Australian Opal Morkko



Opal is the birthstone for the month of October, along with pink tourmaline. It is also the stone given to celebrate the 14th year of marriage. The name opal is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit upala, meaning precious stone, and later the Greek derivative Opallios, meaning to see a change of color.
the source I was reading goes on to say that for several years they were seen as bad luck because of their tendency to become bleak or break while being polished or cut by Jewellers.
Among the ancients, opal was a symbol of fidelity and assurance, and in later history it became associated with religious emotional prayer. It was believed to have a strong therapeutic value for diseases of the eye, and when worn as an amulet, it would make the wearer immune from disease as well as increase the powers of the eyes and the mind. Furthermore, many believed that to the extent the colors of red and green were seen, the wearer would also enjoy the therapeutic powers of those stones: the power to stop bleeding from the ruby or the power to cure diseases from the emerald. (this is why I chose the Australian one specifically, pink Opal is my birthstone)

Heliodor Nephini


Heliodor is a hope stone, alleviating irritability and nervousness, and providing relief from heavy burdens and immense pressure. It brings stability and optimism
It is supposed to have a healing and balancing energy, working alongside the 5th chakra, the solar plexus Chakra. That one is your center of gravity and the way to basically connect to other planes.

I may put a third if I find a gem worthy of the spot :)
I chose two different healing stones because these are kinda what I need in life right now and honestly they're gorgeous. I'm semi-superstitious so this challenge is awesome.

thank you!

Since it is in the rules, I highly suggest doing the beliefs part to the challenge.

This is a perfect time since my sister and I are designing gemstone based Sylesti!!

Emerald Qitari


Why Emerald?
Emerald holds a special place in my heart since my half-birthday is in May as well as the birth month three important people in my life and the gemstone is one of their favorite colors.

So...How about beliefs?
Emeralds have always held a place in mythology. It was believed that the green of Emeralds soothed the eyes, and vision was restored when gazing upon them. The green color of emerald is the sign of spring, and ancient Egyptians believed that Emeralds stood for rebirth and fertility, and could ease childbirth. Many Mummies would be buried with an Emerald around their neck in hopes of bringing them eternal youth. Often times, the Emerald was worn as a talisman, because of the belief of its ability to ward off evil spirits and possession. Emeralds are also believed to hold healing powers, both emotional and physical. It is believed that an Emerald can lift depression, cure insomnia, detoxify blood, and cure ailments of the heart, eyes, pancreas, backbone, lymph nodes, intestines, kidneys and thymus. It is also believed that Emeralds alleviate complications of diabetes and enhance the immune system.



Black Opal Aeridini


Why Opal?
Opal is one of October's birthstone and my Dad's birthday is in October. I love all the different colors that occur in Opal gemstones and in this particular one, I highly cherish the blues since it is my favorite color!

So...How about beliefs?
The belief that wearing an opal changes a persons luck comes from the stones changing color play. In Roman times, it was believed that opals brought good luck because they showed all the colors of the rainbow. In Europe in the Middle Ages, blonde women believed that wearing opals would preserve their hair color. In contrast, at different times belief has held that opals bring bad luck because of their fragility.



Rose Garnet Nephini


Why Garnet?
Red is such a beautiful color!!! Ruby has it's own nice shades of red but I feel as if it is more on the pink side where as Garnet is more on the red side.

So...How about beliefs?
I will try to keep this as PG as possible...

Garnets were worn to enhance bodily strength, endurance and vigor. It was widely believed to be extremely beneficial to wear a garnet when one had to exert oneself. Garnet was also though to relieve skin conditions and regulate the heart and blood. It was thought to be healing for either gender. Garnets virtues have been long believed to include passion, true friendship, fidelity, success, self-esteem, loyalty, devotion, energy, faith, consistency, and truth. The stone also sharpens your perception of yourself and other people. Long ago, garnets were claimed to help the wearer resist melancholy and warn off evil spirits, especially spirits of the night, which were referred to as demons and night phantoms.

You make an image smaller by changing the size modifier in the image address. It "A" typically is near the end of the address. Change it to 250. It might should 216 or 500 something like that, just change it to 250. Hope that helps. If not, PM me the image address and I will do what I can to help further.

A precious stone of some kind I would go with birth stones if you have trouble thinking of something. Gem is usually referenced to a stone that catches a jewelers eye so to speak. So stones found in jewelry might work as well.

You need to challenge yourself hon. That is the point of this group, to help you develope. You won't be able to see what more you are capable of if you take the easy route.

As for the belief, a lot of stones are physical aspects of symbols that represent something in a variety of cultures as well as religions. It is also part of the challenge requirement. Without it, your submission is not complete and not eligible for possible placement. All requirements need to be meet per challenge. If you can't find a belief, information on what your chosen stone represents in some culture if not your own culture, then you need to pick another stone that you can do so with.