One of the most significant stones in the world is the Black Agate. This stone is characterized by being one of the most impressive and enigmatic gemstones in the universe. Its aura of mysticism and its striking black color make it one of the most attractive varieties in the jewelry market.
Known as a protective stone, black agate is a semi-precious stone, a variety of chalcedony that is formed by amorphous silica in thin layers of different colors. It is found as a tonsil agate in eruptive rocks, meláfido. Agate Black stone can present intense colors, and due to their abundance, they have been used since time immemorial as amulets for good luck.
History of Black Agate
Being a cryptocrystalline mineral, it is composed of silicon dioxide, an abundant composition that explains why agates can be found so commonly throughout the world in places like Brazil, Egypt, Nepal, and Germany.
The formation of Black Agate is more often from the deposition of layers of filling holes in volcanic vesicles or another cavity. The layers are formed in stages with some new segments that provide an alternate color. Since the cavities are irregularly and uniquely, each agate forms its own pattern based on the original shape of the cavity.
When a cavity is completely filled, a solid mass of black agate is formed, but it is often only partially filled, leaving a hollow void that often has crystalline quartz growths in its innermost layer. This is the cause of agate formation.
You can find in volcanic rocks whose size can vary. It is a hard rock and resistant to chemical reagents and is used to build small mortars. Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana are the main sources of gems. Most agates appear in cavities in eruptive rocks or contiguous lava.
image 1 : A Black Agate Geode
Meaning of Black Agate
Black Agate stones are known to protect against negative energies and also to help in introspection processes. Black Agate possesses these qualities, but it is also a stone that helps to get rid of negative energies because it does not only protect them but also transforms them. This is why it is so popular among those who feel that some negative vibes are behind them.
As far as the energy field is concerned, black agate is associated with the search for success and the protection of its wearer. That is, if the person who is using it has any goal or desire that he is trying to fulfill successfully, the stone will give him all the protection he needs. You will not have to worry about bad times and will always be shielded against any bad energy that comes close.
On the other hand, black agate has an essential meaning within any piece of fine jewelry. This stone can be placed inside a silver frame in any piece you want to use. Now, what you have to do is to choose the type of accessory where you want to place the piece and also on which surface it will be maintained. After that, the stone will shine on its own.
The meaning of black agate stones can vary in various areas, and that is why it is such a popular stone. There are those who say it heals as it relieves tension and discomfort in the upper body and around the throat.
Something significant about black agate is that you should always keep it close to you once you start using it. She can be a protective stone against bad vibes as long as you use it with that intention. The meaning of the stone is very broad, and that is why you must be very careful when using it.
image 2 : Black Agate Earrings
Uses of Black Agate
The main properties of Black Agate are the protectors. They function as an unequivocal symbol of protection and vitality. This stone is considered the greatest ally to protect its wearer not only from external energy evils but also from physical discomforts and internal imbalances. Some cultures even claim that this gem has its most significant protection power concentrated in internal stabilizing elements, so in some way, it is assumed as a tool to protect oneself.
Its protection encompasses dominant relationships and destructive connections and serves to remove any link that may be harmful to its wearer. As for the healing and energetic properties, being a stone of introspection, it is ideal for internal growth work. Not only can it protect against negative energies, but it also cleanses and allows the flow of pure energy from the inside out.
The healing properties of black agate are one of the most striking. Their properties connect with the energy of the Earth since they are thought to bring harmony to all aspects of being, physical, spiritual, and emotional.
Using black agate during times of imbalance, when it feels as if the yin and yang inside, you were operated out of proportion, can reintroduce a balance in your tempered soul.
The healing properties of the black agate of this variety use the gentle vibrations to relieve tension inside the throat and allow fluidity between the mind and mouth. It is an ideal stone for people looking for strength for lasting resistance.
In ancient times it was thought to give protection against epilepsy and mental disorders. It was also used as an amulet. Its scope is extensive, Relieves balance disorders, ailments in general, digestive problems, infections. Black agate is very beneficial for the skin, hair, sleepwalking, and insect bites.
Black Agate is a stone associated with elegance, and that makes you increase your self-esteem when you use it, also courage. It allows people to recognize true friends and helps even guide you in legal matters.
The Black Agate drives away fear, protects against disease, and is a circulatory system leveler. Excellent to avoid obstacles. It promotes high spirituality. Boosts high esteem and gives long life and prosperity. If used for healing, the etheric body is positively affected. Calms relaxes and balances nervous functioning. There are even cases in which the restoration of normal temperature is associated with the bearing of this stone.
image 3 : A Black Agate Headband
Final Thoughts
The black agate not only protects against negative energies but also cleanses them. It helps to resolve conflicts because by cleaning the negative energies, it leaves a more transparent channel of communication between those involved. Its meaning is enigmatic, but it is always aimed at helping people’s problems be solved in the most assertive way.
Ceylon Sapphire Price Per Carat – Price Guide for Various Ceylon Sapphires
Sapphires are one of the most precious gemstones in the world. Sapphires belong to the corundum family of minerals and comes in a range of colors such as blue, pink, yellow, green, purple, white and black. Ceylon is the previous name for Sri Lanka and gems from this island nation are still called Ceylon sapphires. The term Ceylon sapphires mostly refers to blue sapphires as Sri Lanka is most famous for its blue sapphires. But since Sri Lanka produce many other colors of sapphires as well, will try to cover those as well in this article when discussing Ceylon sapphire price per carat.
The rare and unique salmon pink sapphires, which are called Padparadscha sapphires, are also found mostly in Sri Lanka. Although Madagascar and Tanzania also produces Padparadscha, some gem experts says the “real” one only comes from Sri Lanka.
As a Sri Lankan, I feel very happy to help you in your efforts to buy the best Sri Lankan gemstones and hope to share as much knowledge as I can.
In this article, I am planning to cover following areas
What are the determinants of the price of a Ceylon Sapphires?
Ceylon Blue Sapphire Price per Carat
Ceylon Padparadscha Sapphire Price per Carat
Prices of Other Ceylon Sapphires
Where to Buy Ceylon Sapphires
What Are the Determinants of the Price of Ceylon Sapphires?
Ceylon sapphire prices are determined using the same 4 c’s criteria used for any gemstones. A very detailed description of how this concept of 4 c’s are applied to analyze sapphires is given in this article.
In summary, 4 c’s stands for color, clarity, cut and carat weight. The combination of these factors mainly determines the price of any gemstone including sapphires. I will be going through Ceylon sapphire price per carat next and you will realize that there is a huge variation in prices. In order to understand this price variation, I highly recommend you to learn about the 4 c’s for sapphires
if you are not familiar with it.
Another determinant of the price is the treatment type which is also explained in detail that that article.
Price per carat also increases exponentially as the total weight of the stone increases. I will put the approximate price ranges in a table for the convenience of comparing. But it is important for you to know that it is not possible to give an exact range as there are no standard grading system for gemstone qualities like in the case of diamonds.
The price also depends on the seller. Here in Sri Lanka, the prices will be significantly lower compared to the prices in the US for example. That is because the cost of operations are significantly low here and also there will be less middle layers in the sales cycle. When the stone comes to recognized stores in another country, it often gets a premium price for their brand and also, they will have to cover their operation costs. Their purchasing prices can also be a lot higher than their will be a number of layers of merchants between the selling point from the gem mine and the jewelry store.
An Important Note
Even though you can use this price guide to get an overall understanding, please check the prices of stones from many sellers as possible to get the up to date market knowledge. Etsy is a good place to start your market research on gemstone prices.
Here is a video which shows different colors of blue sapphire.
Ceylon Sapphire Price Per Carat
I am going to discuss blue sapphire and padparsdscha sapphire prices separately as Sri Lanka (Ceylon) is well-known for these two.
Ceylon Blue Sapphire Price per Carat
Sri Lanka is the most famous destination for blue sapphires and hence some people simply refers to Ceylon (Sri Lankan) blue sapphires as Ceylon sapphires.
For sapphires, color is the main price determinant. When it comes to blue sapphires, there are several color tones and the most expensive color is generally the “Royal Blue” (But this also depends on the country. For example, the most sought after color in Australia is the cornflower blue).
Price Per Carat
Total Weight of the Stone
Min ($)
Max ($)
1 carat
150
1500
2 carats
400
2500
3 carats
850
4000
4 carats
1300
6000
5 carats
1800
8500
8 carats
4000
14000
Here, the most expensive are the untreated natural stones with great colors. Since such stones are very rare, it is possible that certain stones will be even more expensive than. The lowest in the range will be for poor quality stones and I do not recommend buy stones which are available for those prices.
