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Gemstone Beads Index
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Click a gemstone name or picture below to shop in our online store, or return to the Menu.
- Stones are alphabetized by family. For example, to find information on Red Creek Jasper look under "J" for "Jasper".
- Not all gemstones listed below are current stock. Some might be unavailable, or only available at our traveling Bead Shows.
- "Also known as" (aka) listings are often misnomers; we list other names we've seen, right or wrong!
- To the best of our knowledge, our gemstones are natural and untreated unless otherwise noted.
- We use the term "dyed" to describe stones to which color has been added through some process. The coloring process does not necessarily involve a colorant like those used for cloth.
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- B -
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Black Stone (-043)
This ink-colored gemstone closely resembles black onyx; however, since we have been unable to verify its true classification, "black stone" is the most honest name for it. This gemstone usually appears less shiny than onyx.
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Black Lace Picasso
aka Spiderweb Jasper
A gray and white stone with black crazing (known as picasso), this gemstone is very similar in appearance to zebra jasper. However, since we do not know whether it is truly a jasper mineralogically, we've kept its descriptive market name. The markings could be natural or manmade.
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Bloodstone (-098)
aka Heliotrope, Martyr's Stone
This dark-green variety of chalcedony (quartz) is dotted with nodules of bright-red jasper. Polished sections therefore show red spots on a dark-green background, resembling drops of blood and inspiring its name. In ancient times, bloodstone was attributed with the power to stop hemorrhages at the merest touch. It was greatly prized in the Middle Ages, as the spots were thought to be the blood of Jesus Christ. For this reason, bloodstone was commonly used in sculptures representing martyrdom. Mystics today hold that bloodstone relieves stomach and bowel pain, strengthens blood-purifying organs and improves blood circulation.
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Bronzite
aka Brownzite
Bronzite is actually a hypersthene (part of the pyroxene group) that has been chemically "weathered." The process creates a new, opaque stone with a submetallic luster, especially on its cleavage surfaces. Weathering on the hypersthene occurs due to moisture and temperature conditions within the igneous rock, metamorphic rock or meteorite where the stone is found. Bronzite often contains inclusions of highly reflective minerals, such as hematite and goethite, which give it a beautiful bronze-like effect when polished (hence its name). Some beads also exhibit a cat's-eye effect. Bronzite ranges from greenish-black to brown and has medium hardness. The stone is found in Syria, Austria, South Africa, and the U.S.A. (Montana). Bronzite is believed to facilitate a feeling of certainty when goal-setting and help individuals take control of their actions and decisions. It is said to promote "correct" or "principled" behavior and help dispel restlessness. Physically, many say it helps the body assimilate iron and increases acidity within the body.
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Why can't I click on some stone names?
Some stones are not currently part of our regular stock, meaning we don't sell them in our wholesale catalog or online. However, these may still be available on our traveling Bead Show, which stops at more than 50 U.S. cities each year.
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