Aries Birthstones & Lucky Stones

Agate is one of the most varied stones in the mineral world. It is a banded form of chalcedony, and it turns up in shades of red, grey, white, blue, brown and green, usually arranged in the concentric rings that give the stone its signature look. The bands can be opaque in one layer and almost see-through in the next, so a single polished slice often reads like a cross-section of a small landscape.

The name is traditionally traced to the Achates, a river in Sicily where, according to Pliny, the stone was first found. Agate has been cut and carved for at least four thousand years. Craftsmen in Mesopotamia used it for seals and jewellery, Roman carvers made cameos from it, and the German town of Idar-Oberstein built an entire cutting industry around it. Because agate is tough as well as attractive, old pieces often survive in fine condition.

In the tradition of healing stones, agate is treated as one of the steadier, quieter companions rather than a dramatic one. Different varieties, each with its own colour and pattern, were once matched to different purposes. Pliny lists many named kinds, and a sixteenth-century book of secrets credited to Albertus Magnus singles out agates that are black with white veins or entirely white.

Properties of agate

• It was believed to shield the wearer from harm and to help them find their footing in unfriendly circumstances.

• Old European lore linked agate with pleasant dreams and a peaceful night.

• In modern crystal lore, it encourages a clear-eyed view of facts and helps a person see a situation as it actually is.

• The Renaissance lapidary Camillo Leonardi said agates give their owners victory and strength.

• It is believed to bring a sense of warmth and ease at the end of a tiring day and to help accumulated strain loosen its grip.

• In modern crystal lore it is said to draw off surplus energy, which is why people reach for it during demanding periods.

• Popular belief holds that it makes company easier and helps a newcomer settle into unfamiliar surroundings.

• It has a long reputation as a courage stone, thought to support anyone working through a fear.

• Modern crystal guides credit it with sharpening clarity of thought and the ability to reason through a problem step by step.

• The eleventh-century bishop Marbode wrote that agates make their wearers agreeable and persuasive.

• Leonardi added that agates turn away tempests and lightning, a power Pliny had already reported from the magicians of Persia.

• It has been carried for centuries as protection against the evil eye, since its bold banding catches the eye first and was thought to absorb ill will.

• Its warm, lively character is said to make the good side of an event easier to notice on a difficult day.

• Ancient Egyptians gathered banded agates from the shore and used them as talismans.

• In modern stone lore it is counted among the stones of cheerfulness and inner quiet.

Agate stands for worldly success: old lore says it guards its wearer from danger and gives a bold heart, and modern crystal lore adds that it turns away unwelcome energy. The sixteenth-century scholar Girolamo Cardano held that agates make their wearers temperate and cautious and are therefore useful for acquiring riches. It appeals most to those who want steadiness, calm and a sense of security in ordinary daily life. The uses described here belong to tradition and folk belief and are not a substitute for medical advice.

Hardness: 6.5 - 7

Composition: SiO₂

Specific gravity: 2.60 - 2.64

Chakras: Root, Sacral, Heart

Care: Clean with lukewarm water and a soft brush, then dry well. Undyed agate is light-stable; dyed agate can fade in strong sun and lose colour to solvents.

Aquamarine is the blue to blue-green member of the beryl family, the same mineral group that produces emerald. Its colour runs from the palest wash of sky to a deep sea-blue, and good crystals are famously clean, with far fewer inclusions than emerald. The name comes straight from the Latin aqua marina, meaning sea water, which describes both the colour and the transparency.

The stone forms in long six-sided crystals inside granite pegmatites, and some of them are enormous. Brazil has produced the most celebrated material, including a crystal weighing over a hundred kilograms found in Minas Gerais in 1910. Pakistan, Nigeria, Madagascar and Russia also supply the market. Because the rough is often large and clean, cutters can shape generous emerald cuts and long rectangles that show the colour off at its best.

Sailors carried aquamarine long before it appeared in fashionable jewellery. A Greek lapidary of the third or fourth century lists a sea-green beryl among seven amulets for seafarers, and later tradition kept it as a sailors' charm for a safe crossing. That link to water and to safe passage still shapes the way it is described in stone lore today, where it is treated as a soothing companion rather than a stimulating one.

Properties of aquamarine

• Sailors traditionally carried it as a talisman for a safe voyage and a calm sea.

• It is believed to cool a heated temper and to make an angry moment easier to step back from.

• In modern crystal lore, it helps a person say difficult things plainly and without harshness.