As the weight increases, the prices will be even more expensive and giving price ranges are not very useful since it can vary in a considerable range.
image 1 : A Ceylon Blue Sapphire
Ceylon Padparadscha Sapphire Price per Carat
Padparadscha sapphires are another unique and rare type of sapphire found in Sri Lanka. As mentioned earlier, some gem experts believe that only Sri Lanka produces the real Padparadscha sapphires even though similar color sapphires are found in Madagascar and Tanzania.
Following chart gives approximate prices for Padparadscha sapphires.
Price Per Carat
Total Weight of the Stone
Min ($)
Max ($)
1 carat
900
10000
2 carats
2000
12500
3 carats
3000
15000
4 carats
4000
18000
5 carats
4500
19500
8 carats
5500
22000
Unlike in the case of blue sapphires, the lowest price given here is not very low quality. You will be able to find decent stones for the lowest price in the above ranges. The highest prices are for the top clarity and color with an awesome cut. If you are planning to buy your sapphire online, I do not recommend buying sapphires in the higher price blocks. It is very hard to ensure that the stone you buy will actually fall into that level of super color grade and clarity without physically examining.
image 2 : A Padparadscha Sapphire from Sri Lanka
Prices of Other Ceylon Sapphires
The prices for other types of sapphires also varies in a considerable range just like in above two scenarios.
For pink, yellow, green and purple sapphires, the price per carat can start from around USD 200. White sapphires are slightly cheaper and USD 150 per carat is a decent starting point.
Black sapphires are generally a lot cheaper and even USD 10 per carat is possible to find on Etsy.
image 3 : A Ceylon Yellow Sapphire
Where to Buy Ceylon Sapphires?
This is the next question that comes to your mind after deciding to buy a Ceylon sapphire. If you want to buy from a physical store, the options are endless and you can check for the best place near where you live. If you are planning to buy online, I have written a whole article on recommended online stores, which you can read here.
In case you are wondering, yes, I am also selling Ceylon sapphires. Just drop me a message to rajith@minutiaemoments.com with your requirements and I will accommodate your request.
Final Thoughts
Since the price of gemstone vary significantly based on the 4 c’s and treatment type, and the fact that there is not international standard for gemstone quality, giving exact Ceylon sapphire price per carat is very difficult. Therefore, as I earlier suggested, use these figures as a basic guideline and check with different sellers for actual market prices.
Ask as many questions as you want to understand the quality (in case you are going to buy online) and check for the gemstone certificate. If you are going to observe the stone in a store, then check for the 4 c’s very cautiously.
Since there is no standard price, you can be happy if you find the stone you are looking for, for a decent price. Do not over think and make the process complicated.
I hope the tips and prices I have shared will help you.
Blue Kyanite Metaphysical Properties – A Stone for Spiritual Powers
Blue Kyanite is the most common color of Kyanite, and it’s the most commonly seen type. The most distinguishing property of the colors of Kyanite, which is blue, is known to have the ability to bring all the chakras adequately aligned. All the colors of this stone have some very useful chakra stimulating properties and healing particles with high vibration power. I will go through the list of all Blue Kyanite metaphysical properties in this article.
Before that, let’s discuss some background information on Blue Kyanite.
image : Blue Kyanite Silver Ring
What is Blue Kyanite?
Although Kyanite comes in non-blue colors, its meaning comes from the Greek word meaning ‘blue.’
This is because when Kyanite was discovered, the blue gemstone was the most common. Available in Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Burma, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and the USA.
It can have an attractive crystalline structure and tend to grow with twisted shapes or other engaging differences. Blue Kyanite gemstones come in a variety of shades from blue to purple.
This stone is an aluminosilicate mineral that can occur in the same areas as quartz and belongs to the same mineral family as Sillimanite and Andalusite.
The most common types in the Kyanite gemstone are Blue Kyanite, which is found in combination with other minerals, including the Green Fuchsite and the Ruby stone, which creates beautiful and impactful stones.
The primary colors of Kyanite besides the blue that you can easily find for sale will be orange, green, indigo, and black, but there are also rare white, yellow, pink, and gray stones.
Blue Kyanite Metaphysical Properties
Spiritual benefits holds a unique place among all other Blue Kyanite metaphysical properties. However, there are important emotional, chakra and healing benefits as well. I will go through each area one by one.
Spiritual Meaning of Blue Kyanite
The Blue Kyanite gemstone can be used to gain proper healing through meditation. It has the power to open your third eye chakra, which will enhance the gifts of clairvoyant, clairaudience, telepathy, and other psychic abilities.
Its power is gentle and unlimited because it makes it easy for you to reach spiritual heights. The Blue Kyanite brings a powerful crystal energy and will work well when used with other high vibration stones.
When used during meditation, it can help you improve your mood. When used during this time, it is it facilitates communication with higher realms.
The Blue Kyanite crystal will also help you in your transition to your meditative state because of the harmony and balance that will take over your entire body. It will go further to encourage you and help you discover new interests, build your knowledge, and also learn new skill.
The energy of this natural crystal will take you to higher spiritual times and renew the higher mind. This is a high vibration stone that will work on all parts of the body and therefore can be applied to any chakra.
It will provide a safe environment for those who are practicing crystal healing. It has a strong effect on psychic protection because it protects you from psychic attacks and is, therefore, one of the best stone to use in spiritual work.
This stone is a crystal of strong spiritual suspension and is known for its action of reducing any excess vibrations that are stimulated by the spiritual journeys.
Kyanite is a stone which is also known to recall dreams and can be used in the healing concept known as healing dreams.
image 1 : Blue Kyanite Ring
Emotional Benefits of Blue Kyanite
Emotional benefits are also another important area in Blue Kyanite metaphysical properties.
Blue Kyanite improves self-awareness. It improves your thinking skills and strengthens your thinking and creative abilities. Blue Kyanite can create an inner eye and intellectual abilities.
It connects the blockages to the strong and muscular bodies and helps protect the auric field from penetrating. It can facilitate telepathy and the transfer of power from person to person. Kyanite helps you free yourself from the belief in danger and be aware of where, when and why the causes have certain consequences. Blue Kyanite gemstone also enhances your motivation and determination to enable you achieve your set goals.
The stone helps to let go of anger, confusion, stress and frustrations. It encourages direct and logical thinking. This blue crystal is known as one of the beneficial stones to help you improve your mood and will help improve your general psychic abilities.
Because this blue crystal will help you to feel more confident about yourself in times of anxiety. If you are naturally a shy person, the blue Kyanite will help you gain more confidence of yourself and at such, the stone should always be kept close
Keep a piece in your pocket, and if you want to take advantage of Blue Kyanite’s power to inspire beautiful dreams, place the piece under the pillow.
Kyanite is a stone which gives energy and it provides support in occasions where one would generally lose strength. The stone also improves perseverance.
image : Blue Kyanite Necklace
Chakra Healing and Energy Balancing of Blue Kyanite
Blue Kyanite activates the throat chakra and encourages self-expression and communication.
The general chakra healing properties of the Blue Kyanite are also very powerful, as this stone begins the healing process of any chakra through its use. The Blue Kyanite gemstone has the ability to synchronize all chakras, making it the one stone that should always be used if possible at the beginning of any meditation.
Whatever chakra it is you are willing or working on, and whatever specialty chakra stones you have chosen to work with, using Blue Kyanite first will be highly useful as it will stimulate the benefits of the stones you are planning on using.
Physical Healing Benefits
Kyanite is known to treat parathyroid glands and adrenal glands. This stone is also beneficial in treating the urogenital system.
Kyanite helps in throat, brain and muscular system disorders. Lowering blood pleasure and healing of infections are two more health benefits of Kyanite. It also acts as a natural pain reliever.
Conclusion
As a stone with strong spiritual benefits, Blue Kyanite metaphysical properties are important in the world of healing crystals. It also has powerful benefits in other areas such as emotional, healing and chakra energies as discussed.
I am guessing that you want to buy sapphires or sapphire jewelry online but you want to know more about how to go about in selecting the best gemstone or the jewelry and from whom to buy. You have come to the right place. In this article, I am going to answer most of the questions (hopefully, all the questions) you have about how to buy sapphires online.
I will be covering following topics in the article
What are the different types of sapphires available?
How to determine the quality and the price of a sapphire?
