Wear Sardonyx or for thee
No conjugal felicity
The August born without this stone
Is said must live unloved and alone
Well, I don’t understand why one must live ‘unloved and alone’. Sardonyx is actually an intriguing stone with a long history of people being loved and not alone. Ancient warriors and soldiers adored it. Religious leaders adored it. And Romans loved it because it withstood wax (we will learn more about why later).
Four thousand years ago Egyptians enjoyed Sardonyx and, along with that those ancient warriors, would then wear this gem into battle. It was believed to harness bravery and grant victory and protection. Thus, we should definitely wear this to avoid the effects of road rage.
Sardonyx became so revered among the Roman patricians, or rich class, that they made rings and signets that bore this stone because the wax of the documents would not stick to it. Sardonyx/sard was a favored gem of Claudius Caesar as well as the Prophet Muhammad and ultimately by Muslim men and women throughout history. The Hebrew high priests included sardonyx as one of the twelve stones worn in their breastplate. Sardonyx/Sard was the stone of the Tribe of Reuben. There was Biblical association by the 9th-century bishop of Mainz as the colors or layers of this stone symbolized the Virgin-Mother-Crone.
Sardonyx is layered with sard creating a band of colors. The beauty of sardonyx is chalcedony in layers of brown, red, and orange mixed with stripes of black and white onyx. It’s just plain pretty. Roman artisans loved making cameos with sardonyx because the carved profile of the white onyx had a lovely black or red background.
This gem is believed to promote, luck, friendship, happiness, good fortune, romance, marriage, stamina, energy, and creativity. And, if worn often and consistently, Sardonyx is said to eliminate stupidity. If you need help with absorbing information and are easily distracted this may be the stone for you. Sardonyx is also believed to be a grounding stone for some as it enhances stability, endurance, and protection against malevolent forces in some cultures.
PERIDOT
Today the Peridot is also a gemstone of August but, at one point, this gem was THE gemstone of August. This innocent-looking stone, so sweet and light, pretty and green has an amazing history.
The earliest reference to peridot was in A.D. 70 from St. John’s island in the Red Sea near Egypt which explains why Cleopatra was said to own a lot of peridot jewelry. Of course, Romans loved this ‘the evening emerald’ as they would call a peridot. Because of its green colors (peridot does vary from yellowish green to light green) for centuries it was confused with emeralds. It is also commonly found in volcanic soils even in Hawaii’s black sand.
For centuries, the ancients adorned themselves with this gem believing it to fight evil spirits and night terrors. It was said to drive away evil spirits and spells when attached to the left arm with the hair of an ass. If engraved with the figure of an ass it was believed peridot could grant the wearer prophetic powers. However, engraved with a vulture it would control demons. It was the major healing stone of the fabled Atlantis and was said to stimulate ‘tissue regeneration’ in the entire body.
Said to promote increased wealth, health, joy, and emotional well-being, peridot is also claimed to protect against nervousness, alleviate spiritual fear, aid in healing, hurt feelings and bruised egos. It additionally brings about strength and physical vitality, aligns subtle bodies, amplifies other energies and positive emotional outlook, and helps the liver and adrenal function. The list goes on, making the peridot the wonder drug of gemstones.
And most interesting of all, peridot transmits ray waves from an unseen planet. NASA, are you listening? So, why is this lesser know gem so overlooked!!!
(Again, thank you Barbara G Walker. BOOK OF SACRED STONES – , fact and the fallacy of the crystal world and gemrockauctions.com
JF Ridgley
Award-winning author Historical Fiction – Contemporary Romance
Available at Amazon, Books2Read (and that’s everywhere else)
For more visit – JFRidgley.com
