Since the dawn of time, stones have always fascinated man, who has used them for various purposes such as decorating objects, for protection or for rituals. Today they are also used in the manufacture of jewels and jewellery. However, there are many different types of stones such as precious stones, semi-precious stones or semi-precious stones and organic stones. This article is particularly interested in the so-called "organic" stones.
What are organic stones?
Organic stones are all gems that are not derived from mineral materials such as amber, coral, mother-of-pearl and jet. They are generally more brittle and fragile unlike precious and semi-precious stones because on the Mohs scale, the device for estimating the hardness of stones, most of them are found between 1 and 4. While precious stones such as diamond and sapphire can reach up to 10 on this scale. Organic gems are also bright and attractive with interesting characteristics, which is why they can be made into real gems or jewellery, and can be expensive in terms of price especially for the pearl.
The origin of organic gemstones
Stones classified as "organic" come either from plants or animals. For example, amber, copal, mellite and jain are formed from wood resin. In fact, resin is a liquid secreted by trees that are generally conifers such as fir, cypress and pine. It tends to fossilize over time and eventually turns into solid matter after millions of years: organic stone. Some organic gems are formed from the animal kingdom of the sea. Mother-of-pearl, for example, comes from the shells of certain species of molluscs, while coral is a secretion of limestone forming the skeleton of marine polypers.
Characteristics and virtues of organic stones
Just like purely mineral gems, organic types have their own characteristics. They are used in lithotherapy thanks to their virtues which can extend on the psychic and physical level, according to their colour, chemical composition and shape. Such is the example of amber which is a conductor of heat thanks to its golden colour, its lightness and its warm sensation to the touch. This organic stone also has beneficial effects on those who wear it as a bracelet or pendant. Coral has also long been regarded as a sacred stone that symbolizes life force and disperses the power to cure many diseases and improve psychological capacity.