Legend Of The Bloodstone

To the children born amid the blustery winds of March belong the healing bloodstone and the gracious, heaven-reflecting stone called aquamarine. Bloodstone is green chalcedony so spotted with red that it appears to be flecked with bright blood. Its name is derived from its sanguinary appearance, which likewise has given rise to a beautiful legend concerning its origin. When Christ was crucified upon Calvary's heights, bright drops of His precious blood fell upon a green stone at the foot of the Cross and left their stain wherever they fell; and to this day, tradition tells, all manner of bloodstones bear the drops of the Master's blood. In ancient times this birthstone was called heliotrope (sun-loving) because, as Pliny wrote: "if placed in a vessel of water and exposed to the full light of the sun, it changes to a reflected color like that of blood.

Out of water, too, it reflects the figure of the sun like a mirror, and discovers eclipses of that luminary by showing the moon passing over its disk. An interesting legend, at least. Wearers of this stone are assured happiness and victory by the old mythologies Like other gems, bloodstone possessed a host of magical properties, in the view of the ancients. If rubbed with the juice of the plant heliotrope, while certain incantations were being repeated, it rendered the wearer invisible. An early English medico calls it "The speciall stone to staunche blooding & good against poyson."

To a lesser extent it was believed to bring safety and a long life to its possessor. Bloodstone is silicon dioxide (quartz) stained green by peroxide of iron and permeated with spots of red jasper. It is a form of chalcedony, a waxy-looking", translucent or opaque variety of quartz, but it has the hardness of flint or jasper. The only acid solvent known is hydrofluoric acid, which is commonly used in the etching of glass, and the stone is infusible.

It weighs a little more than two and a half times as much as water. When polished, it has a hard, waxy appearance. The finest stones come from India, although fine gems are found in Australia, China, and Brazil. One of the most famous bloodstones is "The Descent from the Cross", created by Matteo del Nassaro of Verona about 1525. It is in relief, with the natural red spots depicting the wounds of Christ and His dropped blood.

This gem is supposed to have become the property of Isabella d'Este, Duchess of Mantua. The alternative birthstone, aquamarine, is, at its best, a bit of sky taken from the heavens at dawn. No other gem can so perfectly reflect "the vault of blue" as this, and it is easy to understand why through the centuries it has symbolized happiness, everlasting youth and victory.