Pisces Horoscope Gemstones

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.

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.

Coral is an organic gem, built by living animals rather than formed in rock. Colonies of tiny polyps deposit a hard skeleton of calcium carbonate branch by branch, and it is that skeleton, once cleaned and polished, that becomes jewellery. Precious coral is a deep red to soft pink, and the pale variety known as angel skin is the most valued of all. Because it is a biological structure, coral is soft, light and shows a fine grain along the branch when it is examined closely.

Mediterranean red coral has been fished since prehistory, and the town of Torre del Greco near Naples has been the centre of the craft since the eighteenth century, employing whole generations of carvers. Coral cameos, beads and branch necklaces reached every corner of Europe from there. Japanese and Taiwanese waters supply the pink and white varieties. Coral populations are now under real pressure, and responsibly sourced or antique material has become the sensible choice.

Care matters more with coral than with almost any other gem. It is calcium carbonate, so acid attacks it directly: lemon juice, vinegar, perfume and even perspiration will etch the polish. It should never be soaked, and a soft dry cloth after wearing is the correct treatment.

Properties of coral

• It is traditionally given to children as a first protective charm, a custom recorded across the Mediterranean.

• Folk belief holds that a red coral branch turns away the evil eye.

• According to old sources, it was worn by mothers as a stone of nurture and family bonds.

• It is said to warm a cautious temperament and make affection easier to show.

• Traditional accounts link it with the blood and with a healthy, lively colour.

• In stone lore it is believed to protect travellers crossing water.

• It has a reputation for steadying emotions that swing too quickly.

• Popular belief connects it with fertility and with the wish for a growing household.

• Older writers recommended it to those recovering their strength slowly.

• It is thought to encourage a sense of belonging in someone new to a community.

• Folk tradition treats it as a stone of quiet endurance, since the colony builds over centuries.

• It was hung above a cradle in Italian custom to keep bad dreams away.

• Traditional belief holds that it softens grief without hurrying it.

• It is said to strengthen the tie between a person and the sea.

Coral symbolises protection, family and the patient work of building something living. It suits people who look after others, anyone drawn to warm organic materials, and those who like jewellery with a Mediterranean history. The uses described here belong to tradition and folk belief and are not a substitute for medical advice.

Hardness: 3 - 4

Composition: CaCO₃

Specific gravity: 2.60 - 2.70

Chakras: Root, Sacral

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

Rose quartz is the pink variety of quartz, and its colour is unusually gentle: a hazy, milky blush rather than a sharp tone. Traces of titanium, iron or manganese are responsible, and microscopic mineral fibres running through the stone scatter light, which is why rose quartz is nearly always cloudy rather than transparent. Occasionally those fibres line up well enough to produce a soft six-rayed star when the stone is cut as a dome.

Most of the world's rose quartz comes from Brazil and Madagascar, with important material from South Dakota and Namibia. It occurs in massive form inside pegmatites, in blocks large enough to carve into bowls, spheres and figures, and it has been shaped since antiquity. Assyrian and Roman jewellers used it, and it never entirely went out of fashion, though it became especially popular in the twentieth century as an affordable and instantly recognisable stone.

Like amethyst, rose quartz fades. A piece kept in a sunny window loses its blush over months and cannot recover it, so it is displayed away from direct light. Otherwise it is hard-wearing and easy to look after.

Properties of rose quartz

• It is traditionally known above all as the stone of love in its broadest sense, not only romance.

• Folk belief holds that it softens a heart that has grown guarded after disappointment.

• According to old sources, it was given between friends as a token of lasting affection.

• It is said to encourage kindness towards oneself, which the tradition treats as the first step.

• Traditional accounts link it with the heart and with an even, unforced warmth.

• In stone lore it is believed to ease the sharpness of a recent loss.

• It has a reputation for calming a household where tempers have been short.

• Popular belief connects it with reconciliation after a falling-out.

• Older writers recommended it to those who find it hard to accept help.

• It is thought to support restful sleep when kept near the bed.

• Folk tradition treats it as a charm for a peaceful home rather than a passionate one.

• It was placed in a child's room as a stone of comfort.

• Traditional belief holds that it helps a person forgive without pretending nothing happened.

• It is said to make an apology easier to accept as well as easier to give.

Rose quartz symbolises tenderness, forgiveness and gentle recovery. It suits people healing from a difficult period, anyone who wants a soft and unintimidating stone, and those who like a gem whose meaning is entirely unambiguous. 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: Heart

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