What meaning and virtues are attributed to stones?
Stones, precious, fine or ornamental, translucent or opaque, have the capacity to fascinate men and women since the dawn of time. Their beauty gives rise to emotions, thoughts and sometimes beliefs. Throughout history, they have been attributed symbolic values and even powers. Some, more sceptical, warned against charlatans who encourage superstitions with the aim of abusing people in order to extract money from them. Thus Pliny the Elder (23-79) wrote: “I shall demonstrate the odious deception of sorcerers who peddle the most shameless claims about gems.”
In my daily life as a jeweller, I find that the seductive power of gems is still intact. The idea that we today feel the same emotions when we look at a gem as our ancestors did thousands of years ago moves me.
We can easily imagine that the colour of stones prompted humans to draw parallels with what they saw and experienced in their daily lives and so stones became symbols. Green stones, such as emerald or jasper, are reminiscent of the plant world, of the crops essential to life. These stones thus become the symbol of hope, renewal and immortality. The ruby and the red garnet evoke fire and blood. They become the symbol of strength and life, and then of ardour. Blue stones, such as sapphire and lapis lazuli, remind us of the sky, where the gods sit, and from where the lightning comes. They are also reminiscent of the sea, of water, which can be devastating, like the strength of the gods. Yellow or orange stones, such as amber, carnelian or gold represent the sun. The light and warmth of the sun make them the symbol of goodness and joy of life.
Thanks to their beauty, stones are seen as divine manifestations and the powerful, emperors, kings, or simply tribal chiefs used them to communicate with the gods. Polycrates of Samos, a respected tyrant, considered that he was enjoying too much happiness. To compensate for this imbalance, he sought to feel sadness by throwing his ring into the sea. This was to appease the goddess fortune.
Through this symbolism, stones become emblems. Sapphires, set in the royal crowns of the Middle Ages, symbolise the union of the monarch with the divine and rubies his ardour in battle. Other strata of society used gems as a social badge. The more expensive and abundant the gems worn, the higher the status of the wearer.
Some even attribute a therapeutic or protective function to stones and gems. While in ancient medicine they were incorporated into various potions to be ingested, a new quest for spirituality is making lithotherapy fashionable these days. The term “lithotherapy” (litho=stone in Greek) has only been around for a few decades. It is a non-scientific medical practice based on the idea that stones emit vibrations or resonances that affect the body or the mind. In contact with a person, the stones would then be able to heal or improve the well-being of the person. We have seen above that the ruby symbolises fire, blood and the ardour and strength to fight. For example, a client who needed energy once asked me – on the advice of an Indian astrologer – to create a ring with a ruby.
In addition, many Indians wear rings set with nine stones, assembled in a certain order. According to Hindu tradition, these stones represent the nine planets and each one has a specific protective or charitable function. Here we see the link between astrology and lithotherapy.
In the 18th century, the Jewish community in Poland assigned a stone to each of the twelve signs of the zodiac, and therefore to each month, following a new reading of the Bible. Subsequently, a belief spread that the “birthstone” or “stone of the month” had the ability to favour those who wore them. There are a multitude of lists with various month stones, probably based on the interests of their sources.
The ‘magic’ of stones is felt by many people. Either they are touched simply by their beauty, their uniqueness and the fact that nature could have produced such a beautiful thing naturally, or they stimulate the imagination and the interpretation goes further and sometimes mixes with convictions or beliefs, linked to the initial intuition.
Even if there is something universal in the effect that stones have on us, it is also a very personal and individual matter. For we are not all attracted to the same stones.
If you choose a stone for yourself, it must correspond to your taste and character. A quiet and discreet person will probably feel uncomfortable with a bright red stone. Instead of looking for lists and interpretations that others have made, I advise you to trust yourself and “listen” to your emotions, when choosing a stone for a custom-made piece of jewellery.
You will then find your own. The one that nature has made for you.
Arnoldi International