Garnet, Onyx & Dalmatian Jasper Knotted 8mm Mala with Silk Tassel #13

–  Garnet, Onyx and Dalmatian Jasper Knotted Mala with Silk Tassel

–  Garnet & Onyx, 8mm ; Dalmatian Jasper, 8.5mm

–  Approx. 42″ including, 3″ tassel

–  The gemstone Garnet is the official birthstone for January and is also the stone for the Zodiac sign Aquarius. The name Garnet comes from the Latin word “granatus”, which means grain, because many garnet deposits are small grains of red crystals in their host rock. Garnet refers to a group of minerals that can appear in any color. Some of the main Garnet types are: Rhodolite – purple;  Hessonite – brown/orange; Spessartite – red; Mandarine – orange; Demantoid – light green; and Tsavorite – dark green.  The highest-quality Garnets are found in Brazil, China, Kenya, Madagascar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and the United States. According to traditional stone lore, red/purple Garnets are associated with love, friendship, and controlling one’s anger; green Garnets with peace and serenity; and orange Garnets with creativity.

– Jasper is an opaque form of Chalcedony.  It usually comes in shades of red, yellow, brown, and green, although there are rare forms of blue Jasper. It often contains organic material and mineral oxides which give it interesting patterns, bands, stripes and colors. Many of these patterns resemble landscapes with mountains and valleys, thus the name “picture” is part of the name of many well know Jaspers. The name comes from Old French meaning “spotted or speckled,” and it is found all over the world.  Jasper was a favorite gem in ancient times, and was believed to be protective, and ward off evil spirits. In  folk medicine, it is rumored to be of help for sciatica and troubled toenails.

– The name comes from the Greek word onyx which means nail of a finger or claw. Onyx is a Chalcedony quartz that is mined in  Brazil, India,  California and Uruguay. Onyx is the Mystical birthstone for the month of December. It is also the birth stone for the Zodiac sign of Leo. Ancient legends says that one day while Venus was sleeping, Eros cut her fingernails and scattered them on Earth. Because no part of a heavenly body can die, the gods turned them into stone which later became known as Onyx. Originally, almost all colors of Chalcedony from white to dark brown and black were called Onyx.  Today Onyx is often prefaced with the word with black to distinguish it from other varieties of Onyx that come in white, reddish brown, brown and banded, known as Sardonyx. In contemporary stone lore, it is rumored Onyx decreases sexual desire and aids in controlling bad habits.