• Modern crystal lore connects it with the throat chakra and with anyone who has to speak in front of others.

• It is said to encourage patience, and crystal lore recommends it to people who tire quickly of waiting.

• Crystal lore describes it as a stone that clears mental fog and restores a sense of order.

• Arnoldus Saxo, writing about 1220, said beryl, the family aquamarine belongs to, helps the wearer against foes in battle and in lawsuits.

• In stone lore it is thought to ease homesickness and the unease of being far from familiar places.

• It is said to bring a sense of ease and open space, like a deep breath of sea air.

• It was thought to bring happiness in marriage, and it is also given as a gift for the nineteenth wedding anniversary.

• Popular belief holds that it softens the fear of open water and of travel in general.

• Medieval lapidaries said beryl quickens the wits, and crystal lore carries that over to study, helping a person hold a thread of thought.

• Folk tradition treats it as a stone of honesty that makes hiding one's feelings feel pointless.

• Crystal lore sets it among the soothing stones, said to settle frayed nerves in stuffy, crowded rooms.

Aquamarine symbolises calm courage, clear speech and safe passage. It suits people who work with words, who travel often, or who simply want a stone that settles the nerves without dulling the mind. The uses described here belong to tradition and folk belief and are not a substitute for medical advice.

Hardness: 7.5 - 8

Composition: Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈

Specific gravity: 2.68 - 2.74

Chakras: Throat, Heart

Care: Clean with lukewarm soapy water and a soft brush. The colour is stable in light, but heat is not recommended, so keep it away from radiators and other strong heat.

Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz, coloured by traces of iron combined with natural irradiation deep in the rock. The shade ranges from a faint lilac to the deep reddish purple that dealers call Siberian, and a single crystal often carries several tones in bands or patches. It grows in geodes, hollow pockets lined with pointed crystals, and a cracked-open amethyst geode is one of the most recognisable objects in any mineral shop.

The name comes from the Greek amethystos, meaning not intoxicated. Greeks and Romans believed a cup carved from the stone, or an amethyst worn while drinking, kept a person clear-headed through a long evening. In the Christian church it became the stone of bishops, set in rings as a sign of sober judgement, and it stayed among the most valuable gems in Europe until vast deposits were found in Brazil and Uruguay in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, which brought the price within everyone's reach.

One practical detail matters for anyone who owns a piece: some amethyst can fade with prolonged exposure to strong light. Left on a sunny windowsill, a stone can slowly lose colour and turn paler, so it is best kept out of strong sun when it is not being worn.

Properties of amethyst

• It is traditionally regarded as a stone of sobriety and self-command, in keeping with the meaning of its name.

• Modern crystal lore holds that it quiets a restless mind at the end of the day, which is why it is often kept near the bed.

• Building on its old reputation for sobriety, crystal lore says it supports anyone trying to break a habit they have grown tired of.

• It is said to take the edge off the strain of a long, noisy day.

• Its Hebrew name suggests an old belief that it induces dreams and visions, and crystal lore adds the ability to recall them.

• Modern crystal lore treats it as a stone of intuition, thought to sharpen a person's first instinct about others.

• In stone lore it is believed to cool anger and to slow down a reaction one might regret.

• Tibetan prayer beads are sometimes strung from amethyst, and crystal lore keeps it close for meditation and any practice that asks for stillness.

• Popular belief associates it with comfort in grief and with sitting quietly through a loss.

• It is said to help a person keep their own counsel in an argument rather than be swept along.

• Church tradition connects it with sobriety and humble piety, which is why it suited clerical rings.

• Camillo Leonardi wrote in 1502 that it keeps soldiers from harm and helps hunters take their quarry.

• Modern crystal lore holds that it clears heavy, stagnant atmospheres in a room.

• It is thought to encourage honest self-assessment without cruelty towards oneself.

• Crystal lore describes it as a stone that helps a decision settle overnight.

Amethyst stands for clarity, restraint and quiet inner authority. It appeals to people who think for a living, who are trying to steady a habit, or who want a stone that calms without making them sleepy. The uses described here belong to tradition and folk belief and are not a substitute for medical advice.

Hardness: 7

Composition: SiO₂

Specific gravity: 2.65

Chakras: Third eye, Crown

Care: Clean with lukewarm soapy water and a soft brush. Some amethyst fades in prolonged strong light, so keep it out of direct sun; avoid heat, steam and sudden temperature changes.

