Chalcedony is an ornamental stone included in the quartz group. This fine-fibered variety of the mineral has been known to mankind since ancient times. The rock was first mined in Chalcedon, on the shores of the Sea of Marmara. The modern name of the stone comes from this area. Chalcedony is all cryptocrystalline silicas. The group includes more than 100 varieties, differing in color, composition, and properties.
Physical and chemical properties
Chalcedony is a type of quartz with a fine-fiber structure. It comes in a wide variety of shades, due to the presence of impurities, and also striped with layers of different thicknesses and densities.
| Formula | SiO2 |
| Color | Varied - white and black, blue, green, red and orange, purple and pink, two- and multi-color. |
| Probable impurities | Chromium, nickel, iron (hematite), manganese and others. |
| Shine | Soft matte, waxy |
| Hardness | 6,5-7 |
| Transparency | Turbid with transparent and non-translucent areas |
| Kink | Uneven, may be shell-like |
| Cleavage | Absent |
| Density | 2.58-2.64 g/cm3 |
| singonia | Trigonal |
| Refractive index | 1,530-1,539 |
Application area
Due to its impressive purple-blue and whitish color, the blue quartz mineral chalcedony is considered a semi-precious or gemstone. More transparent specimens with less whitish veins are especially valued.
Pendants, rings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants and pendulums of undoubted beauty are made from this mineral.
The stone found use among the first beauties, magicians and esotericists, as well as among ordinary women and men. They believe in its healing and magical properties and use it as a talisman in everyday life.
Colors and varieties
Chalcedony has a lot of color varieties, some of them act as independent minerals.
Green chalcedony
The green color of the mineral is given mainly by chromium, as well as nickel, which also produces green-blue stones.
The most famous variety is Chrysoprase. It can be of three types - premium (emerald green, transparent, plain, practically free of impurities), first grade (apple green, translucent with small non-transparent areas) and semi-precious (green-blue or yellow-green, zonally transparent or opaque , with impurities and inclusions).
Chrysoprase
Less known is mtorolite. Its color can vary from pale green to dark emerald.
Another popular green chalcedony is heliotrope. The stone is dark emerald green with red spots and stains (blood jasper), less often with yellow splashes (plasma).
Heliotrope
Pink chalcedony
Pink chalcedony is famous among the Mongols as a stone that brings joy. The pink-red hue of the stone is given by an admixture of iron oxide (hematite). The most popular variety is carnelian. Its shade can vary, reaching scarlet. There are striped samples with lighter zones.
Cornelian
Blue chalcedony
Among blue chalcedony, sapphirine is the most famous. It is translucent and has a soft blue tint, for which it is highly valued by jewelers.
Sapphirine
White chalcedony
White chalcedony is cacholong (milk opal). It has an uncertain composition and porous structure. A very rare stone, so it is worth accordingly. This also includes mossy stones - white or steel transparent stones with inclusions of iron, manganese and nickel, reminiscent of dark moss.
Cacholong
Chalcedony red tones
Among the reddish varieties of the mineral there are:
- Sarder is a stone of red-brown shades, differing from carnelian only in color.
- Sardonyx is red-orange or black-red, less often white-brown, and is also a type of carnelian.
Sardonyx
Striped Chalcedony
The most interesting are the striped types of chalcedony. These include:
- Agate is layered, patterned, and its colors can include many different colors. Depending on the pattern, agates are classified as Brazilian, dendritic, moss, star, disc or bastion.
- Onyx is striped due to its ribbon structure. The main colors of the layers are red, brown, black, white, yellow and pink.
Onyx crafts
Black chalcedony
Black chalcedony includes black onyx and agate, as well as their dark gray varieties.
Black agate
Chalcedony also comes in purple, orange, yellow-golden and others.
Heliotrope
Heliotrope is a calming mineral that helps you cope with difficult situations, even those that test your spirit of survival. Use it when you need to be more organized or reduce anxiety and confusion.
It makes a person more patient, less aggressive and hysterical. Protects from unwanted external influences. Among other things, it promotes adaptability. This allows you to cope with stressful periods in a relaxed manner without losing mental clarity.
The magical properties of chalcedony
Ring with chalcedony
The magic of chalcedony is diverse and versatile. Each variety has its own focus, but the effect is mainly determined by the color of the stone:
- Red – charges with energy, stimulates development, moving forward and not stopping there, and also protects from aggression, both physical and energetic, from others.
- Green – comprehensively protects the owner, including from himself. It also increases his stock of patience, helps him understand his own importance and become a self-sufficient person.
- Violet or purple is a stone that strengthens a person’s inner core, increases his willpower and endurance, and also opens up magical abilities in the owner if he has even a tiny potential.
- Orange - awakens hidden talents and enhances the craving for creativity, and also makes a person more attractive, memorable and helps to attract everyone's attention.
- Blue – relieves anger, nervousness and irritability. Makes the owner stress- and morally stable, and also helps to overcome difficulties.
