Gemstones for Thursday

Carnelian

Carnelian is a translucent to opaque orange form of chalcedony quartz although the colors can range from brown to red. It has a history going back thousands of years and an association with kings and rulers through its use as a royal seal.

It is often found in ancient burial chambers as it was thought to protect the dead as they journeyed into the afterlife. Even now they can be of great comfort to those who have recently lost a loved one.

Carnelian is an energizing gemstone that can bring enthusiasm, positivity and creativity to any upcoming projects and will go a long way in helping you realize your dreams and ambitions.

Sapphire

The world's best loved colored gemstone is the blue sapphire, and this gemstone is also available in several other gorgeous colors, yellow, orange, green and pink. The only color you cannot find is a deep red then it is a ruby!

Sapphires have always been associated with royalty, from the maharajahs and princes of India to the modern day Princesses, Diana and Kate.

Its virtues seem almost endless – wisdom, hope, faith, protection, abundance, fidelity and focus – and that does not include its many physical health benefits.

The sapphire is one of the world's rarest natural objects, formed by millions of years of heat and pressure then faceted by man into a work of art. It is the most expensive blue gemstone (not counting the almost priceless and ridiculously rare blue diamond) and coveted by the rich and royal for millennia for its outstanding hardness, luster and color.