D.J. Conway - Crystal Enchantments: A Complete Guide to Stones and Their Magical Properties

Disclaimer: The information contained within this book is in no way intended as a substitute for medical counseling. Please do not attempt self-treatment of a medical problem without consulting a qualified health practitioner. The author and publisher expressly disclaim any and all liability for any claims, damages, losses, judgments, expenses, costs, or injuries resulting from any products offered in this book by participating companies and their employees or agents. Nor does the inclusion of any resource group or company listed within this book constitute an endorsement or guarantee of quality by the author or publisher.

Copyright 1999 by D. J. Conway

All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Crossing Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Conway, D. J. (Deanna J.)
Crystal enchantments / by D. J. Conway.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
1. CrystalsPsychic aspects. 2. Precious stonesPsychic aspects. 3. Magic. I. Title.

BF1442.P74C66 2000
133.2548dc211

99-36233

eISBN: 978-0-307-78586-2

v3.1

G A T E O F S T ONE

The Magical Allure of Stones

I t is not unusual anymore to see people wearing rock crystal or amethyst points hung on chains and earrings, or set in rings. Geodes, crystal clusters, crystal balls, or solitary crystals decorate office desks, homes, or little altars. Set small children down with a box of tumbled stones, and they will entertain themselves for quite some time. Even adults find it a satisfying, relaxing pastime. Many people consider this attraction to crystals and other stones a modern era, New Age phenomenon, but this is hardly the case. The magical allure of stones has attracted humans for thousands of years.

From the very earliest times, humans have been intrigued by and drawn to stones. Not only did these early humans use various stones to make tools and weapons, but they sensed the magic within certain stones and learned to use that as well. Stones became the gateway to the use of psychic powers, healing, spiritual development, protection, and divine guidance. We commonly think of the ancient Egyptians when we think of the ancient uses of stones. However, the stone history goes back much further than that.

Archaeologists have determined from their excavation discoveries that the people of the Upper Paleolithic Period (25,00012,000 B.C.E. ) were already decorating themselves with shells, pieces of bone, teeth, and unique pebbles. One of the most sacred stones in this period was amber.

Cultures in Mesopotamia in the seventh millennium B.C.E. fashioned beads of carnelian and rock crystal. About 2,000 years later, in the same region, they were engraving cylinder seals of such stones as steatite and marble; by the fourth millennium they also made seals of rock crystal.

The ancient Indus civilization of the third millennium B.C.E. was working with a great many gemstones available in that region of India. A womans belt, recovered during excavations in Harappa, clearly represents the gemstones known and used by this culture: red carnelian, green steatite, agate, jasper, amazonite, jade, and lapis lazuli. Very early works in Sanskrit on astrology (400 B.C.E. ) detail the power of the known stones of that region.

Lapis lazuli mines were operating in Afghanistan about 5000 years ago, as were turquoise mines on the Sinai Peninsula. Evidence of a thriving export trade in gems has been found throughout the Mediterranean area and, in some cases, well beyond this. Afghanistan lapis was reaching Egypt well before 3000 BCE and ancient Sumer by 2500 B.C.E.. Gems from the same mining sources have been traced to Greece, Rome, India, and even China.

The Phoenicians, who were great travelers and sea merchants, traded for amber around the Baltic Sea, then carried it for sale to North Africa, Turkey, Cyprus, and Greece. This has been confirmed by spectroscopic analysis of amber beads found in graves of Mycenaean Greece. Amber beads found in Crete and England have been dated from 2000 B.C.E. , while amber pendants and beads discovered in Estonia date from 3,700 B.C.E.. After the time of Alexander the Great (356323 BCE ), trade between the East and West increased, thus bringing many new gemstones to light.

Our greatest knowledge of the Egyptian use of gemstones comes from tomb excavations, particularly that of Tutankhamen, who reigned from 1361 to 1352 B.C.E.. The Egyptians strong belief in an afterlife caused them to use many stones to protect the dead and bring them good luck with the Underworld judges. Archaeologists found 143 pieces of jewelry with the mummy of Tutankhamen; these were made of gold, carnelian, jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise, obsidian, rock crystal, alabaster, amazonite, and jade. In contrast to the Babylonians who were not too concerned about an afterlife, the Egyptian jewels often show little everyday wear.

Gemstones set in rings were a late addition to human adornment. Rings made of gold, silver, iron, carved amber, and ivory were the first types worn by the Egyptians, Greeks, Etruscans, and other Mid-Eastern cultures. These rings were plain in the beginning, then gradually became signet rings, used in the same way as the cylinder seals for signing documents. Bronze Age rings from a Scythian settlement on the Caspian Sea have been dated to the second millennium BCE . There is a clay tablet from the reign of Artaxerxes I of Persia that records the sale of a gold and emerald ring. In fact, this tablet contains a guarantee that the stones will not fall out for twenty years, something you could not possibly get a dealer to sign today.

When gemstones began to be set in rings (a different date for each culture), setting stones in necklaces, earrings, bracelets, pins, and hair ornaments quickly followed. By the time of Imperial Rome, it was common to give birthday rings (anuli natalitii).

The later Greeks began to collect information and write about the medicinal qualities of gemstones. These mineralogical and medical texts were called lapidaries. Many of the virtues and astrological symbolism connected with stones in these writings come from earlier Arabic lapidaries. The oldest surviving mineralogy book, On Stones, was written by the Greek Theophratus (c. 372287 B.C.E. ), who was considered to be the successor of Aristotle. Another early Greek lapidary was written by Damigeron; this was later translated into Latin between the first and sixth centuries. The 37-volume Historia Naturalis was written by Pliny the Elder (2379 C.E.) , who compiled all the information of his predecessors; however, only volume 37 had anything on precious stones. Pliny was killed while watching the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.