Diamond is carbon in its most compact form. More than 150 kilometres down in the earth, pure carbon is squeezed by enormous pressure and heat into a crystal that is the hardest natural material known. The word comes from the Greek adamas, meaning unconquerable, and the name is earned: a diamond can only be scratched by another diamond. Its famous sparkle comes from the way light bends and splits inside the stone, which is why a well-cut diamond flashes with every colour of the rainbow.

Most diamonds are colourless to pale yellow or brown, and truly colourless stones are the most valued among them. The oldest source was India, where diamonds were picked from river gravels more than two thousand years ago; Brazil followed in the eighteenth century and South Africa in the nineteenth. Russia, Botswana, Canada and Angola are among today's main sources. The largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found, the Cullinan, weighed 3,106 carats when it was unearthed in South Africa in 1905.

In the old world the diamond was a stone of invincibility. In India the same word, vajra, names both the diamond and the thunderbolt, and Hindu gem treatises prized the stone as a royal jewel of power and good fortune. Medieval writers said that whoever carried one would be bold in battle and win in a rightful cause. The custom of giving a diamond ring as a promise of marriage is recorded as early as 1477, when Archduke Maximilian of Austria gave one to Mary of Burgundy, and by the twentieth century the diamond had become the most familiar symbol of lasting commitment.

Properties of diamond

• It is traditionally called the stone of invincibility, named for a word that means unconquerable.

• Folk belief holds that it gives courage to a person who must face a fight or a hard decision.

• According to old sources, it was carried to keep fear and bad dreams away.

• It is said to steady a restless mind and bring a clear, uncluttered way of thinking.

• Traditional accounts link it with faithfulness and with promises meant to last.

• In stone lore it is believed to strengthen a bond between two people who have chosen each other.

• It has a long reputation as a protective stone for soldiers, rulers and travellers.

• Popular belief connects it with purity of purpose and honest intentions.

• Sir John Mandeville wrote in the fourteenth century that a diamond kept its bearer clear-headed and out of strife.

• It is thought to bring a feeling of inner strength to people who doubt themselves.

• Folk tradition treats it as a stone of success and good fortune in a new venture.

• Medieval writers said it turned a witch's or enchanter's spell back on the one who cast it.

• In modern crystal lore it is said to make the energy of other stones stronger when worn beside them.

• It is said to give a person the patience to see a long task through to the end.

Diamond symbolises strength, clarity and a promise that lasts. It suits people who value endurance over show, anyone marking a lifelong commitment, and those drawn to a stone that does not give way. The uses described here belong to tradition and folk belief and are not a substitute for medical advice.

Hardness: 10

Composition: C

Specific gravity: 3.50 - 3.53

Chakras: Crown, Third eye

Care: Clean with lukewarm soapy water and a soft brush, then dry well. Light does not harm an untreated diamond, but a hard knock can chip it, sudden extreme temperature changes can crack it, and ultrasonic or steam cleaners can loosen the setting.

Hematite is iron oxide, and it is the world's most important source of iron. In its polished form it is a dense, mirror-bright silver-grey stone with a metallic shine unlike anything else in a jewellery case. Its most surprising property is the streak: rub hematite across unglazed porcelain and it leaves a rust-red line. That red is where the name comes from, the Greek haima, meaning blood, and it is how the stone is identified in the field.

Hematite is remarkably heavy for its size, noticeably denser than quartz or jade, and that weight is part of its appeal in the hand. Ancient Egyptians carved it into amulets, craftsmen in Babylonia cut cylinder seals from it, and ground hematite has served as a red pigment since prehistory, colouring cave paintings and burial ochre alike. Large deposits are worked in Brazil, Australia, Ukraine and around Lake Superior.

One point of care is worth knowing. Hematite is brittle, so a dropped bracelet can chip, and much of the magnetic hematite sold in shops is really hematine, a man-made material that contains no hematite at all. Clean pieces gently with a soft brush, mild soap and warm water, and keep them away from ultrasonic and steam cleaners.

Properties of hematite

• In modern crystal lore it is treated as the grounding stone above all others, thanks to its weight and its iron content.

• Folk belief holds that it anchors a person who feels scattered or unable to settle.

• Pliny records a Babylonian writer's advice to be rubbed with hematite on the field of battle.

• It is said to bring a feeling of vitality, in keeping with its blood-red streak.

• In modern crystal lore it is described as a mirror stone that turns unwelcome attention back on its source.

• In stone lore it is believed to help a person stay composed under provocation.

• It has a reputation for sharpening concentration during long, detailed work.

• Popular belief connects it with stamina and with the resolve to keep going after a hard effort.

