Bloodstone

Bloodstone is one of the "official" birthstones for March. Popular bloodstone jewelry you can buy includes rings, beads and pendants.

What Is Bloodstone

Bloodstone is a form of chalcedony, fine cryptocrystalline quartz.

Bloodstone has also been known as heliotrope, a name which means "sun turning" in Greek. This is perhaps surprising since bloodsone is far from sun-coloured. It is usually green with red flecks.

There is often some confusion between bloodstone and jasper. Bloodstone is sometimes called blood jasper and fancy jasper is sometimes called bloodstone. Bloodstone and jasper are different though closely related stones, both being chalcedony forms of quartz.

Symbolism and Lore

The meaning of the ancient name "heliotrope" is somewhat puzzling. It's thought that the bloodstone was somehow connected with the sun. Some sources say that it could be used to observe the sun, at others that it could even influence the sun's course in the heavens. It's also been suggested that the specks of red on the green background might have been thought to resemble a sunset or sunrise.

The bloodstone has also been adopted by Christianity. The specks of "blood" are said to signify the blood of Christ spilled during the crucifixion and the gem has been called The Martyr's Stone. Some stories even go as far as to say that bloodstone was first formed by the falling blood of Christ. It has frequently been used in sculptures and artwork depicting Christian martrys.

Properties

The origin of the name bloodstone is more obvious: the flecks of red resemble spots of blood. There are numerous connections between this gemstone and blood.

In the tradition of sympathetic magic, this stone has been said to help treat bleeding and even haemorrages. This healing reputation was extended to all manner of other ailments, in particular those related to the blood such as poor circulation. It was also sometimes said to be able to purify the blood and hence fight poison. Bloodstone amulets were sometimes carried into battle by warriors.

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