Birthstone Meanings

How much can you tell of the Mythology and Folklore of the Heliotrope/bloodstone?

Public Comments

1. Off the top of my head Terry, just that they are supposed to cure nosebleeds. And presumably other forms of bleeding. But I'd need to look them up for more and I'm just off to work I'm afraid. Edit: back again. It's said the restorative powers are due to the iron oxide in the stone being a powerful astringent. The Gnostics wore them to prolong life, to make the wearer courageous and wealthy. Some say the heliotrope and bloodstone are the same. Others that heliotrope is a translucent green chalcedony with crimson spots; the bloodstone a green jasper flecked with red. The name heliotrope perhaps arose because it is said that when plunged in water, it presents a red reflection of the sun. They are (with diamond) one of the gemstones of the astrological sign Ares. .
2. Believed to be a very magickal stone, in ancient times Bloodstone was thought to have the ability to stop hemorrhages by merely touching the stone. Ancient warriors often carried a Bloodstone amulet which was intended to stop the bleeding when applied to a wound. In the Middle Ages, special powers were attributed to Bloodstone because it was believed to have been formed when some drops of Jesus' blood fell and stained some Jasper at the foot of the cross. From that time on, this stone was used in sculptures representing flagellation and martyrdom, leading it to be dubbed "The Martyr's Stone." Believed to have great healing powers, the stones were crushed into powder and mixed with honey and egg whites; a conconction believed to cure tumors and to stop bleeding. Alchemists used Bloodstone to cure blood poisoning as well as draw out the poison from venomous snakebites.