The Ancient Sumerians not only valued gemstones for jewelry-making, but they also used them as part of healing rituals.
Their Goddess of love, Inanna, was depicted going into the underworld carrying a Lapis Lazuli necklace and a rod for protection. It was believed that this was the crystal of deities, and that it would bring light and joy to its bearer.
Puabi, a Sumerian princess was buried with gemstone beads covering her upper body to protect her soul and invite positive energies to protect her from the darkness. Some of those stones were Carnelian and Lapis Lazuli.
Ancient Egyptians
Egypt is one of the most popular ancient cultures that we learn from today. Queen Cleopatra loved gemstones so much that she had a full collection of Emerald and Lapis Lazuli stones.
In Ancient Egypt, crystals were ever-present and used both to enhance the health of the living and protect the soul of the dead.
As part of their burying rituals, Egyptians would place pieces of Quartz on the forehead of the deceased to illuminate their path in the afterlife.
As for the living, crystals were used to enhance personal allure and sexuality, bring good luck, health, and enhance intuition.
Gemstones were one of the favorite spiritual tools for balancing the Ka (the person's life force) and Ba (the non-physical traits of a person) energies.
They believed that each crystal had its own Ka, and therefore, the power to strengthen the Ka of any Egyptian.
Royalty even used ground Lapis Lazuli for their eye makeup to assist in opening the Third Eye and to achieve illumination and greater wisdom.
Ancient Chinese
Ancient cultures, such as the Chinese were ahead of their time and used crystals in what is known today to be alternative medicine. Crystals were used for healing the Prana and balancing one’s life force.
The Chinese used needles made of gemstones for acupuncture. Green Jade was their symbol of power.
It was incredibly precious to them and was used to attract and protect one’s wealth, so it is no wonder that many emperors were buried with these pieces. Some had their whole armor made of Jade.
This gemstone was also used for digestion and urinary tract issues, especially for the gallbladder and kidneys.
Ancient Japanese
In Japan, crystals were used for prophetic and psychic practices, which highlights their connection with human intuition. It was believed that gazing, or scrying, at a crystal could help the scryer foresee events and receive psychic visions.
Quartz, which was known as the heart of the dragon, was used to invite greater wisdom and knowledge. This is one of the purposes we use it for even today.
Ancient Greeks
Krustallos in Greek means ice. Not only does the word crystal have Greek origins, but back in the days of this ancient culture, the Greeks believed that Quartz was a form of eternal ice given to them as a gift from the Gods.
They used a wide range of gemstones, many of which are some of our go-to stones today, including Amethyst for promoting mental clarity and sobriety.
Rose Quartz was known as the stone of eternal love. In mythology, created from the blood of the dying Adonis and Aphrodite, as she held him.
Before going into battle, the Greeks would rub ground Hematite on soldiers’ skin, as it was believed that this stone would make them invincible. Sailors used a variety of crystals for good luck offshore, and Aquamarine was one of their first choices.
Romans
The Ancient Romans loved using crystals as good luck charms and in sculpture-making and jewelry-making.
Onyx, Jasper, and Lapis Lazuli were just some of the commonly used stones, while Carnelian and Garnet had great popularity and were used as amulets.
They carried the beads for protective purposes and used them to promote good health and attract wealth and prosperity. Crystals were used as protection during battles but were also part of their medicine.