• Crystal healers today recommend it to those who find crowds and noise draining.

• It is thought to cool an overheated argument by weighting it back towards facts.

• Crystal lore treats it as a protective stone, often worn as a bracelet.

• It is said to help a person keep a promise they have made to themselves.

• In modern crystal lore it is said to reduce the pull of worry about things not yet happened.

• Pliny also reports the claim that hematite brings success to petitions addressed to kings and to lawsuits.

Hematite symbolises grounding, resilience and self-possession. It suits people who live at high speed, anyone who wants a stone with real physical presence, and those drawn to jewellery with a cool metallic character. The uses described here belong to tradition and folk belief and are not a substitute for medical advice.

Hardness: 5.5 - 6.5

Composition: Fe₂O₃

Specific gravity: 5.12 - 5.28

Chakras: Root

Care: Clean with a soft brush, mild soap and warm water, then dry well. It is brittle: avoid knocks, steam and ultrasonic cleaners.

Citrine is the yellow to golden-brown variety of quartz, coloured by traces of iron. The name comes from the French citron, the lemon, though the stone's range runs well past lemon into honey, amber and a warm madeira brown. Natural citrine is genuinely uncommon; most of what is sold under the name is amethyst or smoky quartz that has been heated, either in the earth or in a workshop, until the iron changes state and the purple turns to gold. Heated material tends towards a reddish orange, while natural citrine is usually a paler, cooler yellow.

Brazil is the principal source, with Bolivia producing the striking ametrine, a single crystal half amethyst and half citrine divided by a sharp line. Citrine was especially popular in Victorian Scottish jewellery, and because it is clear and affordable it is often cut as a large, boldly shaped gem for cocktail rings, where its warm colour carries a big stone without looking heavy.

Citrine is hard and durable, easy to wear daily, but some citrine can lose colour after long exposure to intense light. Kept out of a bright window, it should hold its colour well.

Properties of citrine

• It is traditionally called the merchant's stone, from the belief that it helps accumulate wealth and success.

• Folk belief holds that it encourages a generous rather than an anxious attitude to money.

• In modern crystal lore, it lifts the spirits on a grey day the way its colour suggests.

• It is said to bring a warm, settled feeling, like an afternoon in the sun.

• In modern crystal lore it is linked with the solar plexus chakra and with a warm sense of personal confidence.

• In modern stone lore it is said to be one of the few stones that rarely needs clearing.

• It has a reputation for supporting creative work that has stalled.

• Popular belief connects it with fresh starts in business and in study.

• Crystal healers today recommend it to people who undervalue what they do.

• It is thought to help someone ask for what they are worth without apology.

• Folk tradition treats it as a stone of good humour that makes a difficult day bearable.

• Europeans once believed citrine could soothe tempers and calm the wearer, partly because it was confused with topaz.

• In modern crystal lore it is said to lift the flatness that follows a long grey season.

• It is said to encourage practical optimism, the kind that leads to action.

Citrine symbolises abundance, warmth and cheerful self-belief. It appeals to people in business, to anyone who wants a bright stone in a dark month, and to those who prefer a gem that is hard-wearing as well as sunny. The uses described here belong to tradition and folk belief and are not a substitute for medical advice.

Hardness: 7

Composition: SiO₂

Specific gravity: 2.65

Chakras: Sacral, Solar plexus

Care: Clean with lukewarm soapy water and a soft brush. Some citrine fades in prolonged strong light, so keep it out of direct sun; avoid heat, steam and sudden temperature changes.

Ruby is red corundum, the same mineral as sapphire, distinguished only by the chromium that produces its colour. That single element does two things: it makes the stone red, and it makes it fluoresce, so a fine ruby seems to glow from within under sunlight. Corundum is the hardest gemstone after diamond, which is why untreated and heat-treated rubies can survive generations of daily wear in rings.

The most celebrated material comes from the Mogok valley in Myanmar, where the finest colour is described in the trade as pigeon's blood, a pure red with the faintest hint of blue. Mozambique has become a major modern source, alongside Thailand, Sri Lanka, Madagascar and Tanzania. Almost all rubies contain inclusions, and needles of rutile arranged in three directions can produce a six-rayed star when the stone is cut as a dome.

Ruby has carried extraordinary prestige for many centuries. Sanskrit texts called it ratnaraj, the king of gems. Burmese warriors were said to embed one under the skin to become invulnerable. In early modern Europe it was believed to darken as a warning of approaching misfortune, and in India and China it adorned the armour and scabbards of noblemen as a stone of rank and power.