Natural, treated and synthetic sapphires
What are the best online stores to buy sapphires?
Who are the sellers you should avoid?
An Important Tip For New Buyers
What are the different types of sapphires available?
Sapphires comes in a wide range of colors and some colors have got its own name. The most desired sapphire is however is the blue sapphire. Other varieties are pink, yellow, green, purple, white and black. (The color red is not called as a sapphire, it has its own trade name- Ruby)
Another rare type of sapphire is the Padparadscha sapphire which has a unique color similar to salmon pink. Star sapphires are also famous among gemstone lovers and it is also available in all sapphire colors. But high quality star sapphires are even rarer than normal sapphires.
Even though the most expensive sapphire variety is the blue sapphire, the price of a sapphire varies significantly based on the factors which I am going to discuss next. Therefore, not all blue sapphires are expensive than other sapphire varieties and not all other sapphire varieties have to be cheaper than blue sapphires.
How to determine the quality and the price of sapphire?
When you are wondering how to buy sapphires online, the most important thing to learn is how to value a gemstone. This will immensely help you to buy a good quality gemstone for a reasonable price without getting ripped off.
Just like in the case of emerald, sapphires should also be analyzed using the 4 c’s system to determine the quality and price. The 4 c’s stands for, color, clarity, cut and the carat weight. I will go through these one by one.
Color of a Sapphire
For sapphires, color is the most important out of these 4 c’s, just like in the case of emerald. But since sapphires comes in a whole range of colors, the correct analysis will sometimes be even more important.
The color of a gemstone is analyzed under it hue, tone and saturation.
Hue
Hue describes the actual color of a gemstone.
It can be one of the primary colors such as red, blue or yellow or a secondary color such as purple, orange or green. (Secondary colors are the mixes of primary colors). The color can also be mixed with white, gray and black. Effect of Grey is discussed under “saturation”, and effect of black is discussed under “tone”. When there is white in the stone, the word “tint” comes in to play. For example, a blue sapphire with white spots is referred to as a blue sapphire with white tint and if the stone is predominantly white with blue patches, it is referred to as a white sapphire with blue tint.
Tone
Tone refers to whether the color of the stone is light or dark. For pink sapphire, it can be light pink or dark pink, if it is blue, it can be dark blue or light blue. The presence of black in the stone tends to make it dark.
Sapphires are less desirable when the color is either too light or too dark. Such stones will therefore be less expensive.
Saturation
Saturation simply refers to how strong or vivid the color is. For example, a reason for quality blue sapphires to be so popular is the vivid blue hue you find in those are unlike any other blue you will find in nature.
Two colors that affect the saturation are Grey and brown. There are no gemstones with zero Grey or brown mixed in their color but the lesser the Grey or brown, the more intense and vivid the color will be.
In essence, when the stone color is more vivid, it will be more expensive. When you are going to buy sapphire online, good quality pictures will show the intensity of the color and ff it doesn’t, feel free to ask for more pictures or even a video.
The following image gives a good summary of what I explained above.
image 1 : A chart explaining the Hue, Tone and Saturation
But how can you make use of all these factors when buying a sapphire online? When you are comparing all the options you have (I will recommend few online stores later in the article) , having this knowledge of color differences helps you to get an understanding of why certain sapphires are more expensive.
Here is a video which shows different colors of blue sapphires.
But, the color is not the only factor. Let’s move on to understand the rest of the 4 c’s as well.
Clarity
Clarity of a sapphire refers to the inclusions and blemishes in a gemstone. It is common to have inclusions in sapphires and you have to be extra careful when the stone does not show any inclusion at all as those can be lab created synthetic sapphires. But unlike emeralds, sapphires with zero eye visible inclusions are possible to find but could be very expensive. ( But almost all sapphires will contain inclusions which are visible for the microscope at least)
In the presence of naked eye visible inclusions, the price of the gemstone will change accordingly. A clearly visible inclusion or a blemish to the naked eye right in the middle of the sapphire will significantly drop the desirability and hence the price. A small inclusion in a side of the stone will not be that much of a concern for many as it will not be visible when the stone is put on a jewelry.
When you are buying a sapphire online, high quality images are an absolute must. These photos will show you if there are any eye visible inclusions in the stone. If the store does not have enough pictures, please go ahead and ask for more pictures and also for a video.
You will be able to find seller who accommodate these requests and do not waste time with sellers who refuse to send you more pictures or a video.
image 2 : A gemstone with a visible blemishimage 3 : A sapphire without visible inclusions
Cut
The cut greatly affects the look and feel of any gemstone. The cut also helps to get the best possible luster from a sapphire.
If the cut is too deep, it creates the “window” effect where light will escape from the other side of the store and you will be able to see through it. When you are looking at the gemstone from the pictures of the website, see whether you can see through the gemstone. If you can, then there is a window. If the cut is too shallow, the stone will appear too light.
Look for the symmetry in the cut. The gemstone should look symmetric and facets should be symmetric as well. If the facets does not have proper margins, and if similar facets are not equal in size, the cut is not good. A symmetric cut with uniform facets is what you should be looking for. The culet, which is the end point at the bottom, should also be symmetric. If the culet does not align with the axis, to the middle of the gemstone, the stone will not look very nice.
Here again, good quality pictures are important to determine the quality of the cut.
image 4 : A sapphire with a good cut
This refers to the weight of the gemstone and carat is the standard unit for measuring a gemstone weight.
Since sapphires are a very rare type of gemstone, prices increases exponentially with the weight of the stone. Even stones over 5 carats are rare and stones over 15 carats are much rarer.
That is a summary of the 4 c’s analysis for sapphires. Main determinants of the price are these fours factors while the color being the most important.
Natural, Treated and Synthetic Sapphires
The natural sapphires found from mines are very often subjected to different treatment methods to improve the color. Heating, fracture filling, beryllium treatment and surface diffusion are some of these methods. Heat treatments are the most common for sapphires out of these.
When buying sapphires online, you have to check whether the stones have undergone any such treatment. Natural sapphires without any treatment will be more expensive. Heat treated sapphires are also quite expensive but not as much as natural stones.
Surface diffusion and Beryllium treated sapphires are much cheaper and the cheapest will be surface diffused sapphires.
Lab created synthetic sapphires are also available and these are super cheap.
To put all these into context, when you are buying a sapphire online, you must definitely ask for a detailed certificate which discloses the treatment type. Sometimes, you will come across crazy cheap sapphires and these will most definitely be either synthetic or surface diffused sapphires. As I already mentioned, fracture filled and surface diffused stones are also much cheaper compared to heated and natural stones.
What are the best online stores to buy sapphires?
Learning how to buy sapphires online is mostly about validating the quality and price of the options available. But, it is also important to know some trustworthy places to buy gemstones from.
Below are my three recommended places for you to buy sapphires online. (There are so many other sellers from whom you can buy sapphires online. If you already have a trusted seller or you found one online, you should absolutely go ahead and check what they can offer.)
This is a good option if you have a limited budget but still want to buy quality sapphires. Etsy is a trusted market place of sellers from all around the world. This is a great place to buy sapphires for really good prices as these sellers do not have a lot of cost overheads such as staff salaries, shop rents, marketing, expenses etc.
A detailed description of the process to follow when buying from etsy can be found here.
To summarize, look for a seller with good reviews. Definitely ask for a valid certificate from the seller to validate the authenticity of the gemstone. Also, do a comparison of prices between different sellers. (Reminder : You should ask for more pictures if the listed pictures are not enough and also for a video.)
2. James Allen
This is a good option if you want to buy from a highly recognized and trusted seller and with a purchase guarantee. A detailed review of James Allen can be found here.
In a nutshell, they offer great pictures, 3600 view, 30 day money back guarantee and awesome customer support. But the prices are definitely more expensive that what you can find from Etsy.
They only offer Blue, Pink, Yellow and Green Sapphires.
3. Leibish & Co.
Leibish is a more exclusive shop and they mostly sell only Blue Sapphires. Leibish also offers money back guarantee, free returns and great customer service. More details of Leibish can be found here.
Who are the seller you should avoid?
JamesAllen and Leibish are well-established and trustworthy sellers and it is highly unlikely that they will sell you a law quality sapphire. But if you are considering a seller on etsy on any other online store, following tips will be useful.
