

Color is clear, yellow, orange, red, blue and green.

The Lore of the Topaz

The name Topaz comes from topazios, the name of the Island of Zabargad in the Red Sea. The color of yellow Topaz symbolized Ra, the god of the sun to the Egyptians. Topaz has been worn as an amulet to protect against evils, to strengthen intellect, and prevent bad dreams. It was also said if you wore Topaz you would be invisible, beautiful, intelligent, and have a long life. All of these powers could come and go with the changes of the moon.

The ancients believed that topaz worn as an amulet could drive away sadness, strengthen the intellect and bestow courage. Mounted in gold and hung around the neck, it was believed in wine was used as a cure for asthma, insomnia, burns and hemorrhages. It was claimed to calm angry tempers and prevent bad dreams.

TOURMALINE

The Mineral Elbaite (Tourmaline)

Color is extremly variable with the most common colors being red, pink, green, blue, orange and yellow.

The Tourmaline Group

Tourmalines are a favorite among mineral collectors. Their rich and varied colors can captivate the eye. Even the black opaque tourmalines can shine nicely and produce sharp crystal forms. Tourmalines are cut as precious gems, carved into figurines, cut as cabochons, sliced into cross-sections and natural specimens are enthusiastically added to many rock hound's collections.

TURQUOISE

The Mineral Turquoise (Copper Aluminum Phosphate)

Color is of course, turquoise, but this color actually varies from greenish blue to sky blue shades.

Turquoise is a valuable mineral and is possibly the most valuable, non-transparent mineral in the jewelry trade. It has been mined for eons since at least 6000 BC. by early Egyptians.

The Lore of the Turquoise

Turquoise has been believed to confer foresight as well as protect the wearer from danger. In various countries, it is believed to fade when illness or danger is near. Another belief is that a fading stone indicates a lover's faithlessness or a friend's disaffection.

In many cultures, the stone is regarded as a harbinger of good fortune, success and health. Aztecs and Egyptians considered it a symbol of prosperity. In India, one was to wear a turquoise on the little finger and look at the stone after seeing the new moon gain great wealth. According to American Indians, the stone brought together the spirits of the sea and sky to bless warriors and hunters; a turquoise arrowhead assured accurate aim. It was said that a fine turquoise was hidden in the damp ground at the end of the rainbow. A Navajo belief is that a piece of turquoise cast into a river, accompanied by a prayer to the god of rain, will cause rainfall.

Ancient doctors exploited the stone's medicinal potential by making it into a paste to treat ailments of the hip. The Egyptians also mounted turquoise in silver to treat eyes suffering from cataract. Since the fourteenth century, harnesses of dogs, horses and other animals have been decorated with turquoise to protect the animal and master from falling injuries. According to a thirteenth century writer, the stone used for this purpose should be set in gold.

Turquoise has been a treasured jewelry stone around the world for thousands of years. It was used for beads by the Egyptians as early as 5500 B.C. Combined with other ornamental stones, the turquoise was inlaid in gold by Sumerians and Egyptians to produce very sophisticated necklaces, bracelets, anklets, belts, headdresses and earrings.

ZIRCON
Zircon

The Mineral Zircon (Zirconium Silicate)

Color is brown, red, yellow, green, blue, black, and colorless. Zircon resembles diamond in luster and fire and colorless zircons have been mistaken for diamonds by experienced jewelers. Zircon can make a very attractive and affordable gemstone. It is found in browns and greens but can be heat treated to beautiful blue and golden colors. Colorless material is produced in this way as well.

The Lore of the Zircon

In the Middle Ages, zircon was thought to induce sleep, promote riches, honor, wisdom, and drive away plagues and evil spirits. The Kalpa Tree, a Hindu symbolic offing to early gods, was described by Hindu poets as having leaves of zircons.

Sources and credits:

Some Gem and Mineral Photography and Technical Descriptions:

The Mineral Gallery, a service of Amethyst Galleries, Inc.
Copyright ©1995-1998 by Amethyst Galleries, Inc.
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© Violetskye's, 1998
Evialla Violetskye~Khyree & Geijon Khyree