Mystical Jewlery Beads

Whenever you next think about beads, you just have to turn to this article. It is a great resource on beads and their powers.
You go the small, hard to find shop. Once there, the proprietor asks you to write your name and address- not deliver anything to you, but to decide which stone beads are "right" for you. Strings of specially chosen beads are created here in Okinawa by reinosha or shamans. These bracelets of elastic with the beads of aventurine, turquoise, topaz, rose quartz and many other minerals or materials are supposed to change your mood, or at least give you good luck.

Functionally, a stone might be useful as an amulet or a talisman. The terms are often confused. An amulet wards off danger, misfortune or evil. A talisman has the power to attract something beneficial on behalf of its wearer, to bestow virtues or blessings.

WIKIPEDIA SAYS- A pair of beads made from Nassarius shells that are approximately 100000 years old are thought to be the first known examples of jewelery.

Both stones and beads have long histories in the realm of magic and belief.

From the Middle Ages onward knowledge of the healing or protective properties of stones was considered a crucial factor in alchemy medicine and the occult , three branches of knowledge which in those days were nearly one , together constituting the whole of current science.

The following list is of beads materials and their associations.
Moonstone: Good fortune for lovers
Opal: Bestows hope
Carnelian: PMS relief
Wood: Simplicity
Topaz: Power over wild animals
Tiger's eye: Courage
Apatite - Enhances creativity
Citrine - Raises self esteem
Garnet - Creates health
Labradorite - Aids digestion and metabolism
Pearl - Signifies faith
Peridot - Overcomes anger and jealousy
Quartz (clear) - Stimulates brain function
Based on the theory that stones, especially crystals vibrate at a certain frequency; a stone's energy can be used to balance the body's electromagnetic waves. Others believe that wearing certain stones can affect your chakras or energy centers.

It is not unusual for old families residing in the British Isles to possess stones of virtue which were carefully preserved as heirlooms, and perhaps something more. The Lee family in Scotland,for example, was said to have a red stone set in a silver coin; if the family cattle became ill, immersing the stone in their drinking trough would lend its water the power to affect a cure.

Beads also have a rich history of spirituality and ritual use that comes from prayer beads and the belief in healing powers of gemstones. For thousands of years, man has used beads to adorn himself and aid in spiritual and ritual rites. The root word for bead, bede means to pray, and the earliest use of prayer beads is traced to the Hindus. Stringing beads together allowed the user to keep track of the number of prayers repeated.

According to the History of Prayer Beads , by Marcia Jo Mycko , rosary beads were used prior to the 12th century for talismanic purposes (as a superstitious object to ward off illness or bring good luck). For example , coral was thought to purify the blood and prevent illness in children.

Once the church decided rosaries were better suited for counting devotions than for talismanic protection, persons of the cloth were forbidden from carrying "pagan" rosaries made from coral, quartz or amber.

DID YOU KNOW?In the Middle Ages the name topaz was used to refer to any yellow gemstone.

Whether or not you believe in the energy of stones or beads, all jewelry has some enchantment. Perhaps you were given a ring which was actually believed to be a lucky charm, worn daily by a great-grandparent? Or a gemstone in an eccentric setting? So rather than travel to Okinawa for a special shaman's bracelet, maybe you should just plunge into your jewelry box for some magic.
RECOMMENDED READING:Healing Crystals and Gemstones: From Amethyst to Zircon by Flora Peschek-Bohmer , Gisela Schreiber and Sibylle Dausien ,Gemstones (Smithsonian Handbooks) by Cally Hall ,Gemstones of the World: Newly Revised & Expanded Third Edition by Walter Schumann.

Find more jewelryfor your jewelry box at http://www.bestdealtrek.com.