Bloodstone
Other Silicates & Gemstones
Bloodstone is a dark green, opaque to translucent aggregate of cryptocrystalline quartz, usually classed as jasper or chalcedony. Its characteristic red spots are iron-oxide inclusions, especially hematite.
Identity
- Material or variety
- Chalcedony
- Scientific or material identity
- Chalcedony (microcrystalline quartz)
- Classification
- Natural mineral or mineral variety
- Aliases or trade names
- Heliotrope · Indian bloodstone
- Composition or formula
- SiO₂
- Crystal system or structure
- Aggregate or composite structure
- Geological or manufacturing origin
- Forms from silica- or mineral-rich fluids in cavities and fractures.
- Mohs hardness
- 6.5 to 7
- Specific gravity
- 2.58 to 2.64
Origins
Australia · Brazil · China · India · USA
Appearance & optical properties
dark forest-green chalcedony with small red flecks.
History & discovery
Heliotrope comes from Greek words for “sun” and “to turn,” reflecting an ancient belief that the stone could mirror the sun when placed in water. Pliny the Elder recorded that belief in the first century CE; the bloodstone name refers to its red, blood-like spots.
Uses & care
- Common uses
- Bloodstone is cut into cabochons, beads and signet stones, and has a long history in engraved gems and cameos.
- Handling and cleaning
- Clean with warm soapy water and a soft brush, then dry with a soft cloth. Keep it away from harsh chemicals and extreme heat, and store it separately to reduce scratching.
Jewellery
5 pieces of Bloodstone jewellery. Learners earn each one in DigMyGem by learning words; until then it shows as a silhouette.
Martyrs' Signet Ring
Ring
A heavy gold signet whose bloodstone intaglio shows a crucifix, the stone's red flecks read as drops of blood, the reason medieval carvers called bloodstone the martyr's stone.
Heliotrope Sunburst Pendant
Pendant
A teardrop bloodstone hung from a ring of gold rays, because the ancients believed heliotrope turned the sun red when placed in water.
Soldier's Amulet Bracelet
Bracelet
Worn like the engraved protection stones of old soldiers, this cuff gathers bloodstone cabochons between hammered bronze links.
Memory of Azov Egg
Jewel
A jewelled Easter egg carved from a solid piece of heliotrope, the bloodstone, made under Peter Carl Fabergé in 1891 for Tsar Alexander III, who gave it to Tsarina Maria Feodorovna. Gold Rococo scrolls set with diamonds cover the stone, and inside is a gold and platinum model of the cruiser Pamiat Azova on a piece of aquamarine. It is in the Kremlin Armoury in Moscow.
Heliotrope Chalice
Jewel
An imagined chalice with a bowl of bloodstone, dark green spotted with red, mounted in gilt silver.