
It was probably not long after man first accidentally unearthed the first gem, that its scarcity and beauty made it a thing of value. So it has been ever since. Men have fought and died, wars have been waged, nations lost and lives broken over the need to possess certain gems or gem sites.

peruvian opal
Gems have also played a bigger role in history than as mere objects of desire: they've been drivers of trade and exploration as well as valued for their special properties of healing and protection.

ancient amber routes
Later, numerous land routes between the Baltic and the Mediterranean -- often along rivers -- developed to accommodate the amber trade. Tacitus (57-117 AD), Roman historian, wrote that amber was brought over land from the shores of the Baltic to the Danube; and the "barbarians were astonished at the price which they received in exchange for so useless a commodity."

Rome - India sea routes
Gems continue as economic drivers today. The much maligned government of Myanmar (formerly Burma) exacts hard cash from the West by exploiting its jade and ruby deposits -- exploiting its native population at the same time. The area around Sierra Leone has just concluded a bitter war, ostensibly for 'freedom' but really about diamond rights.

egyptian scarab pectoral
- Greek sailors carried aquamarine engraved with a likeness of Poseidon to protect them from storms at sea.
- An Assyrian chalcedony 'demon' amulet 3500 years old reads: "May Sîn, lord of the crown, quiet you; may Ninurta, lord of weapons, break your weapons; may Nergal, lord of the netherworld hold you in battle; may Ea and Asalluhi cut off your poison. Clear off!"
- Ancient Egyptians considered malachite to be under the spiritual dominion of Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of beauty, joy, love and women -- also known as the "Lady of Greenstone." They believed that wearing malachite in bands around the head and arms protected them from the frequent cholera epidemics that ravaged Egypt, and medical historians now believe that there may have been some validity to the practice.
Links in this section offer you the opportunity to journey through history, learning more about the fascinating men and women as well as the historical events, mythologies, folk tales and other associations with gems woven into each gem's story.
- abalone
- almandine garnet
- amber
- amethyst
- ametrine
- apatite
- aquamarine
- boulder opal
- calcite
- carnelian
- chalcedony
- chrysoprase
- cinnabar
- citrine
- coral
- druse
- fire opal
- fluorite
- fossilized shell
- garnet
- green garnet
- hematite
- hessonite
- iolite
- jasper
- labradorite
- lapis lazuli
- malachite
- milky quartz
- moldavite
- moonstone
- mother-of-pearl
- obsidian
- onyx
- opal-common
- paua
- peridot
- peruvian opal
- prehnite
- pyrite
- quartz
- rose quartz
- rutilated quartz
- serpentine
- shells
- smoky quartz
- tanzanite
- tourmalinated quartz