Moijey Fine Jewelry & Diamonds Blog

Bloodstone: A Surprise Birthstone for March

Originally posted on March 29th, 2017
Updated on April 17th, 2020
 
As a gemologist, I am excited to tell you that there is another birthstone for March. People born in March can enjoy both aquamarine, and an unusual gemstone called bloodstone.
Bloodstone is a variety of chalcedony quartz, which is composed of millions of small quartz crystals. The crystals are so tiny that a special microscope is needed just to see the crystal structure.
What makes bloodstone unique are the bright red patches all over the dark green surface. The red spots get their color from iron oxide.
 
 
Bloodstone is also called heliotrope. The first descriptive name comes from bright red spots that cover the stone's surface. The second name comes from the Greek words for the sun, helios, and to turn, trepein, meaning "to turn to the sun."
Martyr's stone is another nickname for bloodstone; legend has it that the bright red spots came from the blood of Christ when Pontius Pilate's soldiers nailed Him to the cross. You'll see a wide variety of Christian jewelry with bloodstone in the market.
Even before Christ's time, people believed bloodstone possessed healing powers and powers associated with the sun.
People thought bloodstone had healing powers, specifically for blood disorders. Improving strength, increasing mental clarity, and bringing good fortune were other benefits from bloodstone.
The sun aspect exists because people used to believe that the red patches in the bloodstone reflected light. So much, so people believed that if you placed bloodstone in water, the sun would turn red, to match the red patches in the stone.
 
 
Traditionally, bloodstone is for men's jewelry, like our 14K Bloodstone Men's Ring, found on our website.
Bloodstone, with its remarkable benefits, is bountiful all over the world. This lovely stone can be found primarily in Australia, Brazil, and India. China and the United States are also bloodstone resources.