Pisces Birthstones & Lucky Stones

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.

Moonstone belongs to the feldspar family, and its beauty comes from its structure rather than its colour. Two feldspars, orthoclase and albite, start out intermingled and separate into thin alternating layers as the crystal cools, and light scattering 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 blue-sheen stones have historically come from Myanmar, while Sri Lanka supplies most of the moonstone sold today.

The stone has been linked to the moon in India for many centuries, where it was regarded as a sacred gem and traditionally displayed for sale on a yellow cloth. In Europe it had two great moments of fashion: the Arts and Crafts movement of the later nineteenth century, and then the Art Nouveau years around 1900, when René Lalique, Louis Comfort Tiffany and their 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 has poor toughness and splits easily along its two cleavage directions if knocked, which is why it is usually set in pendants and earrings rather than rings. Warm soapy water is the only cleaner recommended.

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.

• In modern crystal lore, it is regarded as a companion to women through the different stages of life.

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

• In popular lore it is called 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.

• In modern crystal lore, it is connected with new beginnings, a stone to wear at the start of a fresh chapter.

• Old legend says that a moonstone held in the mouth at the full moon gives lovers a glimpse of their future.

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

• In India it was prized as a gift for lovers, believed to arouse the tender passion.

• Hindu mythology holds that it is made of solidified moonbeams, and the Romans believed the same.

• 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: Wipe with a soft cloth and dry it right away. It splits and chips easily, so keep it away from knocks, sudden temperature changes and steam or ultrasonic cleaners.

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 pink variety known as angel skin is especially popular. Because it is a biological structure, coral is soft 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 early nineteenth century, employing whole generations of carvers. Coral cameos, beads and branch necklaces reached markets across Europe and beyond 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.

• Pliny reports that Indian soothsayers valued coral as a sacred amulet, a sure preservative against all dangers.

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

• In modern crystal lore it is linked with vitality and with a warm, 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 family warmth and with the wish for a welcoming household.

• In Hindu astrology red coral is the stone of Mars, the planet of energy and drive.

• 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 slowly over many years.

• In Greek myth, red coral grew from the blood of Medusa when Perseus laid her head down on the seaweed.

• 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 it or use ultrasonic or steam cleaners, as coral is porous. Wipe with a soft cloth and keep it away from perfume, chlorine, heat and strong sun.

Rose quartz is the pink variety of quartz, and its colour is unusually gentle: a hazy, milky blush rather than a sharp tone. Microscopic fibres of a mineral close to dumortierite, tinted by iron and titanium, are thought to be responsible, and they also 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.

The finest rose quartz rough typically comes from Brazil, with other sources including India, Madagascar and Sri Lanka. 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. GIA notes Assyrian rose quartz jewellery from about 800 to 600 BC and Roman use of it as a seal, and it remains popular as an affordable and instantly recognisable stone.

Rose quartz is often said to fade like amethyst, but GIA calls it generally stable in light and heat; the rare transparent pink quartz is the variety that can fade. Many owners still display it away from long, direct sun. 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.

• In modern crystal lore it is also a stone of friendship and lasting affection.

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

• Crystal healers today link it with the heart chakra 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.

• Crystal healers today link it with openness to accepting help as well as giving it.

• It is thought to bring a sense of calm at the end of a long day.

• In modern crystal lore it is a stone for a peaceful home rather than a passionate one.

• In modern crystal lore it is a stone of comfort, a steadying presence when life feels unsettled.

• In modern crystal lore it is tied to forgiveness and gentle emotional healing.

• 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: Wash with warm, soapy water and a soft brush; avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaners. Usually stable in light and heat, but rare clear pink quartz can fade, so avoid long, strong sun.