For the past several hundred years or more, man, and more often woman, have come to appreciate the value and beauty of precious stones. Gems such as emeralds, diamonds and rubies have been sought after as keepsakes and symbols of undying love. But in the realms of the myth, folklore and fantasy, stones were more than valuble...they were necessary. Stones that protect from evil spirits and ward off disease were among the many medieval credit cards ... people simply wouldn't leave home without them. The following is a list of so me of these precious stones. alemandina: A stone which could melt ice and boil water. alkibrit: The sulfur which is used to "Greek fire." Greek fire was a flammable material which burned intensely. Such material was placed in clay pots and lobbed at ~ foes and was especially used as a marine weapon. amethyst - A clear purple or bluish violet variety of crystallized quartz. It was thought to ward off drunkenness or prevent intoxication. amistunte - A hard stone (flint) which set fire to tow (hemp fibers) when it was struck with a bit of iron. anachitis - This is to call water spirits up from their depths. anacithidus - A necromantic stone used to call demons and ghosts antiphates - A stone of black color used as an amuletic defense against the power of a witch. Armenian stone - see lapis lazuli. asisu - See figius. bellocullus - A white stone thought to render one invulnerable in war. It had a gold spot circled with black. berelica - A gemstone which cured palpitations and, when powdered and put into wine, was thought to stop baldness. beryl - A greenish stone which attracted the rays of the sun and set fire to dry materials. Rings made from it maintained agreements between spouses and cured all sorts of maladies, especially eye problems. bezoar - A stone which is found in the stomach of Various animals such as cattle, chamois, , llamas, goats, horses, porcupines, and monkeys and said to be an effective cure for mopst ailments, but worked especially well to prevent seasickness. They were particularly useful as an antidote to poison. The Oriental bezoar was made primarily of resinous organic matter arranged in concentric layers about a hard foreign nucleus. The Oriental variety of bezoar is found in the goat, gazelle, etc, The Western or Occidental bezoar is found in the Peruvian llama, and consists mostly of calcium phosphate. The German bezoar, from the gemsbok (oryx gazelle), is composed of interlaced fibers or hairs with organic cementing material. Bezoars were still in use in the East as medicines and pigments during the first quarter of this century and perhaps still today. brimstone - The old world term for sulphur. ceraunius - A stone of lightning which was sometimes found in the shape of an arrow. Formed in the upper portions of the sky where the wind battled, it was to be found stuck in the ground nine days after it fell. For chaste people, it was a talisman which brought good luck and pleasant dreams. ceronites - A precious stone found in the eyes of a turtle of India. Those who put the stone on their tongue spoke only the truth, but its virtues revealed themselves between sunrise and the sixth hour during the new moon; when the moon was on the wane, the stone had its full powers only between dawn and sunrise. chalcedony - A green jasper which was thought to protect a person from phantoms and drowning. It is a cryptocrystalline, translucent variety of quartz which is commonly a pale blue or gray color, uniform tint and luster nearly like wax. Chalcedony of varying color is known as carnelian, chrysoprase, heliotrope, agate, onyx, etc. chrisoletus - A demonifuge used also to drive away melancholy and illusions which were often thought to be the doings of demons. chrysolite (also crisolite)- A fibrous variety of serpentine which protected its bearer from the demons which cause nightmares (incubus and succubus) and phantoms. One was assured of victory over demons if one carried in on the left arm pierced and wrapped with the hair of an ass. It was also used to prevent madness and fever in general. Interestingly enough, it is a kind of asbestos, so it is also unaffected by fire. collire - A sapphire-like stone which was the color of the sea. He who carried it around his neck was sheltered from the displeasure of his overlord. coral - Thought to be a cure for blindness and toothache, and when mixed with powder of cumin, it served as a dentifrice and a lotion for the eyes. crisolite - See chrysolite. demonfuge: spell, amulet, charm, or other object desigtned to drive away demons and evil spirits. diadocos - The strongest stone used in divination and it resembled beryl. Holding it in one's mouth gave the beholder authority over devils and those who were summoned were placed in the service of the stone holder without making the holder himself bad. Before the diadocos could be placed in the mouth, it must first have been cooled in water to prevent burns. It