Birthstone of the Month

By Will Postell - “Rock Reporter”

It is March! What a fantastic choice of two traditional birthstones available with that of bloodstone and aquamarine. This month I will focus on bloodstone. Bloodstone (SiO2) is a cryptocrystalline (microscopically small crystals) variety of quartz (chalcedony). Bloodstone is a bright colorful dark green stone with the presence or impurities of about 15 percent or more of an iron oxide known as hematite – a principle ore of iron.

The hematite impurity gives bloodstone beautiful and numerous red-speckled dots resembling spots of blood causing many to call it “the stone of martyrs.” The English and Europeans still refer to bloodstone by another name – heliotrope, from the Greek word “helio” meaning “sun” or “the gem that turns the sun.” Bloodstone, greatly prized in the Middle Ages, obtained its popularity largely due its toughness and availability in large, uncracked pieces. It has been very popular for carvings and sculpturing of the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross. Bloodstone is also very popular when carved with a design or figure set in bezels, fashioned into men‟s signet rings, and cut “en cabochon” for bolos, belt buckles, or simply with a flat cut bringing out its best qualities. For whatever obscure reason, some men do not feel it is appropriate for a woman to wear bloodstone. Today, however, very good to excellent quality bloodstone is getting hard to find. There have been no manmade equivalents of bloodstone to date.

Bloodstone dates back to the Greek and Roman times when this stone was also drilled and carved into cameos and numerous ornamental objects. In the trade, the term “blood jasper” is sometimes used. Bloodstone, however, is not really jasper at all, even though a radical structure with spherical aggregates can simulate a grainy appearance. Although the colors are not always constant, but on rare occasions it can be about 50% color red and 50% color green. This could be due to a larger absorption of iron oxide. The green color is a result of chlorite particles or an inclusion of hornblende needles. Bloodstone has a hardness of 6.5 and about 2½ times as heavy as water. The most important deposits are more likely to be found in India, but also locations of interest in Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, and the United States.

... Will