- Brown – attracts stability in life. This applies to a person’s character, his relationships with the opposite sex, and his financial situation.
- Black - symbolizes birth and death, helps to communicate with the spirits of ancestors, and also allows you to see your future offspring in a dream.
Chalcedony of any color and type helps a person get out of a difficult situation, find the strength to overcome difficulties even against the background of mortal fatigue, get rid of the burden of disappointments and start a new life.
Cornelian
The ideal stone to stabilize energy and restore powerful motivation. In addition, the mineral helps in the development of creative abilities. From a psychological perspective, carnelian helps control the fear of death while accepting the cycle of life. Carnelian helps increase courage, wise choices and motivation. The mineral strengthens confidence and self-love, allowing you to choose the right path.
Medicinal properties
Decoration with chalcedony
Each variety of chalcedony carries its own energy, and therefore they have different healing effects on the human body:
- Agate fights toothache, and when worn on the chest, it helps cough up and removes phlegm.
- Heliotrope – normalizes heart function, improves the condition of blood vessels.
- Onyx – heals the kidneys, cleanses the liver and restores its cells.
- Sapphirine – raises blood pressure and normalizes heart rate.
- Sarder - has a healing effect, helps to heal wounds, heal ulcers, and restore the skin. Sarder also has a beneficial effect on a woman’s body, significantly increasing the chances of conceiving a child.
- Carnelian – relieves pain, including toothache and ear pain, stops bleeding, refreshes and tones.
- Chrysoprase - helps weather-dependent people not to react to weather changes and magnetic storms.
This is interesting!
From ancient manuscripts, modern lithotherapists learned that chalcedony was used by ancestors to treat skin diseases and fever, and dysentery was cured with the powder. Even today, some followers of Islam believe that orange and yellow varieties of stone strengthen gums and clear plaque from teeth. Chalcedony is used for these purposes in the form of toothpicks.
Absolutely all types of stone calm the nerves, relieve depression and psychosis, normalize sleep, relieve aggressiveness and depression. They also strengthen bones, restore vision, and have a beneficial effect on the condition of the digestive and intestinal tract.
Onyx
The black version of chalcedony is known as onyx. The stone helps fight negative energies because it is a porous stone with high absorbency. The stone, like a magnet, attracts bad vibrations in order to subsequently dissolve them. They say that negative vibrations when penetrating this crystal dissolve into nothingness.
According to the belief, it is believed that if the owner of this stone is attacked due to the envy or jealousy of someone else, the stone will act as a protective shield to absorb the attack and cancel it out completely.
Talismans and amulets
Chalcedony Sarder
Chalcedony has long been considered the patron saint of scientists. It helps them “gnaw the granite of science,” make discoveries, analyze, remember and process information. Therefore, students and teachers, researchers, professors and other scientists should stock up on a talisman with this stone.
In Ancient Mesopotamia and Assyria, chalcedony amulets were made in cylindrical shapes and religious inscriptions were applied to them.
Chalcedony is a stone of the earth, with which it is closely connected energetically. Therefore, in ancient times, sailors tried to stock up on pebbles when setting off on long voyages. They believed that he would help them return to their native land. Today, this property of the stone is relevant for those whose work involves swimming, as well as for sea travelers.
Agate Botswana
Agates are powerful amulets for children. They protect them from falls, bruises and all kinds of injuries, as well as from the evil eye.
Single women need chalcedony to attract a soul mate. It enhances their natural magnetism so that no man can resist. The stone helps to choose “the one” for life among many applicants.
Actors should stock up on orange chalcedony. It will enhance their abilities and help them get used to the role.
Raw chalcedony, even a very small one, can become a real talisman for married couples. He will remain faithful in the family, help feelings never fade, and help spouses become good parents.
Of all the men, Sergeev especially singles out chalcedony. He will help them in absolutely all endeavors, and will also make them wiser, calmer, more patient and courageous.
Among women, the stone distinguishes the owners of the following names - Valeria (love, harmony in the family) and Oksana (joy of life, no gloomy thoughts), Inga (protection from negativity, supply of energy), Ksenia (getting rid of melancholy, desire to start a new life) and Irina (getting rid of loneliness, new love).
Chrysoprase
The stone induces deep states of meditation, instills hope and gives understanding. Helps express talents, stimulating creativity and personal relationships. It energizes the heart and sacral chakras and also brings universal energy into the physical body.
Psychologically, a relaxing stone, chrysoprase helps open up new situations, promoting acceptance of oneself and others. Mentally stimulates fluency and mental agility, and emotionally it provides a feeling of security and confidence, promoting independence and determination. On a healing level, chrysoprase is great for relaxation and peaceful dreams. Use it as an elixir for acute cases or simply wear it wherever you feel comfortable.
Compatibility with other stones
Earrings with chalcedony
Chalcedony is a bright and individual stone, so jewelers, guided by aesthetic compatibility rather than astrological compatibility, try not to combine it with other gems. The exception is cubic zirconia, as they emphasize the beauty of a multi-colored handsome man.
