- The Lure and Lore of Gems -

When you work with gems, you occasionally come across fascinating stories. Did you know that jade, according to a Chinese myth, was created from the bones of a giant bird? Or that the tradition of birthstones is supposed to be derived from the 12 stones set in the breastplate of Aaron, as described in in Exodus 28, 15-30?
Gem names, too, have interesting origins. The name Amethyst, for instance, comes from the Greek word for "not drunken", as the stone was thought to guard against inebriation. Turquoise comes from the French word for "Turkish stone", as these gems were probably imported from there at one time.

Here is a list of online resources about the history and legends associated with gemstones:

• http://www.jewelrysupplier.com/index.html
• http://home.austin.rr.com/dsquared/myths.html
• http://www.malanijewelers.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=11
• http://www.couturejeweler.com/couturejeweler/jewelry_primer/AAJbirthstones.jsp
• http://www.love-story.com/bs00.htm
• http://www.minerals.net/index.htm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemstone

Until next time,

Cyberbeader

http://www.lovebeadsunlimited.com