Cancer Horoscope Gemstones

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 the Greeks were said to have gathered the first pieces. Agate has been cut and carved for at least four thousand years. Craftsmen in Mesopotamia and Rome used it for seal rings and cameos, and the German town of Idar-Oberstein built an entire cutting industry around it. Because agate is tough as well as attractive, pieces were passed down through families rather than worn out.

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. Old handbooks advised wearing it against the skin, on the theory that the warmth and light of the natural world reached the body more easily through the stone.

Properties of agate

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

• Folk tradition recommended it to people who slept badly, and linked it with a steady, regular metabolism.

• According to old sources, it encourages a clear-eyed view of facts and helps a person see a situation as it actually is.

• Lapidaries describe it as carrying a warm, assertive energy that was long associated with vitality and physical strength.

• It is believed to bring a sense of warmth to tense areas of the body and to help accumulated strain loosen its grip.

• In stone lore it is said to draw off surplus energy, which is why it was reached for 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.

• Older writers claimed it sharpens clarity of thought and the ability to reason through a problem step by step.

• Folk medicine connected it with a well-toned body and with the smooth circulation of lymph.

• Traditional belief associates it with balanced blood pressure, particularly when the reading tends to run low.

• 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.

• Custom held that a child with an agate in a pocket stays calmer and quarrels less.

• It is traditionally counted among the stones of cheerfulness and inner quiet.

Agate stands for worldly success: tradition says it turns away unwelcome energy and restores courage that has worn thin. People in business customarily carried it below the waist, in a pocket for instance, and a ring set with agate was said to strengthen self-assurance in particular. 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. Sunlight does not harm it.

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: the purple is not permanent under strong light. Amethyst left on a sunny windowsill slowly loses colour and can turn pale grey or brownish, so it is kept in the shade 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.

• Folk belief holds that it quiets a restless mind at the end of the day and is placed near the bed for that reason.

• According to old sources, it supports anyone trying to break a habit they have grown tired of.

• It is said to take the edge off tension headaches brought on by a long, noisy day.

• Traditional accounts link it with vivid, memorable dreams and with the ability to recall them.

• It has long been treated 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.

• Older writers recommended it for meditation and for any practice that asks for stillness.

• Popular belief associates it with grief, and it was given to those sitting with a loss.

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

• Folk tradition connects it with modest, unshowy dignity, which is why it suited clerical rings.

• It was carried by travellers as a guard against exhaustion on long journeys.

• Traditional belief holds that it clears heavy, stagnant atmospheres in a room.

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

• Old handbooks describe 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 water and a soft brush. Keep out of prolonged direct sunlight, as the colour fades.

Aventurine is a quartz rock shot through with tiny flakes of mica. Those flakes catch the light and throw back a soft glitter that mineralogists call aventurescence. The most familiar colour is green, produced by flakes of fuchsite, a chromium-bearing mica, but the stone also occurs in peach, grey, blue and a rare reddish brown. Unlike transparent gems, aventurine is read at arm's length: it is cut into beads, cabochons, bowls and carvings where the shimmer has room to show.

The name has an unexpected origin. In the eighteenth century, Venetian glassmakers on Murano accidentally spilled copper filings into molten glass and produced a sparkling material they called avventurina, from a ventura, meaning by chance. When a natural stone with the same effect was described later, it borrowed the name from the glass rather than the other way round. India, and especially the region around Mysore, has long been the main source, with further material from Brazil, Russia, Chile and Tanzania.

Because it is opaque and forgiving, aventurine has always been a working person's stone rather than a jeweller's showpiece. It is durable, inexpensive and pleasant in the hand, which is why it turns up so often as worry stones and pocket pieces.

Properties of aventurine

• It is traditionally known as a stone of good fortune, carried by people about to take a chance on something.

• Folk belief holds that it steadies the nerves before a test, an interview or a first meeting.

• According to old sources, it encourages optimism without tipping into wishful thinking.

• It is said to help a person let go of a decision once it has been made.

• Traditional accounts connect it with the heart and with an even, unhurried temperament.

• In stone lore it is believed to soften irritation over small daily annoyances.

• It has a reputation as a stone of leadership, thought to support fair and unshowy authority.

• Popular belief associates it with recovery of energy after a long stretch of overwork.

• Older writers recommended it to anyone starting again after a setback.

• It is thought to encourage generosity and to make sharing feel natural rather than costly.

• Folk tradition places it in a purse or till as a charm for steady trade.

• It is said to help a person notice opportunities they would otherwise walk past.

• Traditional belief links it with a calm outlook in the face of uncertain news.

• It was given to gardeners and growers as a stone of green, patient increase.

Aventurine symbolises luck earned through steady effort, and a hopeful but grounded outlook. It suits people who are starting something new, who want a hard-wearing pocket stone, or who simply like the quiet glitter it shows when it turns in the light. The uses described here belong to tradition and folk belief and are not a substitute for medical advice.

Hardness: 7

Composition: SiO₂

Specific gravity: 2.64 - 2.69

Chakras: Heart

Care: Clean with lukewarm water and a soft brush, then dry well. Sunlight does not harm it.

Moonstone belongs to the feldspar family, and its beauty comes from its structure rather than its colour. Layers of two feldspars grew alternately as the crystal cooled, and light bouncing between those microscopic layers produces a floating blue-white sheen that seems to move across the surface as the stone is tilted. Gemmologists call the effect adularescence, after Mount Adular in Switzerland, an early source. The body colour is usually milky white, cream or grey, and the finest material comes from Sri Lanka and southern India.

