The Cardinal Gems

THE CARDINAL GEMS

Traditionally, there were five gemstones considered to be the rarest and most precious of them all, and these were known as the Cardinal Gemstones. The term “Cardinal” refers to the use of these gemstones by royalty for religious purposes.

The original five stones included Diamond, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby and Amethyst. However, in the 19^th century, vast deposits of amethyst were discovered in Brazil which lowered the financial value of stone and Amethyst was reclassified as a “Semi-precious” gemstone. For this reason, Amethyst was dropped from the list of Cardinal Gemstones, leaving diamond, emerald, sapphire, and ruby to be known as the Major Gemstones.

Now all Cardinal Gems areavailable at Dakota Stones!

Ruby. There is a shade of red for every woman. – Audrey Hepburn

Fun Fact:

The largest Ruby in the world is the 125West Ruby. It is unpolished, 4.8 x4.4 x 5.27 inches and weights 8.2 pounds. That’s 18,696 carats!

An Emerald shines even if its worth is not spoken of. – Marcus Aurelius

Fun Fact:

The first emerald mines were in Egypt, dating back as early as 330BC. Cleopatra was believed to love emeralds so much that a mine in Egypt is named for her.

The Sapphire stone sits highest on the throne. – Sapphire Khalilah

Fun Fact:

Until 2016, The Star of India, (563-carats) was considered to be the world’s largest Star sapphire. In 2016, the giant 1,404.45 carat, blue “Star of Adam '' was found in Sri Lanka, and has “blown the previous largest sapphires out of the water.”

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. – Marilyn Monroe

Fun Fact:

Fun Fact: One of the things diamonds are known for is their hardness. But Black Diamonds are harder than any other diamond! They measure a 10 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, making them harder than any other gemstone.

Lustrous thing about her is… Her mysterious purple soul always reflects in her Amethyst eyes… - Briyu

Fun Fact:

In ancient Europe, Amethyst was the “gem of Royalty”, and it was believed that Amethyst prevented intoxication. In Asia (& now around the world) it’s often used as a Feng Shui tool. Amethyst is typically used to increase self-love, lower stress, and promote healthy sleep. It can also improve the flow of energy due to its versatility.