Ask for high quality images
Ask for a video
Check the reviews
Ask for a valid certificate
(Certificate includes the details of the certifying institute. Check whether that institute is a trustworthy place. If you cannot find information on that specific laboratory or institute, you cannot trust that certificate. There are so many fake labs all around the world who will create
Certificates with fake information)
If the seller is not keen on providing this information or have bad reviews, those are the sellers you should absolutely avoid.
An Important Tip for New Buyers
If you are new to buying sapphires online, it is always good to just browse through the internet and check for different options available. A good starting point will be Etsy. Check different prices and qualities available which will give you a decent idea of the approximate pricing. However, the prices will be significantly higher in stores such as JamesAllen and Leibish as those are premium online stores.
You will also come across crazy cheap sapphires but these will always be synthetic or treated with one of the inexpensive methods I mentioned above.
You can most certainly ignore these really cheap options. (e.g. Let’s say a good quality royal blue sapphire around 1 carat cost you USD 2000. The synthetic ones will be about USD 20)
Final Thoughts
Learning how to buy sapphires online might look like a daunting task but it is not that difficult when you follow the right process.
Pay attention to all points mentioned above and do not over think. Don’t feel stressful as there will be good sapphires available even if you miss one option. Some sellers might try to convince you to believe that you have found one in a lifetime opportunity to buy a great sapphire but that will never be the case unless it is a gemstone worth of few millions of dollars.
If you do not find the right sapphire for your requirement, wait for few days and check again. Don’t be in a hurry to make the purchase as that can lead you to make wrong decisions.
I hope I managed to give you good insights into finding the best way to buy sapphires online. If you think I did, it would be great if you can leave a comment and also let me know if you have any questions.
The Best Place to Buy Diamond Engagement Rings Online – Top 5
You want to make one of the most special occasions in life even more special with a diamond engagement ring but you are not very sure of selecting a store? Or you may be wondering whether you are making the right purchase decision? Even worst, you have too many options and want to select the best from your list?. In this article, I will help you to decide what is best place to buy diamond engagement rings online
Some topics I am going to cover are,
Best place to buy diamond engagement rings online – Top 5 recommended stores
How to know whether you are paying a fair price?
Sellers you should avoid
Best Places to Buy Diamond Engagement Rings Online
Buying jewelry online is becoming popular every day. If you are not still convinced whether to buy your diamond engagement ring online or from a physical store, I have shared some benefits of buying jewelry online in this article.
So without further due, let’s start with the list of best places to buy diamond rings online.
James Allen
Blue Nile
Etsy
Leibish & Co.
Whiteflash
Buying a diamond engagement ring from James Allen
James Allen is recognized as the best online jewelry store. They have a huge variety of diamond engagement rings in terms of designs and prices.
You can buy a diamond ring off the shelf and the prices are generally USD 700 upwards. You can also choose a loose diamond/diamonds from their huge collection and get a customized engagement ring done.
When getting a customized design done, the process of selecting what exactly you want is very comprehensive yet very simple. You can select diamonds starting from USD 300 and going even beyond USD 100,000. Many metal types and ring designs can also be selected and the price starts from around USD 250 and goes up till about USD 5000.
Even if you haven’t decided from whom to buy, pay a visit to JameAllen store and just test this process of designing your own ring. You will for sure get some ideas, at least.
image 1 : JamesAllen Store
The 3600 view they offer is very useful. You can view the ring completely, which is very useful when buying your diamond engagement ring online. If I am not mistaken, JamesAllen is the first store to offer this 3600 view.
JamesAllen also has a great customer care service and offers a lifetime warranty for their jewelry covering the regular maintenance. On top of that, you will get a 30 days money back, no questions asked guarantee plus free shipping.
Buying a Diamond Ring from BlueNile
BlueNile is as good as JamesAllen to buy your diamond engagement ring. Blue Nile also offers the option of designing your own diamond ring by selecting the diamond, ring design and metal type. They also have off the shelf diamond engagement rings as well. They also offer the 3600 view of their jewelry.
One advantage of BlueNile over JamesAllen is that they offer colored diamonds. Some of you might prefer to use a different color diamond over the traditional diamonds. By the time I am writing this article, BlueNile had yellow, light pink and slight bluish tinted diamonds in their colored diamond section. Pay a visit and see whether that is something of interest to you. They also have their own diamond brand called Astor.
The prices of diamonds range from around USD 250 upwards (The most expensive diamond available at the time I am writing this article is USD 1.9 million). Off the shelf diamond engagement rings price between USD 800 and USD 40,000.
image 2 : BlueNile store
BlueNile does not offer free maintenance for their jewelry unless it is a manufacturing defect. But they do offer the convenience of the 30-day money back guarantee and free shipping.
BlueNile also offers a discount for direct wire transfers over credit card payments which is another plus point over JamesAllen. I could not find a similar offer with JamesAllen. BlueNile also offers diamond engagement rings of some designer brands such as Monique Lhuillier, ZAC Zac Posen and Bella Vaughan.
Buying a Diamond Engagement Ring on Etsy
To mix things up a bit, I am going to move away from big recognized online stores to Etsy. Etsy is a market place of small creative shops from all around the world for many different products including jewelry. I am a big fan of Etsy because it is a platform for small entrepreneurs to showcase their products to the whole world.
When you are wondering the best place to buy diamond rings online, you will not regret visiting Etsy and checking what they have to offer you. Especially, if you are fan of handmade unique items and boutique shops, you will fall in love with this market place. Etsy is also a great place if you are concerned about the price of the ring.
If you want to make sure the diamond engagement ring you are going to buy online is one of a kind and unique, Etsy might be your best bet. However, since there are so many sellers, you have to make sure that you are buying from a trustworthy seller.
You can get an idea about the validity of the seller from the number and the quality of reviews the shop has got. Etsy is also an extremely trustworthy market place and they will assist you if you ever run into a problem with a particular seller (which is highly unlikely if you select the seller properly. More information on selecting a seller on Etsy is given here)
image 3 : Etsy Store
Etsy will definitely offer you the widest variety of choices in terms of designs and as well as prices. It has small time entrepreneurs from all around the world and you might be able to get some great deals as the cost of operating in some countries are far less than in US or Europe. If you are going to make the purchase from Etsy for a diamond ring, it is always better to ask for a valid certificate proving that the diamond is authentic (There are synthetic diamonds as well as some other stone which look like diamond)
However, you will not have the luxury of using complicated tools to get your own design done, 3600 view and free maintenance which the big players do offer. If you want to get a custom design done, you have to message the seller and agree on the design and price. In order to get a full view of the ring, you can ask the seller to send a video of the product. But most sellers will offer free shipping.
Buying a Diamond Engagement Ring from Leibish & Co.
To put it shortly, if you have a decent budget and you want to offer a diamond ring which really stands out, Leibish will be a great option for you. They also offers a great colored diamond collection, probably the best in the industry for that.
Off the shelf diamond engagement rings are prized USD 2000 upwards. Leibish also offers designing your own ring and the ring settings are price USD 1400 upwards and diamonds are mostly USD 1,500 upwards.
image 4 : Leibish & Co. Store
There is a loyalty program where you get points for each purchase and a dollar equivalent amount of the points collected are redeemable in the next purchase. When you are trying to purchase a product, the site will mention the points attached with that product.
Rings and some diamonds contains a video but I personally don’t like the light settings in the videos of some diamonds. The diamonds appear too whitish in some angles.
Leibish also offer a 30 day money back guarantee, 60 day free resizing service and a lifetime warranty for maintenance.
Buying a Diamond Engagement Ring from Whiteflash
Whiteflash will be a great choice if you are looking for a designer brand diamond engagement ring. They offers a wide range of diamond rings from many popular brands. SimonG, RITANI, TACORI, A.JAFFE and Valoria are some of the brands offered by Whiteflash.
A unique advantage of Whiteflash is that they offer a wide range of diamonds. The tool they have for selecting the diamonds is pretty cool. You can easily change different parameters such as price, weight, clarity, etc., and narrow down your options.
They do not offer a wide range of ring designs compared to previously discussed store but Whiteflash deserves a visit due to their diamond collection. You can also send them a custom design and get a quote.
image 5 : Whiteflash Store
Apart from their in-house diamond collection, they also offer a much bigger virtual collection. This comprises of diamonds from the partner companies of Whiteflash.
They offer a 30 day money back guarantee for all purchases except from this virtual category. For the virtual category, the money back guarantee period is 10 days. The free maintenance period of Whiteflash is 1 year. You have to pay an additional amount at the purchasing time to extend that period, if required. They offer a discount for purchasing via direct wire transfer
How to know whether you are paying a fair price?