Properties of ruby

• It is traditionally called the king of stones and was worn as a mark of rank and resolve.

• Folk belief holds that it stirs courage in a person facing something they would rather avoid.

• Early modern gem books reported that a true ruby grows dark to warn its wearer of coming misfortune.

• It is said to strengthen passion in a partnership that has grown quiet.

• A fourteenth-century lapidary credited to Sir John Mandeville promised the owner of a fine ruby peace and concord with all men.

• In stone lore it is believed to restore drive to someone who has lost their appetite for a project.

• It has a long reputation as a stone of leadership and confident decision-making.

• Modern stone lore ties it to devotion and to promises meant to last.

• Indian tradition held that a fine ruby let its owner live without fear among enemies and kept bad fortune away.

• It is thought to help a person hold their nerve when the outcome is uncertain.

• Folk tradition treats it as a charm for wealth and standing.

• It was worn as protection in battle across several cultures.

• Crystal lore holds that it makes joy easier to feel and easier to show.

• It is said to warm a temperament that has turned cool and self-protective.

Ruby symbolises passion, courage and authority. It suits people in demanding roles, anyone marking an occasion that deserves one of the most durable coloured stones, and those drawn to a red with genuine fire behind it. The uses described here belong to tradition and folk belief and are not a substitute for medical advice.

Hardness: 9

Composition: Al₂O₃

Specific gravity: 3.97 - 4.05

Chakras: Root, Heart

Care: Clean with lukewarm soapy water and a soft brush. Ruby is stable in light and heat, but glass-filled or dyed stones need only a damp cloth and no acids.

Emerald is the green variety of beryl, coloured by chromium or vanadium, and it is one of the four stones traditionally counted as precious alongside diamond, ruby and sapphire. Its green is unlike any other: deep, slightly bluish and saturated, and a stone that is too pale is simply called green beryl rather than emerald. Almost every emerald contains inclusions, fissures and mineral crystals that jewellers call the jardin, the garden, and these are accepted as part of the stone's character rather than treated as faults.

Colombia has produced the finest emeralds for five centuries, from the mines of Muzo, Chivor and Coscuez. Before that, Egypt worked deposits near the Red Sea that are still known as Cleopatra's mines, and today Zambia, Brazil, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan all contribute. The stepped rectangular cut known as the emerald cut is the classic cut for this gem, because its faceted corners give a brittle, fractured crystal some protection from knocks and give prongs a safer place to sit.

Care is a real consideration. Nearly all emeralds on the market are treated with oil or resin to reduce the visibility of surface-reaching fissures. Heat can extend those fractures, steam can make the filler sweat out, and ultrasonic vibrations can weaken a fractured stone. Warm soapy water and gentle scrubbing is the safest way to clean emerald.

Properties of emerald

• Old lore assigns it to Venus, the goddess of love, and modern crystal lore calls it a stone of the heart, associated with love that has settled into loyalty.

• Folk belief holds that it reveals a lie told by someone the wearer trusted.

• Pliny the Elder called it the greenest of all green things, and its calm colour has been prized as restful to look at since antiquity.

• It is said to encourage patience in a person who wants results too quickly.

• Traditional accounts link it with renewal, in the way spring green suggests it.

• In stone lore it is believed to strengthen memory and the recall of names and faces.

• It has a long reputation as a stone of eloquence, worn by those who must persuade.

• Popular belief connects it with faithfulness and with a marriage that lasts.

• Renaissance writers such as Cardano held that it sharpened the wits and so made a person more honest.

• It is thought to support compassion that does not exhaust the person feeling it.

• Old legends say it protects the wearer against evil spells.

• Legend says an emerald was one of the four precious stones God gave King Solomon, giving him power over all creation.

• Traditional belief holds that it makes forgiveness feel possible sooner than expected.

• It is said to bring a sense of growth back to a life that has felt static.

Emerald symbolises renewal, faithfulness and generous intelligence. It suits people marking something they intend to last, anyone drawn to the richest green in the mineral world, and those willing to give a beautiful but delicate stone the care it needs. The uses described here belong to tradition and folk belief and are not a substitute for medical advice.

Hardness: 7.5 - 8

Composition: Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈

Specific gravity: 2.67 - 2.78

Chakras: Heart

Care: Most stones are oil- or resin-filled, so use warm soapy water only; avoid steam, ultrasonic cleaners, heat and harsh chemicals.