The Historical Use of Gemstones & Crystals

People used stones, shells and other objects for personal adornment as early as the Upper Paleolithic period (25,000-12,000 B.C.E.). Beads of carnelian and quartz date to 6000 B.C.E. in Mesopotamia Gemstone jewelry and talismans were found in tombs throughout the ancient world. In India, a belt excavated from a tomb (dated to 3000 B.C.E.) contained agate, carnelian, jade, jasper and lapis lazuli. Beautiful stones were valued and used in trade. Lapis lazuli was used in trade from Afghanistan to Egypt as early as 3000 B.C.E. By 2000 B.C.E. Baltic amber was being traded by the Phoenicians throughout the Mediterranean area. Not only were these gemstones esteemed for their attractive colors, but also their magical properties.

In ancient Egypt, gemstones were left as votive offerings in tombs of pharaohs and other important people. Egyptian jewelry utilized colorful gems to emphasize sacred symbols such as the falcon, sun disk and the lotus. The red carnelian symbolized rebirth and was used in funerary objects to aid the deceased in the next world. King Tutankhamen’s body had 143 items of jewelry and amulets of carnelian, lapis, jasper, jade, obsidian, quartz and turquoise secreted in the wrappings. The solid gold mask that covered his head was inlaid with carnelian, quartz, obsidian and turquoise. Lapis lazuli and turquoise have been found in many other burial chambers throughout the region. In life, Egyptians crushed malachite and other stones to add color to their eyelids. Lapis lazuli was used a great deal in gold statuary. The “Triad of Osorkon” (statue of Horus, Osiris and Isis, circa 889-866 B.C.E.) in the Louvre, Paris, is an exquisite example. Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan has been discovered in 6,000-year-old tombs in Morocco and around the Baltic Sea.

The ancient Sumarians used gemstones to indicate social status and to honor the gods and goddesses by decorating altars. The Sumarian people used onyx and quartz for seals of state. These seals were carefully shaped and carved and occasionally pierced providing double-duty as a necklace. Many other stones such as agate, carnelian, jasper and obsidian were carved into figurines, cups, beads and an array of objects for personal adornment.

The use of jade in China has been traced back 4,000 years. The workmanship applied through carving increased the value of jade objects. Across the ocean in the New World, ancient Mexicans placed a higher value on jade and turquoise than on gold.

Gemstones are mentioned throughout The Bible. Ezekiel 28:12-14 states while describing Hiram of Tyre’s robe, “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.” (Carbuncle was a catch-all term for rubies, spinels and garnets.) In Revelation 21:18-20, “And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald.” Exodus 28:8-10 gives notice of early engraving: “And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel.”

The Christian practice of honoring the memory of saints by creating reliquaries with their remains called for the use of many jewels. A famous amulet, the talisman of Charlemagne, was decorated with two large sapphires and was said to hold a piece of the cross. Elaborate ornamentation in churches and cathedrals utilized gemstones. In the chapel of St. Joseph, Westminster Cathedral, England, Iberian agate and Canadian onyx provide a backdrop for a fleur de peche Italian marble column.

The oldest known text about minerals was written by Theophrastus. Pliny included data about gemstones in his writings on natural history. Gemstones were written about in relation to travel by Marco Polo (thirteenth century) and Jean Baptiste Tavernier (seventeenth century).

The ancient methods for fashioning gemstones consisted of smoothing and polishing them to bring out the colors. India was the center of this work where methods were perfected. It was not until the Middle Ages that cutting gemstones came into practice. From Italy it spread to other parts of Europe. Over the centuries many types of cuts have been developed – some are special to a particular type of stone such as diamond or emerald to bring out their specific qualities. Other types of cuts become the fashion rage, then fade.

In addition to being admired for their beauty, gemstones have been put to industrial use. Feldspar was the secret ingredient in the clay used to manufacture Chinese porcelain. Without this, Europeans could not produce porcelain of equal high quality for several centuries. Gemstones also serve us in our modern world. Already mentioned, the piezoelectric properties of quartz have made them useful in our wrist watches. Piezo comes from the Greek word piezin which means “to squeeze”. Basically, squeezing or putting pressure on quartz crystals causes them to release an electrical charge. Some gemstones have pyroelectric properties – an electric charge is released when the stone is heated and cooled.

Excerpted from
Gemstone Feng Shui
© Sandra Kynes