There are two main sources out of the half dozen places in the world where Amber occurs regularly, the Baltic and the Dominican Republic. Of the two, the Dominican Republic is the only place in the world that produces blue Amber. It has a beautiful blue glow when set against a dark background. Most amber will be a honey color and ranges from pale yellow (translucent or opaque), to deep orange and red, to nearly black as well as green. It was one of the first substances used as jewelry and amulets or decoration. It is very soft, having a hardness of 2.5 on the Mohs scale.


There are many imitations, but only Amber and Copal give off the tell-tale scent when burned. Copal is basically young amber. It hasn't been in the ground long enough to be fully fossilized. In fact, Copal can be as young as 250-300 years, rather than the millions of years Amber has. It's scent when burned will be much stronger than Amber.

Amber is a stone of manifestation, helping to bring your dreams and desires into reality. It is said to heighten intellectual abilities, giving clarity of thought and wisdom. It purifies the environment, provides psychic shielding, and calms and energizes at the same time.  For physical healing, it draws out pain and soothes the nerves and spirit. It is also used for asthma and other allergic respiratory ailments.

Amber is considered excellent for use in inner child and past life work and is used to strengthen magic spells.

The photos I've included here show different pieces of Amber. The top photo shows an example of the range of colors, though it's not fully inclusive. The middle photo is of a very rare piece with the remains of a small tree frog trapped within. The bottom photo shows a gorgeous piece with an insect trapped inside. I also read that a piece of Dominican Amber was found with an intact lizard encased.

Next time I will be writing about Amethyst. Known as the Addict's Stone, it is a beautiful stone to keep with you at all times if you have problems with addiction in any form. It has many other uses as well, though. More on that when I write next. :D

I almost forgot that I must include this small bit of information for legal reasons. Disclaimers: The information about the metaphysical properties of stones in this Blog is intuitive and not scientifically verified. This field is speculative and explorative. Individuals need to use discrimination to determine what is true for them. I cannot guarantee any results with any stone or jewelry item. Nor do I advocate the use of stones as a substitute for medical or psychological care.

Some say Amazonite got it's name from the Amazon women warriors. Others say that it was named for the Amazon River where it was discovered. It could be that whoever named it thought they'd get 2 birds with one stone and named it for both. Whatever the reason for it's name, it is a beautiful stone with strong energy.

Although it appears (rarely) in white, yellow, pink, red, grey or green, the most common color is teal. It usually forms in masses. Amazonite was popular in Egypt 4000 years ago and also in pre-columbian Central and South America. Egyptians carried it as an amulet as well as using it for important carvings. In the Americas there were many carvings done in Amazonite. It has a Mohs hardness of 6.

Amazonite helps to lessen self-damaging behaviour. It does this by helping you to learn to walk your truth. It teaches self-respect, confidence and grace. It soothes worries and fears, lessening stress and aiding in meditation. It is said to heal emotional problems and trauma. It can balance the male/female energies and clear the spirit. As for physical ailments, Amazonite is used to rectify calcium deficiencies and to help resist osteoporosis. It is considered an excellent remedy for muscle spasms.

It is recommended to place Amazonite over the door to bring in new business. Amazonite is also used by gamblers for luck and by anyone taking a chance to gain success.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Or, if you have additional information, please don't hesitate to add it. I don't include all of the information at hand on the stones as there is usually a lot. Next I will post about Amber. If there is a stone you want to know about and I've passed it alphabetically, please ask. I'll include it.

Agate is a form of Chalcedony (pronounced Kal-sid'-nee).  It comes in nearly every color of the rainbow and shades between.  It is sometimes banded as well, forming concentric rings like a tree in varying thicknesses.  One form of agate is called "Heavenly Eye" because a solid color (usually brown or black) like an iris and pupil is surrounded by a ring or rings. 

Agate usually forms by filling a cavity inside a matrix (host) of other stone.  They are usually rounded and oblong, though some are perfectly round like marbles.  Often the larger nodules are hollow and will be lined with crystals.  These will also usually have the concentric bands alternating with the color.  Agate has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, so it is fairly sturdy, yet soft enough to carve without too much difficulty.


In ancient times, Agate was highly valued and carried as a talisman or good luck charm.  It also was used to avert storms.  It is one of the oldest recorded gemstones.  Many items were carved of agate, including bowls.  There was a collection of bowls totaling three thousand that was kept by King Mithradates.
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Metaphysically, Agate is a stone for relaxation.  It brings a sense of calm and balance.  It is an aid for meditation and grounding. Agate gives vitality, and balances the Yin and Yang energies. It stimulates analytical abilities, awakens hidden latent talents and stabilizes the aura.  Agate helps one learn forgiveness and allows releasing of the bitterness that accompanies such situations.  The physical healing properties include strengthening the sight, helping with stress, and alleviating stomach upset. It also helps to prevent insomnia and gives pleasant dreams.  It is said to help treat disorders of the pancreas and improve circulation.


Different types of agate have additional properties.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.  I'll do my best to answer them.  Next time I will talk about Amazonite.  :D

There are many ways to healing in this day and age, where traditional medicine and alternative are beginning to join forces.  I can't emphasize enough though that this is only in the very beginning stages.  Some doctors are now embracing herbal medicine and incorporate it into their everyday practice.  Chinese traditional medicine is also gaining more acceptance in the Western world of medicine.  It will still be many years before we manage to change the way Western Medicine is practiced on a large scale.  If the Pharmaceutical world has it's way, this won't happen unless they figure out a way to profit from treating holistically.

What I want to talk about now, though is quite a ways from gaining mainstream acceptance.  Mother Earth has much to teach us about healing, and has much to give us.  The plants that heal have gained a fairly wide acceptance in the modern world.  What many don't know about is the healing effect of the stones that make up a large part of this world.  The metaphysical properties of the stones of the Earth are many and only talked about by a few.  There is Melodie's "Love is in the Earth", a wonderful and greatly detailed book that lists more stones than the average person is ever likely to meet.  Robert Simmons and Naisha Ahsian wrote "The Book of Stones", another wonderful book that includes photos.  Melodie's book has a companion book that is all photos of the stones she talks about in "Love is in the Earth".  There are a few other books on the metaphysical properties of stones, and many more that detail the physical properties of the stones only.

This entry is the beginning of what will be a daily blurb about some of the metaphysical properties of stones.  Some, I'm sure you will be familiar with, others are somewhat rare.  I will be going through the stones alphabetically.  Please don't hesitate to ask questions about any stone at any time, though I might wait to do an in-depth when that stone comes up alphabetically.  So, here goes!  I hope you find this blog interesting and enjoyable.  :D