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Navaratnas and their influence Part 1 |
It has been an accepted belief since times immemorial, that gems influence man's fate. It is reinforced by the belief that gems possess curative and prophylactic powers. The prominent among the group of gems are the Navaratnas.
Navaratna is a Sanskrit word meaning "nine gems". Each gem is associated with a particular planet or the ruler. All the nine gems associated with a ruling planet.
According to astrology the nine planets in one's horoscope, influence an individual’s course of life. Wearing the Navaratna is believed to balance the influence of the planets and ensure a general well being. They are worn as an accessory with the nine gems set in a particular order. Each gem has certain specific attributes and healing properties. So they are worn as a single adornment like a ring a neck piece or a bracelet.
Astrology believes that the vibrations in our body correspond to that of the influence of the planets. The planets are represented by gems and each gem has a specific color. The color corresponds to the energy points known as Chakras in our bodies. When the vibrations within a gemstone are in harmony with the particular vibrations of the wearer, they complement each other. This then ensures a state of well being.
Navaratnas and their associated planets are as follows.
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Zircon A Diamond Substitute |
Zircon Gemstone is one of the most brilliant gemstones, after diamonds. Zircon resembles the diamond and is often used as a substitute for a diamond. Though lesser in value than diamonds, they possess the brilliance of the diamond.
Natural zircon crystal occurs in a wide range of colors like earthy brown, yellow, green. The most beautiful and rare are the deep red zircons. But the most popular is the colorless variety, which looks more like diamond.
Zircon's are of two varieties, one is called High Zircon and the other Low Zircon. They are differentiated by their physical properties, by gemologists. Natural untreated zircon crystals are very rare and most of the zircons available are heat-treated.
In the Hindu mythology, Zircons were part of the Kalpa tree. The tree is a symbolic of a wishing tree that provided everything one wished for. It represented a glowing ensemble of precious stones which included diamonds, sapphires, rubies and zircons which represented the leaves.
The main regions where zircons are sourced are Thailand, Cambodia, Srilanka, Myanmar, and parts of Australia.
Zircon Trivia
- Zircon crystal is one of the heaviest gemstones, which looks smaller in size than other gemstones of the same weight.
- An important identification mark for Zircons is a strong double refraction which can easily be seen under the loupe at the facet edges.
- Due of its doubly refractive property genuine zircon gemstone can be easily distinguished from a diamond.
- It was believed that wearing a zircon would protect travelers from catching the plague.
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