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am ornamental gemstones. I am Jade, Lapis Lazuli, Chalcedony and Turquoise. It is believed I possess the essence of life, and I am considered to be God's given gift to man.
JADE, stone of heaven, is not just one gemstone but two. One, called Nephrite, has been found throughout the world but was especially prized by the ancient Chinese who called it Yu, which means "precious stone of great beauty."
The other Jade, a relative newcomer when compared to Nephrite, is called Jadeite. It has been mined in Myanmar (Burma) since the late 18th Century and is highly sought after for its intense green color although it, like Nephrite, comes in a range of colors. |
LAPIS LAZULI Lapis, with its deep, azure blue, often flecked with golden pyrite inclusions, was treasured by ancient Babylonian and Egyptian civilizations. Persian legend says that the heavens owed their blue color to a massive slab of Lapis upon which the earth rested.
TURQUOISE Turquoise, with its robin's egg blue hue, is among the oldest known gemstones. It graced the necks of Egyptian Pharaohs and adorned the ceremonial dress of early native Americans and has been attributed with healing powers as well as promoting the wearer's status and wealth.
CHALCEDONY Agates, Jaspers, Bloodstone, Carnelian and black Onyx, all make up the Chalcedony gemstones. A form of Quartz, the Romans prized them as seals, and the Victorians carved them into an endless array of cameos and intaglios. To this day, the elegant appeal of black Onyx makes it the choice of those who prefer basic black. |
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