This is somewhat of a tricky question. Diamonds comes in a super wide range of prices. The difference of diamond prices depends on the 4 c’s which explained here. In summary, the 4 c’s stands for color, clarity, cut and carat weight.
So, diamonds with much lower prices might be low in either one or more of above factors and the prices increase as the combination of these 4 c’s improve. Bigger diamonds are not necessarily be better and smaller diamonds doesn’t have to be cheap. The price depends on all these 4 factors.
However, different sellers might sell similar quality diamonds at different price points due the differences in their pricing strategies.
I strongly suggest you to go through this 4 c’s of diamonds before making your purchase. Not only that it will help you to make a better decision, it will give you a lot of confidence after the purchase. Last thing you probably want is to spend time worrying about a purchase after it is done.
This video by GIA on how to select a diamond will also give you a quick overview of the the 4 c’s.
Sellers to Avoid
All the above are totally legitimate stores. You have to pay extra attention only if you are buying from Etsy, when selecting the exact seller. But Etsy in general is a highly trusted and appreciated online market place.
If you want to buy from someone else, that is absolutely fine. But, it is always better to vet the seller through online reviews, facebook comments, and other similar means. You should contact the seller directly as well and ask them for more details on the product you want to purchase. You will be able to get a good idea on the professionalism of that company based on how they respond. If you have to wait for days to get a response or if they are not willing to answer your questions, don’t waste your time.
It is especially important to ask for a valid certificate for the diamonds. This is important as there are plenty of synthetic diamonds in the market as well as stones such as white zircon which are sold as diamonds.
Due to the horror stories of how diamonds are actually mined, a program called The Kimberly Program was introduced in 2003. Diamonds sellers can participate in the program to confirm that the diamonds they sell are ethically sourced and no money is being channeled to wars and terrorism in Africa.
All the big stores listed above are a part of the Kimberly Program and for Etsy, you have to check with the individual seller about the source of their diamonds.
Final Thoughts
The objective of this long post was to give you a few recommendations and tips on the best place to buy diamond engagement rings online.
I gave several options covering a range of different advantages and disadvantages including some important other tips to make a better purchasing decision.
Buying a diamond engagement ring online can feel as a hectic task due to the significance of the product. But I hope, I managed to give you good list of stores and tips to make you feel much more comfortable with your purchase.
I would love to hear your thoughts and please also let me know any questions you might have.
Are you planning to buy emeralds online but afraid of getting ripped off and ending up with a low quality emerald? Or are you left with too many choices and want to select the best one? Don’t worry, in this article, you will learn all about, how to buy emeralds online in the correct way.
It Is Easier Than You Think
Emeralds are indeed a fascinating gemstone and one of the most valuable gemstone types in the world along with blue sapphire and ruby. The strong green color of a high quality emerald is so unique and unmatched to anything else in nature. Emerald was also the favorite gemstone of Queen Cleopatra in ancient Egypt due to its remarkable beauty.
Buying gemstones and jewelry online has become very popular these days. With the right knowledge to take a decision, you should not be afraid in buying such valuable products without visiting a physical store.
When comes to emerald, if you know the deciding factors of the gemstone quality and price, you can select emeralds which gives the best value for the money you spend.
I will take you through these factors in this article. But if you are only looking for some recommendations on online jewelry stores to buy emeralds, James Allen, Blue Nile or Leibish are my recommendations to buy high quality emeralds and jewelry. If you are looking for a cost effective store, you can try Etsy. But recommending these stores is not the only objective of this article. I will explain you how to make a good buying decisions when you are buying emeralds online.
How To Buy Emeralds Online?
Just like for all other gemstones, the quality and the price of a gemstone can be summarized under the famous 4 c’s : color, clarity, cut and carat weight. When you ask yourself the question “How to by emeralds online?”, you are essentially looking for the correct balance of these four factors.
Color of Emerald
Out of the 4 c’s, the color is the most important when you are buying emerald as it is the most unique and desired property of this stone after all.
The best green color of emerald is so unique that it has got his own name “Emerald Green”. The color can vary from a vibrant green to dull green, with a bluish tone to yellowish tone. Since the price vary very much on the color, it is important to know how to select the best color emeralds.
Color of any gemstone including emerald is categorized into three sections: hue, tone and saturation.
Hue
Hue means the actual color variation of the stone. Emeralds can be pure green, bluish green or yellowish green. The most desirable emeralds are bluish green to pure green (along with the right tone and saturation which will be explained next). The price of emerald drops when a yellow tint is present.
Two of the famous emerald producers in the market today are Colombia and Zambia. Colombian emeralds are considered to have a more intense and warmer green, and a cooler and bluish green in Zambian emeralds. But in reality, both these sources produce emeralds across this color range.
If the hue of the stone is too yellowish or bluish, it will no longer be considered as emerald. (Since emerald belongs to the beryl family of gemstones, when the stone is yellow, it will be called heliodor and when it is blue, it becomes aquamarine)
The emeralds with high transparency and no color zoning visible to the naked eye can be very expensive.
(Color zoning means, there will be differences in the color along the gemstone, and transparency is linked with the clarity of the stone which I am explaining shortly)
Some of you might be wondering how the colors can change so much given that it is the same gemstone. The reason for the changes in the color is the difference in trace elements. Vanadium, chromium and iron are the trace elements for emerald and the color change happens due to changes in the percentages of each of these elements.
Tone of Emerald
The tone specifies whether the stone is light or dark. Natural emeralds fall in between very light to very dark.
Saturation
Saturation essentially speaks of the intensity of the color emerald. The stone can either be dull looking or it can have a strong vivid green. An emerald with good saturation easily catches the eye with its sparkling vivid green.
To summarize these three aspects, an emerald with a pure green, not too dark and has vivid intense color could be more expensive than a dull, dark/light bluish or yellowish green emerald. But in order to get a full understanding of the price of an emerald, let’s continue the discussion to get to know other c’s of emerald as well.
image 1 : The famous “Hooker Emerald Brooch” at the National Museum of Natural History
Clarity
Clarity of a gemstone refers to the presence of inclusions. Most emeralds contains inclusions which are visible to the naked eye and emeralds without visible inclusions can be quite expensive.
Since clear emeralds are so rare, many who buy emeralds are OK with having inclusions in the stone. Therefore, as long as the inclusions are not very significant and doesn’t really damage the look of the stone, don’t mind those too much when buying emerald. And also, there is no clarity grading scale for emeralds as in the case of diamonds.
In fact, if you come across an emerald which has no visible inclusions, it can well be a synthetic emerald. (In such cases, requesting for a valid gem certificate is a good option)
Emerald inclusions are described as looking mossy or jardin (“Jardin” is the French word for garden because the inclusions might look like roots or branches of a plant).
If the inclusions appears as big bubbles or patches, it is better to avoid those emeralds. If the inclusions are close to the surface, there is a tendency to fracture when worn. Therefore, it is better if the inclusions are well below the surface of the gemstone.
If you are purchasing an expensive emerald, you can request a magnified image to see the inclusions. A good seller will certainly accommodate this request as this is an important step in buying emeralds online.
(If you are interested in learning more about different inclusions in emeralds, this article by GIA has a lot of useful information and pictures).
Treating Emeralds for Clarity
Since inclusions are so common in emeralds, it is an acceptable practice to treat those with oil or resins. Even GIA is offering an emerald clarity treatment classification service since early 2000. Cedar oil, synthetic oil and some other polymers are used to treat emeralds but some vendors do not like the use of green tinted oil very much. A valid detailed certificate will include the type of treatments used in the emerald.
As per the US Federal Trade Commission, all emeralds sold should disclose the treatments used.
Cut
Cutting of any gemstone is a different art altogether. A cutter should manage many factors such as the color distribution in a rough gemstone, presence of inclusions, direction of the best color etc.
For emeralds, there are few factors in particular which affects the cut. First one is the presence of inclusions. Since emeralds contain significant fractures, deciding the cutting method to minimize the inclusions in the finished stone is a challenging task.
Secondly, emerald is a relatively brittle gemstone. This is partially due to the presence of inclusions. Therefore, extra care should be taken during the cutting process to avoid damages.
As earlier discussed, the hue, tone and saturation are the deciding factors of an emerald color. Managing these factors is the third important factor in cutting an emerald stone.
