Bloodstone is a dark green variety of chalcedony adorned with a splatter of bright red. It has been a popular gemstone for at least two thousand years and has served as the modern birthstone for the month of March since 1912. Bloodstone is sometimes referred to as “heliotrope” by European authors and in works of the 18th century and earlier.
As a member of the chalcedony family, bloodstone is a cryptocrystalline quartz. It inherits from that a conchoidal fracture and a hardness of approximately 7 on the Mohs hardness scale. However, the hardness of bloodstone is usually slightly lower, at about 6.5.
The lower hardness and opaque diaphaneity are attributed to included mineral matter of at least several percent on the basis of weight. Tiny inclusions of chlorite, amphibole, and pyroxene are thought to contribute to the green base colors of bloodstone. The splashes of red are concentrations of iron oxide minerals – most likely hematite.
The most highly regarded bloodstone has a solid base color of deep forest green. On top of that is a light splatter of sharply contrasting and clearly visible blood-red dots. These are arranged in a spray or a random pattern as if they were blood spatter.
Specimens with this preferred color scheme and pattern are rare. Some people relate this color pattern to the “Blood of Christ” and give it a religious significance. That is where the name “bloodstone” and some of the gem’s popularity are derived.
Bloodstone has historically been a stone of men’s jewelry. It was often cut with a signet design, mounted into a ring, and used to seal documents and letters. Today, flat-top or gently domed cabochons are popular in men’s rings and cufflinks. It is sometimes cut in relief or intaglio with the bust of a warrior, a dragon, family crest, national symbol, or other motif.
Could have gone with Bloodstone.
Bloodstone is a dark green variety of chalcedony adorned with a splatter of bright red. It has been a popular gemstone for at least two thousand years and has served as the modern birthstone for the month of March since 1912. Bloodstone is sometimes referred to as “heliotrope” by European authors and in works of the 18th century and earlier.
As a member of the chalcedony family, bloodstone is a cryptocrystalline quartz. It inherits from that a conchoidal fracture and a hardness of approximately 7 on the Mohs hardness scale. However, the hardness of bloodstone is usually slightly lower, at about 6.5.
The lower hardness and opaque diaphaneity are attributed to included mineral matter of at least several percent on the basis of weight. Tiny inclusions of chlorite, amphibole, and pyroxene are thought to contribute to the green base colors of bloodstone. The splashes of red are concentrations of iron oxide minerals – most likely hematite.
The most highly regarded bloodstone has a solid base color of deep forest green. On top of that is a light splatter of sharply contrasting and clearly visible blood-red dots. These are arranged in a spray or a random pattern as if they were blood spatter.
Specimens with this preferred color scheme and pattern are rare. Some people relate this color pattern to the “Blood of Christ” and give it a religious significance. That is where the name “bloodstone” and some of the gem’s popularity are derived.
Bloodstone has historically been a stone of men’s jewelry. It was often cut with a signet design, mounted into a ring, and used to seal documents and letters. Today, flat-top or gently domed cabochons are popular in men’s rings and cufflinks. It is sometimes cut in relief or intaglio with the bust of a warrior, a dragon, family crest, national symbol, or other motif.
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