Blood Stone (Heliotrope) Tumbled Gemstone

Stable and water-tolerant; avoid prolonged soaking, salt water, and harsh chemicals.

Known since antiquity as heliotrope, Bloodstone has been carried for centuries as a stone of courage, protection, and vitality. Its green chalcedony body flecked with iron-red inclusions gave rise to enduring legends and a long practical reputation as a cleanser and protector.

Bloodstone is a cryptocrystalline variety of quartz, a green chalcedony colored by chlorite or amphibole inclusions with red spots of iron oxide. Its chemical formula is SiO2 and it crystallizes in the trigonal system with a Mohs hardness of about 6.5 to 7.

• Medieval Christian legend held that Bloodstone formed when drops of Christ's blood fell onto green jasper at the foot of the cross, earning it the name martyr's stone.
• The Greek name heliotrope, meaning sun-turning, came from the belief that the stone placed in water could turn the sun's reflection red.
• Ancient warriors and athletes carried Bloodstone as an amulet believed to staunch bleeding and lend courage in battle and contest.