Jewelry Lore, D-M

The second part of my George Kunz inspired article series.

Diamond

Made of pure carbon, diamonds are born underground through tremendous heat and pressure. Since ancient times, the stone was known for its exceptional hardness. Its name originates from the Greek “adamas,” meaning unbreakable. From the 17th century onward, diamond cutters started faceting the jewel to achieve brilliance within the stone, leading to the diamond's reputation for shine.

The first known diamond connoisseurs originated in India, with texts dating from 283 BCE and earlier describing the importance of the jewel. Diamonds were and are admired there for their luster, hardness and ability to scratch metals. Size was more valued than internal brilliance, leading to cuts such as the Mughal cut that preserve carat weight. Diamonds were also associated with the divine, with the deity Indra wielding a thunderbolt known as “Vajrayudham,” or “diamond weapon.”

India eventually traded its lesser quality stones to Greece and Rome. Pliny the Elder wrote of diamonds in his book Naturalis Historia, calling the gemstones the most valuable of all jewels and human possessions. He stated that diamonds counteract poison and madness while removing fear. Like in India, the hardness of the stone was deeply admired, leading high ranking people to wear diamond rings, possibly as a talisman.

Mineralogist George Kunz wrote "the diamond is to the pearl as the sun is to the moon." He compares diamonds to a knight, a symbol for fearlessness and invincibility. Kunz recounts traditions which state wearing a diamond is to take on its virtues of strength and transparency. Other writers who loved diamonds include Saint Hildegarde, who wrote a 1254 text of the diamond's ability to resist demonic influences. A 1531 book called "de lapidibus" said setting diamonds in gold and wearing them on the left arm dispels night time monsters, while an alchemist named Pierre de Boniface believed wearing a diamond turned one invisible.

Before scientists discovered the origins of diamonds, legends tried to explain their birth. One 14th century Italian text attributed the stone as a byproduct of thunder. Plato felt that diamonds came from the stars, and that the jewel had the ability to create gold.  The 17^th century chemist Robert Boyle believed that diamonds, being transparent, were formed from clear water.

Diamonds are strongly associated with romantic love and weddings. One of the most famous instances was in 1477, when Mary of Burgundy received a diamond ring as an engagement token from her intended, Archduke Maximilian of Austria.  He chose diamonds and their unbreakable nature as a symbol of the strength of their relationship. The archduke's gift prompted other wealthy families to give diamond rings at betrothals, a tradition that eventually reached all classes.

In the Child Ballad “Hind Horn,” princess Jean gives her beloved Hind Horn a ring with seven diamonds to remember her by, before he leaves on a long journey. One day, he looked at the ring and noticed that the stones had paled. Hind Horn took this as a sign that something was amiss and rushed back to Jean's side, to find her about to marry another. The pair prevented the wedding and married one another, creating a happy ending.

In the 1930s, diamond company De Beers revived public awareness linking the enduring strength of diamonds with the steadfastness of married life. De Beers also emphasized the jewel's connection to love, insisting that it's the best possible gemstone for engagement and wedding rings. Today, diamonds remain the jewel of choice for engagements and weddings.

Diamonds are admired for their hardness, durability, and clarity. For countless years these attributes have been linked with supernatural abilities and gifts that can be conferred to the stone's owner. In time, diamond's mystical powers became linked with love, symbolizing everlasting relationships. The romantic connection effects jewelry and jewelry design to this day.

Emeralds

One of the most famous types of beryl, emeralds are beloved for their intense green. This stone has been coveted since at least 330 BCE, and set into jewelry everywhere from Colombia to India. Along with its verdant hues, emeralds are admired for their eye visible clarity characteristics, known as jardin. A fragile gem, they're usually cut into cabochons or rectangles with cut corners to discourage chipping.

Pliny the Elder said that looking at an emerald is the best way to relieve eye strain. While the color green and green stones were believed to reduce eye strain, with emeralds the best medium for treatment. On a similar sight related note is the Renaissance idea that emerald allowed one to foresee the future.

Conversely, emeralds were believed to be detrimental to the sight of venomous snakes. Ahmed Teifasbi wrote in 1242 of his experiment testing the idea. He made arrangements to borrow a viper in a basket from a snake charmer. After using a very long stick to put an emerald in front of the viper's face, the animal became dazed and confused. It fled the basket, but not knowing here to go, soon went still.

Wearing an emerald on the index finger could help prevent disease. Other health benefits of emeralds include wearing it around the neck to treat fevers. If a person wore an emerald on a string long enough to let the jewel rest on the stomach, and placed another emerald in their mouth, they would be cured of poison and other stomach upsets. Other doctors of yore used emeralds to treat nerve ailments and hemorrhages.