Adjusting the height of the stone and number of facets can have effects on the final color. A symmetric cut with uniform facets adds value to any gemstone. A deep cut with fewer facets and a small table will tend to darken the color and a shallow cut with more facets and a larger table will lighten the stone.
Deciding the direction of the table with the direction of the crystal maximizes the pure green or the bluish green of emerald.
Therefore, deciding the depth, facets and direction is the fourth factor to consider in cutting an emerald.
For emeralds, square cut or the emerald cut is considered as the best cuts when considering preserving stones weight. But depending on the shape of the rough stone, other shapes of cuts are also available. If you request a particular cut from a rough emerald gemstone, it can be expensive as there will be a significant loss to get the required shape.
image 2 : A 3.90 carat Zambian Emerald
Carat Weight
Just like for any other gemstone, when the weight is more, the price will be higher given that all the other factors discussed remains the same.
But an emerald weighing 1 carat with a brilliant green, high clarity and good cut can be more expensive than an emerald with damp green with low visibility.
It is important to know that high quality emeralds are very rarely found in larger pieces and could be very expensive. It is commonly accepted that buying a high quality emerald with a lesser weight is much better than buying a stone with a higher weight and lower quality.
Given the rarity of emerald, there can be a big difference in price as soon as the weight goes beyond 1 carat.
Here is a nice video by GIA which shows how one seller deciding on the shape to cut a rough emerald.
How to identify synthetic emerald?
Let’s say you have checked all the above factors and decided on an emerald to buy. But you might be wondering whether the stone is a natural emerald or a synthetic one. When buying emeralds online, checking whether the stone is natural or synthetic by observing through a loop or a microscope is not possible.
If you are buying from a very well reputed seller like James Allen, Blue Nile or Leibish, I would say the chances of them selling synthetic emeralds are zero.
But if you want to be most cost effective and you chose to buy from Etsy for example, then this is a fair concern. Even in etsy, there are sellers with a good amount of reviews. However, if you are buying an emerald, I will recommend you to request for a valid gem certificate which proves that the gemstone is natural. The more details the certificate contains the better as you might be able to get to know about the treatments done to the stone as well.
Even when you are buying from a well reputed seller, don’t hesitate to ask for a certificate if you feel so. The certificates are offered even for emerald jewelry and the cost of a certificate is very low compared to the price of emeralds and jewelry. Hence, the sellers will most probably offer the certificate free of charge (You can find more details on the certificate to request here : “How to buy jewelry online?”).
Final Thoughts
When you ask the question, “How to buy emeralds online?”, the most important thing to consider is how to get the best value for your money without getting ripped off. Therefore, having a good understanding about the deciding factors of the price of an emerald are very important.
As discussed in the article, the price deciders of emeralds are the 4 c’s just like for all the other gemstones. But for emeralds, the color is more important than the other factors. Final price however, is a combination of all the factors discussed.
Another unique point you should keep in mind is the presence of inclusions in emeralds. For other valuable gemstones like Ceylon blue sapphires, you can find stones with superb clarity, but for emeralds, it is extremely rare.
I believe now you have a better understanding and confidence in going about buying emeralds online. Please drop any questions you might have and it will be great to hear your comments on this post as well.
Tsavorite Meaning – A Stone of Prosperity and Wealth
Tsavorite is a stone which was discovered a few decades ago and it is a variation of Grossular Garnet. Even though it is a recent discovery, Tsavorite meaning is an important topic in the field of crystal and gemstones healing and metaphysical properties.
Let’s go through some background information about Grossular Garnet and Tsavorite before discussing the meaning and benefits of Tsavorite.
What is Grossular Garnet?
Grossular Garnet is a calcium aluminum silicate (Ca3Al2Si3O12) and it is a member of the Garnet mineral group. Grossular Garnet comes in almost every color except blue and the most popular is the color green. Main varieties of Grossular Garnets are African Green Garnet, Hessonite Garnet and Tsavorite. Tsavorite is the most expensive out of these three variations.
(Please refer here for more technical information on Grossular Garnet)
About Tsavorite
Tsavorite was discovered by the famous gemologist, Campbell Bridges. He claims that he first saw Tsavorite in 1961 in a rocky area in Zimbabwe. He subsequently found it in Tanzania in 1967 and in Kenya in 1970. In Kenya, it was found in the borders of the Tsavo national park from which it got its name. Campbell and Henry B. Platt, who was then President of the famous jewelry make Tiffany & Co., together gave this stone its name in 1973. Germans have proposed the name “Tsavolite” which could be the same reason why it is still called that (Tsavolite) in Europe. (You can read the story of Campbell Bridges from his own words here)
Since it is a type of garnet, it has a cubic crystal structure and a hardness between 7 – 7.5 in the Moh’s hardness scale. The coloring agent for Tsavorite is mostly vanadium, and occasionally chromium. These are the same trace elements as for Emerald. The stone gets a yellow tint in the presence of iron. Tsavorite is mined in Brazil, Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar, Canada, India and Italy.
Since Tsavorite is a variation of Garnet, it is also considered as a birthstone for the month of January.
image 1 : A Tsavorite Crystal
Tsavorite Meaning
Tsavorite is the most energetically focused and refined manifestation of the Grossular Garnet group. Hence, the benefits and powers of this stone are very interesting indeed. I will discuss Tsavorite meaning under the following categories.
Emotional Benefits
Physical Healing Benefits
Chakra Healing and Energy Balancing
1. Emotional Benefits of Tsavorite
This is a stone of prosperity and wealth. The wealth this brings is not only money but also other pillars of true wealth such as creativity, health, emotional stability and artistic talents. It is a healer of all limitations on the physical plane of life. Tsavorite harmonize with pure green ray and its power and beauty is competitive with Emerald.
Tsavorite opens and purifies the heart chakra. Therefore, it stimulates generosity and charity. It also has the energizing effect on a person and increase the enthusiasm to enjoy life. The stone will help you to align your heart’s desires and make those a reality.
Tsavorite releases emotional grief which is stuck inside a person for a long time. It also alleviates negative feelings of insufficiency and financial anxiety. It fills you with faith and encourage socializing.
When Tsavorite is worn as a gem, it is believed to spread its positive effects to those who see it as well. The green energy fields of Tsavorite influence the energy field of those who behold it and transmit its effects of abundance and prosperity. This feature of transmitting power of Tsavorite is beneficial in group working environments as when one person is wearing it, the whole team will benefit from the positive effects which can lead to the betterment of all.
It also improves the team and community spirit and influences to create team efforts. Tsavorite also stimulates imagination and creativity in social situations.
image 2 : A Pair of Tsavorite Earrings
2. Physical Healing Benefits
Healing benefits are another important aspect of Tsavorite meaning.
It is a gemstone which has positive effects on the recovery from physical or emotional illness. It is considered as an excellent stone to have during the recovery period from a surgery as it helps the healing of the body via boosting cellular regeneration. Tsavorite is a stone capable of stimulating the inherent self-healing power of the body.
Tsavorite strengthen the liver and kidneys. It improves the detoxification and regulate metabolism of fat. Absorption of vitamins is also benefited by Tsavorite. Relieving inflammations throughout the skin and mucous is another benefit of Tsavorite. It is also believed to improve fertility.
Tsavorite is also beneficial in treating rheumatism and arthritis. The thickening and hardening of the walls of the arteries which is known as arteriosclerosis is also benefited by this stone.
Tsavorite stimulates blood circulation, improves the respiratory system and the immune system, and provides protection against highly infectious diseases.
As Tsavorite is a stone which stimulates blood flow, it is a good stone to carry during long trips to prevent deep vein thrombosis. Deep vein thrombosis is caused when a blood clot develops in a large vein. This can happen practically anytime but the probability is higher during long travels as you may be sitting for hours continuously.
3. Chakra Healing and Energy Balancing
As it was mentioned earlier, Tsavorite activates the heart chakra. Heart chakra controls our interactions with the world, what we accept and what we resist. It gives the strength to be independent and hold our values. An imbalanced heart chakra could result in overly reacting to the changes in the environment. One may even feel either trying to over control and being controlled in a relationship.
The green crystal energy of Tsavorite helps to balance the heart chakra by removing blockages which makes us more aware of our emotions and needs. We will be better prepared to understand and accepts the natural ups and downs in a relationship.
image 3 : A 14 K Yellow Gold Tsavorite Ring
Final Thoughts
Grossular Garnets are renowned as powerful prosperity stones. The color energy it brings is another important aspect of Tsavorite meaning.