Astrologers recommend wearing the stone individually, or with fellow Earth elements. Earthly minerals behave friendly in proximity to stones of the air element.
The combination of chalcedony with beryl and coral, opal and aquamarine, moonstone and crystal is unfavorable.
Prevalence
As written above, chalcedony belongs to quartz, which are rock-forming minerals in the earth's crust. Their mass fraction in free rock is 12%, in other rocks – 60%. They are formed during the crystallization of igneous rocks or hydrothermal effects.
In nature, the mineral is presented in the form of spherulites and spherulite crusts. Chalcedony veins, pseudostalactites, and solid massifs are ubiquitous. The largest deposits are located in Brazil, India, Australia, Germany, and Scotland. In our vast homeland there are also plenty of places where chalcedony is developed: Crimea, Transcaucasia, the Urals, the Yenisei, Lena and Kolyma basins, Primorye.
Products and decorations made of chalcedony
Gold ring with agates
The variety of varieties of chalcedony dictates the same variety of jewelry with it. Prices vary depending on the type of stone and metal of the frame. For example:
- A gold ring with agate can be purchased for $90-250, earrings for $130-450, and pendants for $45-220.
- Silver ring with onyx – for 10-25 dollars.
- Silver ring with blue chalcedony (sapphirines) - for 50-150 dollars.
- A bracelet made of natural but dyed chalcedony - for only 10 dollars.
- Copper ring with carnelian - for 9 dollars.
- Silver talisman with chrysoprase - for $135.
There are no rules regarding the best time to buy chalcedony jewelry. A person must be guided by his own feelings. The best option is a spontaneous purchase.
Agate
Agates are minerals that serve to regulate energies and provide physical, emotional and intellectual balance to a person. They help focus and stabilize physical energy. Stones are able to harmonize yin and yang, positive and negative forces, and also calm.
Psychologically, agate promotes self-understanding, strengthening self-control, helping to improve concentration, understanding and mental skills. Emotionally, it helps overcome negativity and bitterness in the heart, heals inner anger and aims to increase love and courage.
How to distinguish an original from a fake
Blue chalcedony
Available varieties of chalcedony are rarely counterfeited, as this is unjustified, but more expensive ones are often counterfeited. There are two types of imitations, the first is when glass and plastic are used as the material. It is not difficult even for an ordinary buyer to identify products of such a scam. Please pay attention to:
- Sample weight. The mineral, born from nature, is denser than glass and plastic, and accordingly much heavier.
- Stone temperature. It should be cool even in a warm room, but it will heat up very slowly in your hands. Glass and plastic will easily absorb heat not only from your hands, but also from the air.
- Mineral structure. A natural gem will never be perfect inside. In it, under a magnifying glass, you can always see air bubbles, small defects and inclusions of impurities. The imitations will have a homogeneous structure.
- Perfect color. Counterfeits made of glass or plastic always stand out with overly bright and catchy colors, and they are painted evenly. Natural stones rarely have rich colors. Although such samples are found, they are expensive. The coloring of natural stone will necessarily have darker or lighter zones, at least minor color imperfections and transitions.
The second method of counterfeiting is the dyeing of cheap chalcedony with iron nitrate in order to pass them off as rarer and more expensive varieties. Only a professional can identify such frauds, but theoretically, if you split the sample, you can see the painted top layer.
Sapphirine
It raises the understanding, encourages contemplation and assimilation of essential practice on a spiritual level. In its healing aspect, the stone normalizes the aura, eliminating or transforming negative energies.
To reduce problems of shyness, it is recommended to use a stone in the form of a pendant, as the power it imparts to the wearer helps eradicate inhibitions.
How to care for stone
Chalcedony decoration
The rules for caring for chalcedony are standard. Stone needed:
- Protect from sharp mechanical influences during wear and storage, that is, do not knock, do not drop, pack in a soft bag or case.
- Protect from exposure to aggressive chemicals that may be found in detergents, cosmetics and perfumes, that is, remove during washing, cleaning and washing dishes, and put on last, when makeup and eau de toilette have already been applied.
- Avoid exposing the stone to too high and low temperatures, as well as temperature changes.
- Clean with a mild soap solution and a soft sponge. Do not use steam or ultrasonic cleaning methods.
Sapphirines and chrysoprases are afraid of sunlight, which causes them to lose their color. Therefore, it is not recommended to wear them openly, especially in sunny weather.
Field
Chalcedony is extremely common and is found in abundance throughout the world. The primary source of the mineral variety is Szklary, Ząbkowice, Poland. The main deposits are located in Marlborough, Queensland, Australia. The main valuable Tiger's Eye clusters are located in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa.
Chalcedony trimmings and coral replacements come from various locations in West Florida: specifically Tampa Bay, Hillsborough Co., Tarpon Springs, Pinellas Co., south of New Port Richey, Pasco Co., and along the banks of the Suwanee River in Hamilton, Columbia Counties and Suwanee.