Emeralds were associated with the ability to reveal the truth. Through this power, the jewel could reverse evil spells and enchantments. A malicious spell caster would be unable to start or complete their work if they were anywhere near an emerald. From there, the jewels also became charms against harmful magic.

One side effect of emeralds and honesty were the stones enabling their wearer to speak in an articulate and beautiful manner. The owner could grow wittier, gain a sharper memory and have the presence of mind to do well in finances. Other forms of truth included learning if a sweetheart's pledge of love was true or false.

Emeralds and their verdant shades are associated with the flora of the natural world. Their bright color links the stone with spring, which may be why the stone is the birthstone of May. A variety of cultures and religions connect green with nature and plant life. From there, emeralds are linked with spring, growing seasons, youth and rebirth.

The color of emeralds does more than delight those who see it. Through the ages, people have determined that its deep green is so beautiful, it must have further qualities. The poetically inclined connected the jewel with nature, spring and renewal. Other tested the stone for health benefits, believing its color and mystical associations could restore the body and prevent harm.

Garnet

Garnets are best known as deep red stones used in jewelry since the Roman Empire. They’re actually a broad family of jewels with similar chemical formulas. The different elements built into their crystal structures provide garnets with a rainbow of colors and saturation levels.

Mineralogist George Kunz believed some forms of garnet were mistaken for amethyst, and similarly used to prevent intoxication. He believed that as with amethysts, ancient Greeks carved drinking vessels from purple or reddish garnets. Any water poured into these cups would take on the color of wine and could be consumed with little risk of drunkenness.

A thirteenth century book called "The Book of Wings" outlines how to make amulets from gemstones. When a lion was carved upon a garnet, the stone brought and preserved honor for its wearer. Garnet lion also served as protection from disease and ensures safety when traveling. When combined with chalcedony, garnets helped to keep sailors from drowning.

Under the name "carbuncle," red garnets were believed to stimulate the heart, treat inflammation and hemorrhaging and create a calming influence. Other lore stated that these garnets increased anger and other strong emotion, making it a jewel to be worn sparingly. The physician Paracelsus called carbuncles "golden stones," which to him made them ideal for treating heart ailments.

Garnets have a strong and at times contradictory role with calendar signs and the stars. While carbuncles were linked with Mars and Venus, garnets were associated with the sun. Garnets are also connected with Aquarius and Scorpio, depending on the tradition. Neither zodiac sign overlaps with January, garnet's birth stone month.

One carbuncle made a memorable appearance in detective literature. One late December, Sherlock Holmes discovers a roasted goose with a priceless blue garnet in its crop. While the carbuncle’s owner is quickly found, Holmes investigates how the jewel traveled from a hotel room to the inside of a farm bird. The story of the blue carbuncle has been replicated countless times on TV and other media.

Garnets have been admired for countless ages. Its red version, also known as a carbuncle, has been given many special properties, ranging from protection, good health and sobriety. When combined with other gemstones or certain imagery, garnets became especially potent. Other colors, such as blue and purple, are also acknowledged in lore.

Jade

Jade is a name shared by two gemstones, jadeite and nephrite. Both jewels are famed for their shades of green, though jadeite can take on many hues and nephrite may be streaked with white. Though they aren't as hard as some other gemstones, jade is among the toughest of stones, able to resist chipping and strong blows. Between its beauty and durability, the jewel has been carved into ornaments, statues, tools and even clubs.

The English name for jade derives from the Spanish “piedra de ijada” or “stone of the flank,” from a Central American belief that holding the jewel to one's side would cure a variety of ailments, especially kidney troubles. The name for nephrite is a reference to this medicinal purpose. A Ming dynasty era text by Li She Chan states further health benefits of jade. When pulverized, the stone would strengthen the heart, lungs and voice. If jade powder was made into a potion with rice and dew, the patient would gain a strong body along with a clear mind.

Jade has long been admired in China, where it is associated with ideals such as purity, virtue, wisdom and loyalty. In Chinese, the written word for “jade” appears in the characters for “precious” and “treasure.” It’s also a favored medium for carving symbols for heaven, immortality, happiness and prosperity. Along with decorative and ritual purposes, Chinese jade has also been fashioned into everyday objects such as writing tools.

Initially, in the Joumon period of Japan between 1,000 and 300 BCE, comma shaped magatama jewels could be made from a variety of materials, including clay, slate and jade. By the 300 BCE-300 ACE Yayoi era, the materials for magatama became more selective until by 250 ACE jade was the dominant material used to make the jewels. By this time, magatama were used for ceremonial burials, and incorporated into Shinto lore, such as the story of the sun goddess biting off pieces of magatama, creating more gods.