also made all who carried it immortal, but did not stop from falling into a languor those to whom death was preferable. Bodies in contact with this stone rose up again suddenly without speech, sight or movement but collapsed when it was withdrawn. This stone was holy among all others. dionysia - A black stone with reddishbrown spots; when powdered and added to wine it prevented the intoxicating effects of the alcohol. The name is obviously derived from Dionysus; the Greek god of wine. draconitides (also dragon stone) -- A carbuncle (a rounded and polished gamet) which is said to be found in the head of dragons. It had to be taken from the dragon when it was sleeping, for otherwise it lost its magical properties. Enchanters would put a dragon to sleep and then cut off its head to steal the carbuncle which they would sell for enormous profits. exebenius - A white stone used by smiths to purify gold, which when drunk in wine was said to cure madness in women. fetish (or fetich): object natural or created possesses magical powers or energies capable of bringing success to the designs of the owner, such as preventing injury, curing illness, etc. The termwas originally applied to crude idols and talismans of West Africa, but now applies the world over. frigius (also asius)- Black-veined stone which, when drunk in wine with the herb sabine, healed fistula and gout. galpte - See pyrite below. heartbone - The hard, red cartilage which is found in a deer's heart. It is said to have medical qualities due to the cowardliness of the animal which relied on this "bone" not to perish from fright. This bone would comfort a frightened heart, especially that of a pregnant women. jade - It was thought that jade was able to provide a link between this world and the spiritual world. jasper - A gemstone known in many countries by sixteen different types varying in color. It was once thought to be sacred and was faithfully carried by some as protection against fever. Other jaspers were thought to behold different properties. See chalcedony above. lapis lazuli - A rich azure stone found in small rounded quantities and often showing spangles of iron pyrites. It was probably considered by the ancients to be sapphire and in modern day is still valuable for ornamental purposes. Also, it was thought to possess curative and healing properties. The deep blue "rays" were believed to aid in personal and spiritual expression and was said to halt inflammation. It was also known as Armenian Stone, caustic potash, infernal stone, etc. lynx - This stone is a type of zircon, amber in color, which was believed would make people go to sleep or cure insomnia. madstone - A stone which was popularly thought to counteract the effects of poison from the bite of an animal. niger - A stone thought to hold very powerful properties; it was also called gelaticum. If it was put into a person's mouth for a long time after rinsing with wax and honey, one could foresee the projects of adversaries. More importantly, it was a powerful aphrodisiac. onyx - A black stone which was thought to bring bad luck if it was carried in battle. oristes - A black or green stone which served as protection against animal bite and also from fear. It also made men sterile and caused women to abort. pontica - A stone blue in color with red stars or drops and lines like blood. It was used by conjurers to compel demons to answer questions and also acted as a powerful demonifuge. pyrite (or galgate) - A stone which was good for diseases of the eye and diarrhea. In later times, it was burned in enormous quantities for making sulphuric acid. red coral - This was used to protect children from demons and black magic. Formally it was powdered and given to children as preventative medicine for epilepsy, which was viewed as either a divine illness or the madness induced by demons. sapphire - A precious stone which was thrown upon the coasts of Libya by waves. It was said to have the property to bestow the gift of prophecy and to remove the chains of prisoners. It is either transparent or translucent crystalline; appearance is typically blue in color. synochitis - A stone which rendered the owner the power over conjured demons while he or she questioned them. talisman: stone or metal piece engraved with a figure or writing useful for curing ailments and preventing illness. toadstone - According to myth, this stone was used to detect poison. When it came in contact with poison, it would change color and begin to sweat. It is a bufonite or their petrification, stone or similar object which was popularly thought to have formed in the head or body of a toad, hence its name. In addition to being used as a poison detector, they were worn. as charms and used as antidotes to poison. tourmaline - A stone that when heated gains electrical properties similar to a magnet. turquoise - A stone which was suited for the very young. 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