Leo 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.

Amber is not a mineral at all. It is fossilised tree resin, hardened over tens of millions of years, and that organic origin explains everything about it. It is warm to the touch rather than cool, extraordinarily light, and soft enough to scratch with a fingernail's edge on a bad day. Colours run from pale honey through orange and cognac to a rare deep red, and some pieces are cloudy with countless microscopic bubbles.

The famous Baltic deposits formed from the resin of conifer forests that grew where the Baltic Sea now lies, and storms still wash pieces onto the beaches of Poland, Lithuania and the Kaliningrad coast. Amber from Myanmar and the Dominican Republic is older or younger respectively, and both are prized for inclusions: insects, seeds, feathers and spiders trapped in the sticky resin and preserved in astonishing detail. The Amber Road carried Baltic material to the Mediterranean thousands of years ago, and the Greeks called the stone elektron because rubbing it attracts light objects, which is the origin of the word electricity.

Amber needs careful handling. It burns, it dissolves in solvents, perfume and hairspray dull it, prolonged sunlight darkens and crazes the surface, and hot water is best avoided entirely. A soft cloth and a drawer away from the radiator are all it asks.

Properties of amber

• It is traditionally described as a stone of warmth, in keeping with its resin origin and its colour.

• Folk belief across northern Europe held that a strand worn at the neck comforts a teething child.

• According to old sources, it was burned as incense to freshen a sickroom.

• It is said to lift low spirits during the short days of winter.

• Traditional accounts link it with vitality and with the return of appetite after a dull spell.

• In stone lore it is believed to draw discomfort away from the body when worn against the skin.

• It has a long reputation as a protective charm for travellers and for sailors on the Baltic.

• Popular belief connects it with the memory of ancestors, since it preserves the distant past inside itself.

• Older writers recommended it to those who feel the cold more than most.

• It is thought to encourage patience with slow, unglamorous progress.

• Folk tradition treats it as a stone of good humour that makes company easier.

• It was given to newborns in many cultures as a first protective gift.

• Traditional belief holds that it helps a person forgive an old grievance.

• It is said to bring a settled feeling to a home when kept in a shared room.

Amber symbolises warmth, memory and the patience of very long time. It appeals to people drawn to organic materials, to anyone who finds cold stones unfriendly, and to those who like an object with a story stretching back millions of years. The uses described here belong to tradition and folk belief and are not a substitute for medical advice.

Hardness: 2 - 2.5

Composition: C₁₀H₁₆O

Specific gravity: 1.05 - 1.09

Chakras: Sacral, Solar plexus

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.

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. Spanish and Scottish jewellers used citrine heavily in the nineteenth century, and Art Deco designers loved it for large, boldly cut cocktail rings, where its clarity and warm colour carried a big stone without looking heavy.

Citrine is hard and durable, easy to wear daily, but like all coloured quartz it loses tone in strong sunlight. Kept out of a bright window it holds its colour indefinitely.

Properties of citrine

• It is traditionally called the merchant's stone and was kept in the cash drawer for steady trade.

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

• According to old sources, it lifts the spirits on a grey day the way its colour suggests.

• It is said to support the digestion and a comfortable, regular appetite.

• Traditional accounts link it with the solar plexus and with a warm sense of personal confidence.

• In stone lore it is believed to be one of the few stones that never 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.

• Older writers recommended 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.

• It was carried by speakers and performers as a charm for warmth in front of a crowd.

• Traditional belief holds that it dispels 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 water and a soft brush. Keep out of prolonged direct sunlight, as the colour fades.

Topaz is an aluminium silicate containing fluorine, and it is one of the hardest of the commonly worn gemstones. It grows in tall, well-shaped prismatic crystals, sometimes to remarkable size, and it has a perfect cleavage in one direction that cutters must respect. Colourless topaz is the most abundant form, but the stone also occurs in sherry brown, pale blue, pink and, most prized of all, the golden orange with a pink flash called imperial topaz.

The name may come from Topazios, an island in the Red Sea now called Zabargad, or from the Sanskrit tapas, meaning fire. Ouro Preto in Brazil has been the great source of imperial topaz for three centuries, and the Ural mountains, Pakistan, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Myanmar contribute other colours. Most bright blue topaz on the market is colourless material that has been irradiated and heated, a treatment developed in the twentieth century that made a once-rare colour widely available.

Its hardness makes topaz excellent for rings, but the cleavage means a sharp knock in the wrong direction can split it cleanly. Ultrasonic cleaners are avoided for the same reason, and coloured varieties are kept out of prolonged strong light.

Properties of topaz

• It is traditionally described as a stone of clarity and honest intention.

• Folk belief holds that it strengthens the will of someone who has been drifting.

• According to old sources, it was worn as a guard against deceit in business.

• It is said to warm the disposition and to make a reserved person more approachable.

• Traditional accounts link it with the solar plexus and with a well-founded confidence.

• In stone lore it is believed to sharpen the ability to set a goal and name it plainly.

• It has a long reputation as a stone of good fortune, particularly the golden variety.

• Popular belief connects it with generosity and with pleasure taken in giving.

• Older writers recommended it to those beginning to teach or to lead others.

• It is thought to steady the nerves of someone under public scrutiny.

• Folk tradition treats it as a charm against night fears, kept beside the bed.

• It was given as a token of friendship renewed after a long absence.

• Traditional belief holds that it supports recovery of appetite and good spirits together.

• It is said to help a person forgive themselves for an old error of judgement.

Topaz symbolises clear purpose, warmth and good fortune earned rather than stumbled upon. It appeals to people who want a hard, brilliant stone for daily wear, to anyone drawn to golden or sky-blue tones, and to those who like a gem with an unusually clean look. The uses described here belong to tradition and folk belief and are not a substitute for medical advice.

Hardness: 8

Composition: Al₂SiO₄(F,OH)₂

Specific gravity: 3.49 - 3.57

Chakras: Solar plexus, Throat

Care: Clean with lukewarm water and a soft brush. Keep out of prolonged direct sunlight, as the colour fades.