I believe you were able to learn about benefits and metaphysical properties of Tsavorite from this article. Please let me know if you have any questions and also, don’t forget to share this among other crystal and gemstone lovers.
Pink Tourmaline Metaphysical Properties – A Stone of heart
Pink Tourmaline is a stone known for emotional healing and stimulate love. It is one of the best stones for treating illnesses in the heart. I am going to go through all pink tourmaline metaphysical properties in this article along with a brief introduction to this stone.
What is Pink Tourmaline?
Tourmaline is a considerably large group of “Boron Silicate” minerals. Tourmaline has been in use even before the middle ages in the Mediterranean region. But the stone got its commercial significance when the Dutch imported it from Sri Lanka to Europe in 1703.
Name “tourmaline” also stems from the Sinhalese (the main language of Sri Lanka) word “Thuramali” which means “multi colored”. It has a hexagonal crystal system, specific gravity between 2.8 to 3.3 and hardness between 7 to 7.5 in the Moh’s scale. (More technical information on tourmaline can be obtained from here)
Tourmaline is one of the most diverse gemstone groups when comes to color varieties. It occurs in pink, red, yellow, brown, blue, violet and black colors. Multicolored variations of tourmaline are also very popular and watermelon tourmaline (red and green) is one of the most favorite tourmaline variations.
The color different occurs due to differences in trace elements and for pink tourmaline, the trace element is manganese.
Certain different color variations of tourmaline are also called in their own trade name, for example, indicolite
for blue, rubellite for intense pink/red and verdelite for green tourmaline.
Brazil is the main supplier of tourmaline and Afghanistan, Australia, Myanmar, India, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Pakistan, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe are some other countries.
Pink tourmaline is also the birthstone for the month of September along with opal.
image 1 : A Pink Tourmaline Crystal
Pink Tourmaline Metaphysical Properties
Pink tourmaline is considered as the perfect stone to activate the heart chakra and pink color is also associated with heart, and love. Hence, it is a popular stone for engagement rings. This stone also represents feminine energies. Or, the yin energies as per the Chinese Ying and Yang energy (feminine and muscular energies) theory. I will take you through all the other pink tourmaline metaphysical properties under following categories.
Emotional Benefits
Physical Healing Benefits
Chakra Healing and Energy Balancing
1. Emotional Benefits of Pink Tourmaline
Pink tourmaline is best known to heal emotional wounds a person has been suffering for a long time. Mainly, the emotional wounds from childhood. It treats the damages caused to the auric fields of a person from wrong attachments and abuse.
The stone brings joyful energies stimulating happiness and relaxation. Pink tourmaline contains a high lithium content which has strong calming effects, and hence it helps to calm the mind and the physical body as well.
The soothing energy pink tourmaline emits stimulates comforting feelings, ensuring security. It is also known as a stone which supports in alleviating stress, anxiety and obsessive behaviors. In fact, it is considered as one of the best stones to relieve stress and also stabilize emotional imbalances cause by stress.
Pink tourmaline is also good to free your mind from worries and depression. You can either wear or carry a pink tourmaline, crystal or a gem, with you in order to feel these benefits. When used to relieve stress, worries and obsessive behaviors, pink tourmaline works well with black tourmaline which has similar effects.
This stone is known as a great stone for children as it emits its powerful calming energies on them as well. It is especially useful on hyperactive kids and kids with sleeping problems.
Emotional numbness can also be treated with pink tourmaline. It will help those who are feeling numb to get back the lost passions, desires and enthusiasm.
Pink tourmaline is also considered as the best stone to provide emotional support for teenage mothers, during the pregnancy and also to bond with the child.
This stone can clear and cleanse the emotional body. Emotional barriers which are hindering the development of the spiritual mind can be alleviated by pink tourmaline and it helps to change emotional patterns positively.
Pink tourmaline is one of those stones where it spreads its positive effects to those who are around you as well. It will influence others to be tolerant and positive, and stimulate them to be more loving and kind.
image 2 : A Pink Tourmaline Engagement Ring
2. Physical Healing Benefits of Pink Tourmaline
Healing properties is another key areas in pink tourmaline metaphysical properties.
It is a stone of heart when comes to the physical body as well, just like it is for the emotional body. It helps to calm the heart and has positive effects on the health condition known as angina (It is the chest pain which occurs when the heart muscle doesn’t receive enough oxygen-rich blood). It also helps to stabilize irregular heartbeat and in the recovery process from a heart attack.
The balancing effects it has on the body helps to balance brain signals and activities and thereby assists to achieve a balanced mental state as well.
This stone assists in treatments for all women’s reproductive system conditions and especially in regulating the menstrual cycle to facilitate conception. It also provides support for both girls and boys physically when they are approaching sexual maturity.
Pink tourmaline is believed to be beneficial for spinal code related issues including injuries, the nervous system issues and migraine. It is also good for treating abnormalities in the endocrine system, skin disorders and lungs.
Tourmaline in general is considered as a great stone to create the balance between the two brain hemispheres which creates a balance between mental processes and the auric body.
It helps to reduce fear, and dyslexia by improving the eye/hand coordination and processing of information. Tourmaline is also used to treat motion sickness.
image 3 : A Pink Tourmaline Pendant
3. Chakra Healing and Energy Balancing
As it was mentioned earlier, pink tourmaline is the best stone to stimulate the heart chakra. It also clears and strengthen the link between the crown and heart chakras. This enables the heart to receive the higher level spiritual inspirations. This influence pf pink tourmaline helps to remove the fear of love and also strengthen greater human qualities such as compassion and sympathy.
Final Thoughts
Pink tourmaline metaphysical properties holds an important place in the field of crystal and gemstone meanings, mainly due its powerful effects on the heart chakra. But as I explained in the article, there are many other emotional and physical healing benefits of pink tourmaline as well.
I hope you managed to get a good understanding on the various benefits and powers of pink tourmaline. Please let me known if you have any questions and also, share this article among your friends who love crystals and gemstones.
Alexandrite Metaphysical Properties – A Stone of Joy and Spirituality
Alexandrite is a stone known to fill your spirit with joy and encourage you for a positive inner transformation. This is such a unique stone which demonstrates two different colors in different light conditions and therefore alexandrite metaphysical properties are quite fascinating indeed.
I am going to take you through meaning of alexandrite and hope to cover various benefits, powers and healing properties.
In order to start that discussion, it is important to first understand what alexandrite really is.
What is Alexandrite?
Alexandrite belongs to the beryl family of gemstones and it is a verity of chrysoberyl. Its core chemical component is beryllium aluminum oxide (BeAl₂O₄) and it has a hardness of 8.5 in the Moh’s hardness scale. Therefore, it is one of the hardest gemstones after diamond and corundum.
Alexandrite is also one of the rarest gemstones in the world. It is a color changing gemstone and stones which shows strong color changing properties are even rarer. “Color Changing” means that the gemstone exhibits two different colors under different light conditions. Alexandrite demonstrates green or a bluish green in day light and red or purplish red under incandescent light.
This is a gemstone which was discovered recently, in 1830 to be precise, and hence it does not have a long history like many other gemstones.
If you are interested in learning, more technical and historical information about alexandrite, please refer to this article.
(*Note: If you are planning to buy alexandrite jewelry, you have to be extra cautious as most of the alexandrite used in jewelry are lab grown synthetic alexandrite. Since alexandrite is an extremely rare gemstone, natural ones are quite expensive. Therefore, it is always better to buy from a trusted seller and also request for a gem certificate if you feel so. You might be able to get some more tips from this article here: How to buy jewelry online? )
image 1 : A Natural Alexandrite Crystal
Alexandrite Metaphysical Properties
As a stone of joy and spiritual awakening, alexandrite metaphysical properties are fascinating to learn. I am going to discuss those under following sections.
Emotional Benefits
Spiritual Benefits
Wealth and Work Related Benefits
Chakra Healing and Energy Balancing
Physical Healing Benefits
1. Emotional Benefits of Alexandrite
Alexandrite is believed to carry a joyful energy and the power to transform a person from inside. Since the stone contains two colors, it carries both those color energies – green is the heart energy and purple is the mind energy. This is a representation of adaptability where one can respond from heart, mind or both together when needed.
As a stone of joy, it reminds us of the importance of enjoying even little moments in the life and spending time with whom we love and love us back.
The stone helps to get through a period of grief. It also facilitates to get over self-pity and to focus on the strengths, and move forward. This stone is considered as a great ally to those who tend to procrastinate and always delay actions due to fear.