The stone has been linked to the moon in India for many centuries, where it was regarded as a sacred gem and often displayed on a yellow cloth. In Europe it had two great moments of fashion: the Romantic period, and then the Art Nouveau years around 1900, when René Lalique and his contemporaries set it in flowing silver and gold designs that suited its dreamy glow perfectly.

Moonstone needs gentler handling than most jewellery stones. It is only moderately hard, it splits easily along its cleavage planes if knocked, and it should not be left soaking. A soft dry cloth is the whole of its maintenance.

Properties of moonstone

• It is traditionally treated as a stone of the moon and of everything that moves in cycles.

• Folk belief holds that it eases the swings of mood that come with a demanding month.

• According to old sources, it was given to women as a companion through the different stages of life.

• It is said to encourage tenderness and to make an apology easier to offer.

• Traditional accounts describe it as a travellers' stone, carried especially on journeys by night or by water.

• In stone lore it is believed to bring gentle, revealing dreams to those who keep it near the bed.

• It has long been associated with intuition and with trusting a quiet inner signal.

• Popular belief connects it with new beginnings, and it was worn at the start of a fresh chapter.

• Older writers linked it with a settled digestion and an unhurried evening.

• It is thought to soften an argument between people who care about each other.

• Folk tradition treats it as a charm for fertility and for the growth of a family.

• It was worn by gardeners who planted according to the phases of the moon.

• Traditional belief holds that it helps a person accept a change they did not choose.

• It is said to restore a sense of wonder after a stretch of dull routine.

Moonstone symbolises intuition, tenderness and the natural rhythm of change. It appeals to people going through a transition, to anyone drawn to soft and luminous jewellery, and to those who prefer a stone that soothes rather than energises. The uses described here belong to tradition and folk belief and are not a substitute for medical advice.

Hardness: 6 - 6.5

Composition: KAlSi₃O₈

Specific gravity: 2.56 - 2.59

Chakras: Sacral, Third eye, Crown

Care: Do not soak in water, as the stone is porous. Wipe with a soft dry cloth and keep out of direct sunlight.

Clear quartz, also called rock crystal, is silicon dioxide in its purest and most transparent form. It grows in six-sided prisms capped by a pointed termination, a shape so regular that early observers thought it must have been made rather than grown. The Greeks called it krystallos, meaning ice, in the belief that it was water frozen so hard by the mountain cold that it could never melt again. The word crystal in every European language descends from that mistake.

Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals in the earth's crust, yet flawless pieces large enough to carve are far from common. Roman workshops turned them into vessels and seals, Japanese craftsmen ground them into perfect spheres, and the great crystal balls of European collections are cut from single clean pieces. Brazil, Madagascar, the Alps, Arkansas and Tibet all produce fine specimens. Quartz also has a practical modern life: its piezoelectric property, its ability to vibrate at a precise frequency under electric current, is what keeps a quartz watch on time.

In the tradition of healing stones, clear quartz is treated as the all-purpose stone, the one recommended when nothing more specific is called for. Old handbooks describe it as amplifying whatever it is paired with, which is why it appears alongside almost every other stone in the lore.

Properties of clear quartz

• It is traditionally called the master stone, said to work well in combination with any other.

• Folk belief holds that it strengthens the effect of whichever stone is worn beside it.

• According to old sources, a crystal ball was used to focus attention rather than to see the future outright.

• It is said to clear the mind at the start of the day, like opening a window in a stale room.

• Traditional accounts link it with the top of the head and with a bright, alert state.

• In stone lore it is believed to reset a room's atmosphere after an argument.

• It has a reputation for sharpening memory during study.

• Popular belief connects it with honesty, since nothing can hide inside a transparent stone.

• Older writers recommended keeping one on a desk for concentration.

• It is thought to help a person put a confused feeling into words.

• Folk tradition treats it as a stone that holds an intention set into it.

• It is said to make meditation easier for beginners who find their thoughts wandering.

• Traditional belief holds that it supports overall balance rather than any single quality.

• It was placed in water jugs and bowls in many households as a token of purity.

Clear quartz symbolises clarity, focus and a fresh start. It suits people who want one versatile stone rather than a collection, anyone beginning to explore stone lore, and those who simply admire the geometry of a well-formed natural crystal. 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: Crown, Third eye

Care: Clean with lukewarm water and a soft brush, then dry well. Sunlight does not harm it.

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 rubies survive generations of daily wear in rings with barely a mark.

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 as long as records exist. Sanskrit texts called it ratnaraj, the king of gems. Burmese warriors were said to embed one under the skin before battle. In medieval Europe it was believed to darken as a warning of approaching danger, and it was worn by kings, bishops and generals alike as the stone of 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.

• According to old sources, it was thought to darken when danger was near.

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

• Traditional accounts link it with the blood, the circulation and physical vigour.

• 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.

• Popular belief connects it with loyalty and with promises meant to last.

• Older writers recommended it to those who work hardest in the face of opposition.

• 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.

• Traditional belief 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 the most durable of 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 water and a soft brush, then dry well. Sunlight does not harm it.

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 was designed specifically for this gem, because its many internal fractures make it vulnerable to the pressure of pointed corners.

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, and heat, hot water, steam and ultrasonic cleaners will drive that filler out and leave the stone looking cloudy. Emerald is cleaned only with a barely damp soft cloth and kept away from heat.

Properties of emerald

• It is traditionally described as 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.

• According to old sources, looking into its green rested tired eyes after close work.

• 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.

• Older writers recommended it to those recovering their balance after a period of excess.

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

• Folk tradition treats it as a charm for safe travel, especially at sea.

• It was worn by rulers as a sign of a fair rather than a fearsome reign.

• 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: Do not soak in water. Wipe dry after wearing and keep away from heat.