As greenstone, jade is held in high esteem by the Maori of New Zealand. Hei-tiki pendants considered heirloom worthy cultural treasures and worn on special occasions. Though some examples are made from ivory or bone, most hei-tiki are made from greenstone, emphasizing the pendant's special status. Jade is/was used to symbolize prestige, a chief's power, and would be gifted to symbolize a peace agreement. A blade known as a mere is frequently made of greenstone, passed down family lines, used as a symbol of leadership, and has strong spiritual power. As such, especially esteemed mere were carefully hidden when not in use.

Jade was also mined in pre-Columbian central America and used by a variety of cultures, including the Mayans and Olmecs. In this region, jade often had strong religious associations, such as with Mayans and the sun, or Olmecs with water. The stone was often carved into masks, representations of gods and other figurines as well as jewelry and mosaic pieces.

Jade is a gemstone beloved for countless years, across many cultures. It's often imbued with religious significance and carved into ceremonial items. Jade's perceived spiritual benefits are at times transferred into bodily good, leading the jewel to be used as a medicine. All of these meanings and purposes made jade a gemstone worthy of the highest ranked in society.

Lapis Lazuli

Lapis lazuli is the merger of several stones, including lazulite, calcite and pyrite. The result is a blue gemstone bearing streaks of white along with gold flecks. Lapis lazuli has been beloved for over six thousand years, admired by many civilizations. The most prized incarnations of the stone are a royal to deep blue with few traces of white.

One of the most famous examples of lapis lazuli in art dates back thousands of years. The funeral mask of the pharaoh Tutankhamen is a monument of craftsmanship. Along with its base of yellow gold, the mask is decorated with enamel and contains a large number of jeweled inlays. Lapis is used to highlight the eyes of the pharaoh.

Up until the middle ages, lapis lazuli was often referred to as sapphire. Hence, for a time lapis lazuli was considered to have many of the mystical properties of sapphire, which was later transferred to the blue corundum. Ancient descriptions of sapphire as a stone with gold streaks is due to the naming quirk.

Lapis lazuli has featured prominently in fine art. Not only is it still carved into mosaics, vases, statues and other three dimensional art, lapis has also been in paintings. Between the 6^th century ACE and 1828, the brilliant blue pigment known as ultramarine was made from mixing ground lapis lazuli with melted wax, and kneading the mixture in lye several times to remove impurities. Due to the cost of the gemstone and difficulty of grinding it into the fine consistency needed for painting, ultramarine was often reserved for coloring the most holy of imagery. Synthetic ultramarine was developed in 1828, allowing more lapis to be used in other applications.

The jewel is said to encourage interpersonal relationships. Lapis lazuli may be seen to represent friendship and truth. The stone also has the power to encourage harmony between others and help its wearer speak freely. Dreaming of lapis lazuli may indicate faithful love.

Despite some name confusion, lapis lazuli is always lapis lazuli, even when it was called sapphire. Much of the lore attributed to lapis has now applies to blue corundum. This doesn't erase lapis lazuli's bright history in the arts. From statues, masks and paintings, lapis had made appearances both prominent and subtle.

Moonstone

Moonstones are a type of feldspar prized for the layer of haze that floats just beneath its surface. This sheen, known as adularescence, closely resembles moonlight, giving the jewel its name. The most prized of moonstones are transparent with a blue body color, adding to the ethereal nature of the stone. As a jewel that resembles the sky, it awoke many legends.

As a gemstone connected with the moon, it's lore is strongly linked with the night sky and those associated with it. Roman and Hindu mythology say moonstone is made from frozen or solidified moonlight. Indian further states that moonstones are so special, they should only be displayed with holy colors. Romans connected the jewel with their lunar goddess Diana.

Moonstones are regarded as potent talismans for good fortune. It is recommended for 13th wedding anniversaries, as a charm against the unluckiness of the number. The stone also supposed to enhance the feelings lovers feel for one another. If one places a moonstone in their mouth during the full moon, the couple's future will be revealed.

Other mystical properties include moonstone's ability to induce good dreams in Indian lore, and protect fertility in Arabic legends. In France, some specimens were closely linked with the jewel's namesake. Antoine Mizauld wrote in 1571 about a moonstone he learned that it could wax and wane in time with the moon in the sky. He spent a month closely observing the stone to verify this claim, and found that there was a white speck of light on the jewel that acted as a miniature moon.

Moonstones are prized for their misty blue light. They are so reminiscent of the night sky that many of their legends and attributes are related to the moon. The jewel is related to everything from moonlight, lunar goddesses and the phases of the moon. Moonstones are also linked to other positive traits, such as fortune and love.

Sparkly!