Even in cases where you feel that you are not receiving the love and encouragement from people around you, the energy of alexandrite will provide you the assistance required to get through such tough times.
Alexandrite encourages to learn from emotionally difficult situations. Even in the most difficult times, the energy of alexandrite will provide hope and aid for you to find solutions.
image 2 : A 14k Rose Gold Alexandrite Pendant
2. Spiritual Benefits of Alexandrite
The effects on spirituality is one of the most important aspects of alexandrite metaphysical properties.
The inner joy which is stimulated by alexandrite is an encouragement to use it for the spiritual gains. The inner ecstasy alexandrite unearth is a glimpse of the joy that can be achieved in higher spiritual realms.
Therefore, a person should be motivated to achieve spiritual success and happiness which is so much peaceful than the happiness achieved in the materialistic world.
Alexandrite also facilitates the mind to connect with its deeper pure form. This communication enables you to understand your life experiences and do what is necessary while having a better understanding of life. This understanding always encourages to develop your better qualities such as compassion, kindness, generosity etc.
3. Wealth and Work Related Benefits of Alexandrite
Alexandrite is a stone known for abundance and can attract wealth since its discovery. It is considered as a sign of fortune and prosperity.
As a stone of heart, it enables to manifest the dreams and desires of you. Alexandrite is also believed to help you emotionally when a change is taking place in your life.
The joy alexandrite brings has similar vibrations with the joy of revealing something. Therefore, this stone encourages intuition and psychic senses. It also helps to trust your intuition better and hence suitable for those who find it difficult to put faith on inner voice, more commonly referred to as gut feeling.
The stone is suitable for teachers and also counselors as it encourages a heart centered approach.
image 3 : A Natural Alexandrite Gemstone – 0.40 carats
4. Chakra Healing and Energy Balancing
As it was mentioned earlier, alexandrite encourages to learn from difficult situations. This benefit of alexandrite can be attributed to its ability of activating both the heart and third eye chakras. Third eye chakra controls our consciousness and the heart chakra is responsible for our needs and emotions.
During difficult times, the energy of alexandrite will helps to keep the emotions balanced ( through activating the heart chakra) and the improved consciousness ( through third eye chakra) will help us to understand the insights which are hidden in the emotions.
In addition to the heart and third eye chakras, alexandrite also stimulates the crown chakra. Crown chakra is the core of our beliefs and values, and defines who we are. It is responsible for how we think and respond to the world around us.
image 4 : A Natural Alexandrite Gemstone – 1.48 carats
Citrine is a well reputed stone to attract abundance and improve imagination, and a gemstone which has been used for thousands of years. Even though it is famous as a crystal for businessmen, citrine stone meaning and uses are diverse. I will be discussing powers, benefits and uses of citrine in the article along with a bit of background information.
It is a yellow color stone ranging from pale, golden yellow, honey color to brown. Since it belongs to the quartz family, citrine bears all physical properties of quartz. For example, it is made of Silicone Dioxide, specific gravity is 2.6-2.7 and has a hardness of 7. (More technical information on citrine can be obtained from here)
When amethyst is heat treated, it becomes citrine (purple quartz becomes yellow). Most of the citrine in the market today comes from Brazil and almost all are heat treated amethyst. Olkhovka in Russia was a famous source for natural citrine but the mine is exhausted now. Colombia, Congo, Madagascar, South Africa, Spain and France are some other sources of natural citrine.
Name citrine comes from the French word “citron” for lemon and the stone has been used in jewelry in ancient Greece as early as 300 B.C. Citrine is also the birthstone for the month of November and Sagittarius zodiac sign.
image 1 : A Citrine Crystal Specimen
Citrine Stone Meaning and Uses
As a healing crystal, a gemstone for jewelry, a stone to attract abundance and good luck, and as a birthstone, citrine holds a unique place in the metaphysical word of gemstone powers. Citrine stone meaning and uses are well diverse and I will discuss those under following sections.
Emotional Benefits
Chakra Healing and Energy Balancing
Wealth, Business and Work Related Benefits
Physical Healing Benefits
1. Emotional Benefits of Citrine
Citrine is a stone capable of increasing the clarity in mind and thoughts. It is also capable of unearthing imaginative and creative powers in the mind, and also the will power. The powerful activation of imagination, creativity and will power by citrine can be attributed to its stimulation of the second, third and sixth chakras, which will be discussed under the chakra healing section.
While improving creativity, citrine also helps to reduce your sensitivity to negative criticism. It helps to increase your self-belief and approach your work with positivism.
Another common problem with most of us is that we forget to appreciate moments of joy and happiness in day to day life. Enjoying even little moments when possible is a key to a happy and fulfilled life. Even at work, ability to enjoy little moments of success and new experiences is extremely important. Citrine helps the mind to be open to happiness and release toxic emotions, such as anger, sadness, fear, and other negative thoughts. Hence, this is also a great crystal for those who are suffering from depression.
image 2 : A Citrine Ring
2. Chakra Healing and Energy Balancing
As it was mentioned earlier in this post, citrine is a powerful stimulator of imagination and this can be explained through its connection to chakras.
Citrine’s vibration energy is capable of activating and harmonizing with the second, third and sixth chakras. The sixth chakra (third eye) stimulates thinking and clears the mind. It also powers the visionary capabilities of the mind. The images that appear in our mind is through this visionary capacity and it is an essential element in imagination. For example, artists, architects, inventors and others in such fields, all create these mental images.
Creativity is stimulated by the second chakra (also called the naval and sacral chakra). It controls the information flow from mind to the body and vice versa. Intuition or what we refer to as gut feeling is powered by this chakra. The visionary capabilities activated by the third eye chakra and the intuition from the sacral chakra works hand in the process of imagination and creation.
The third chakra or the solar plexus chakra, creates the will power of a person. Any innovation or a new imaginative work is not going to be easy and a strong determination, perseverance and will is needed to carry you till the end result is achieved. Citrine activates the solar plexus chakra which strengthens the will power.
3. Wealth, Business and Work
This is one of the most important areas in citrine stone meaning and uses.
Citrine is a well-known stone to attract abundance and hence it is called the “Merchant’s Stone”. It helps to obtain wealth, and also to protect and maintain it.
The stone also helps to stop procrastinating and act upon your plans. It helps you to remove negative toxic thoughts such as fears, doubt, self-pity and makes you trust on your dreams. Citrine also helps you to focus on what needs to be done right now. It is believed to carry the power to ward of negative energies from others such as jealousy and unkindness.
Another benefit of citrine is that it encourages generosity. This is another key to living a happy and fulfilled life.
Citrine helps to improve relationships in professions such as sales and banking, provides security to professions such as doctors. It is a stone known to improve productivity as well. Citrine is a stone which improves relationships and cohesiveness in general, promotes understanding each other and coming up with solutions. Therefore, it can be a valuable asset to have in any work place.
As a powerful stone which stimulates imagination and creativity, citrine is good for anyone in a creative profession.
image 3 : A Citrine Pendant
4. Physical Healing Benefits of Citrine
Citrine is a stone which revitalize the body and improve the physical stamina.
It also strengthens the immune system, spleen and pancreas. Also, citrine improves the capability to fight infections of the kidney and bladder, and it is good to relieve pains in the urogenital tract. It is used in the treatment of bed-wetting, especially for young adults.
The stone supports function of the endocrine system, stimulates proper metabolism and digestion. It is also considered beneficial for the degenerative disease. Reducing growths and balancing of the thyroid glands are also believed to be supported by citrine.
Citrine is good for the hair, nail and skin and for alleviating skin allergies and irritations which occurs as a result of chemical or food intolerance.
Citrine elixir (citrine infused water) is a known traditional medicine for menstrual cramps and chronic fatigue. Additionally, it is used for morning sickness, nausea and vomiting.
The earlier discussed ability of citrine to improve imagination can be connected with its physical healing ability of activating nerve impulses which helps to improve the intelligence and power of concentration. Citrine is also good to treat short-term memory loss.
Final Thoughts
During the cause of this article, I discussed various citrine stone meanings and uses. As mentioned, even though citrine is most famous for attracting wealth and inspiring imagination, it offers many other benefits as well. As a relatively inexpensive gemstone, all the benefits and uses of citrine are quite remarkable.
Hope you managed to learn something new from the article and I would love to hear your thoughts. Please also let me known if you have questions and don’t forget to share this post among your friends.
