Gemstone History History of Rocks and Crystals by Amhranai Since the beginning of time, stones and crystals have played a vital role in human evolution and spiritual development. They have exerted and endless fascination throughout time. History is rich with stories about the mystical and magickal power of stones, including legends from Atlantis, Egypt, Sumeria, Babylonia, Hindu culture, Greece and Rome. In prehistory, humans were extremely interested in rocks and stones. They sought out the best for tools and weapons. They ground them into coloured powders for paints and makeup. They wore them as personal adornment. There are ancient legends and stories which trace rocks, stones and crystals back to the creation of the Earth and Universe. There is a belief in many primitive cultures that stones could give birth to people, and people to stones. Many believed, and still do, that stones and crystals were inhabited by spirits, and were thus sacred. There are many others that believe that stones and rocks had life-giving potency which provided the wearer with strength if worn or carried. This later led to stones, rocks and crystals being used for healing various conditions of the body, which is now a highly-developed science. Stones have also played a key role in the development of most of the world's major religions. In Christianity, Jesus said to Peter (Peter meaning "rock"), that he was the rock unto which Christ would build his Church. In the Old Testament, Moses brings to the Jews the Ten Commandments engraved upon stone. In Islam, the fundamental beliefs and ideas are based on what happened to Mohammed when stones talked to him. The central focus being his visit to Ka'aba, a huge black stone which is the point of communion between humans and Allah. In Egypt and Greece, Priestesses were trained to become oracles and frequently spent the rest of their lives incarcerated within small stone structures, with only a small opening to be fed through. This added to the belief that stones had an "interdwelling spirit" or "spirit within". There has been extensive uses of stones to decorate the dead, and evidence of this can be found worldwide. Written religious texts which talk about the use of stones in these ways are the Bible, Egyptian Book of the Dead, the Qur'an, the Torah, and the Talmud. In the twelfth and thirteenth century C.E. (or A.D. - it means Common Era), the church developed a sanctifying ritual to cleanse gems and stones of sins, recognizing the inherent powers found in all stones. It was likely in ancient Mesopotamia that the practise of engraving stones began, and soon spread worldwide. The ancient Babylonians believed that they could use magickal symbols engraved on bloodstones to fortell the future. Norsemen used Runes as an oracle in the same way (Runes are still used today and are an interesting source of divination). Australian Aboriginies still use crystals for medicine. They particularly use rainbow crystals as they believe that it holds the energy of the Rainbow Serpent, who acted as a bridge between the two worlds. Cherokee Indians considered crystals to be the most sacred stone for healing. Apache medicine men and wise women believed that they could induce visions or help find stolen ponies with the use of crystals. In Greece, crystals were used to light the sacred and sacrificial fires. In Japan, opaque rock crystals were believed to be the congealed breath of the White Dragon, and the Violet Dragon was associated with more brillant crystals. These Dragons were associated with creation, and the powers associated with it. There is also the powerfully mysterious stories of the crystal skull. In fact there were many crystal skulls made around the world at about the same time in human evolution. They can be found made by the Cherokee, Mayans, Aztecs, Ancient Egyptians, and Tibetans. As we can see, there is an endless amount of myth and mysticism surrounding stones and crystals. They continue to be used by people for many of the same reasons and more. For instance, there is often a stone found in an engagement ring. If we look around us, we will notice the uses of rocks, stones, and crystals more and more. And when we learn more about how they are used, we can begin using them more in our own lives. |