Gemstones have always fascinated humanity since the earliest of times and it is quite easy to see why. The otherworldly color, allure and brightness of gemstones have always captured our imaginations and this has led to the birth of different kinds of legends, myths and folklore surrounding them.
So let’s have a look at some of the fascinating tales surrounding these gemstones that have mesmerized people for hundreds and thousands of years.
Onyx Gemstones
It is believed that the Onyx gem has been made from the body of Venus who is the celestial goddess of Love.
Various legends narrate how Cupid clipped her divine fingernails using his arrows as she was sleeping.
The Gods then turned these nail clippings into vibrant stones so that these heavenly elements do not perish. This led to the creation of Onyx.
Emerald Gemstones
There are rabbinic legends that claim King Solomon was granted four precious stones by God, which presented him with power and dominion over all of the creation.
Among these stones, one of them was definitely the emerald. Emerald gemstone is also believed to provide people with the power to see the future and also stay protected from negativity.Opal Gems
Opal stone has a great importance in the Aboriginal legends. In Aboriginal folklore, the Dream time is an ancient spiritual world that has been created by the heavenly spirits.
The Aboriginals believe that the creator of the spiritual world of the Dream time once visited this planet on a rainbow and communicated his hope for eternal tranquility and peace to mankind after which he went back to heaven.
However, the rock on which he stood absorbed the colors associated with the rainbow and transformed itself into a striking opal.
Aquamarine Gemstone
Aquamarines were believed to be present in the treasure chests of the legendary mermaids.
Sailors of antiquity wore aquamarines to ensure good luck and safe voyage across turbulent seas. Aquamarines were also associated with victory in battles.
Amethyst Stones
The Amethyst stone was crafted from Dionysus’ tears. Dionysus was the legendary god of wine in the Greek pantheon of Gods.
According to Greek mythology, Dionysus once tried to murder Amethysta, a young maiden under a spell of rage using his two tigers.
However, Amethysta was eventually saved by the Moon goddess Diana, and she turned her into a bring statue of clear quartz.
As Dionysus realized what he was about to do, he felt strong remorse and cried. His tears of wine fell over the quartz statue and led to the birth of amethyst.
Diamond Gems
Legends claim that Chronos, the Greek God of time transformed a young man known as Adamas into a beautiful stone.
Such a change made Adamas extremely strong. Adamas stone was believed to bring love between the married couples and also healed reactions of poison.
Eventually, over the years Adamas came to be known as diamond in the following years. ‘Adamas’ means ‘invincible’ in the Greek language.
Sapphire Gemstones
Numerous ancient civilizations held the belief that the world is placed on a huge sapphire and its reflection made the sky look blue.
Sapphire is also considered to be an antidote against poisoning. Many people have the idea that when a poisonous snake is kept in sapphire vessel, it is certainly going to die.
Peridot Stone
Peridot is one of those gems that have been classically associated with various myths over the years.
Many people believe that while spotting a peridot during the daytime is not easy, these gemstones can be found easily at night by using a lamp.This is one of the reasons that led to the practice of mining peridots after sunset. Romans called this stone the “evening emerald” for this reason.