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The name comes from the Latin "ebur", "eboris" is an animal substance known since time immemorial: the famous lady de Brassempouy of the Saint-Germain-en-Laye museum is known all over the world; it was used in antiquity, the middle ages, the renaissance to the "art deco" period for special decorations, not forgetting the famous canton balls, netsuke...
This is the dentin of the teeth or tusks of animals, mainly elephants, but also hippos, whales (North Atlantic), narwhals (Canada), walruses (Canada, Norway, Russia), wild boars and warthogs (India, Japan, Africa), and even mammoth fossils.
When the bone is not ivory, French law requires information about the origin of the animal to which it belongs.
In 1989, the law banned the trade in ivory, but was relaxed in 1997.
Odontolith, also erroneously called "new turquoise" - is made from the bone or fossilized teeth of large animals, living or extinct, which turn turquoise when heated. Significant in gemology is of little value.

Mining sites

It is found where the animals that give birth to it live (elephants and hippos in Africa, Asia...) or where we find their fossils (mammoths in Siberia...).
Depending on the region, the quality and color varies: Cameroonian is more popular than Ghanaian or Sierra Leonean, Angolan is very firm, while Abyssinian from Guinea is softer
In the Middle Ages on the west coast of Africa, it produced about twenty tons a year.
Chemically, ivory contains calcium phosphate, which is susceptible to nitric and phosphoric acids.

Use in jewelry

Gemologists divide ivory into two groups:
hard, shiny, sparkling
soft, delicate, but resistant to temperature changes without cracking and therefore suitable for making billiard balls and piano keys
. Ivory is sensitive to humidity and temperature: it can crack, even if the cracks are closed, they leave a black visible stain
Hippo ivory is better than elephant ivory due to its finer structure, with thicker enamel, it is harder (2.5 to 2.75)
The bone of the narwhal - once considered a mythical creature, a unicorn - is one of the fangs of this whale, long and straight, it was used to make a cane. It has more branching than others and its specific gravity is 1.95.
Walrus bone is less dense than that of an elephant or hippopotamus, its surface is thin, the section is cross-shaped, the channels are larger, creamy yellow
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the French city of Dieppe specialized in working with ivory that arrived in its port from Africa: utilitarian objects, tobacco rasps, figurine-shaped needle cases, fans, as well as boat models and countless masterpieces exported to all countries. Ivory is also used to make beaded necklaces and stands for painted miniatures. In Africa, whole series of elephants were carved in full protection, lamps were made from them in the Art Deco period with a hollow part of the defense, chrysoelephantine figurines combine gold and ivory.

Cleaning and Precautions

Ivory products should be cleaned regularly, wiped with a cloth soaked in denatured alcohol with the addition of chalk. Some stains (cosmetic) are difficult to remove. Hydrogen peroxide cleaning is necessary to bleach it, but it is not safe and should not be used on old ivory.
Soaking ivory in milk moisturizes it and prevents cracks and stains. Some ivory will turn yellow over time, while others... just a little.

Simulations and processing

Imitations are numerous and can be misleading to a buyer with little experience. We must rely on weight, touch, color, always parallel, wavy and thin veins.
Bones (especially horses), plastic are the main fakes. Note that crushed ivory shards are sold as ivory.
Polished ivory can be tinted with paint diluted with mineral oil. Over the years, ivory has been dyed green color verdigris, red or scarlet - cochineal, red-brown - a tree from Brazil, golden yellow - saffron, black walnut from Wales.
It is aged in a flame of damp straw or oak shavings, the Chinese use tea whose tannin penetrates the grooves.

The bone system is based on an ancient, time-honored tradition. Divination methods in which the main instrument is thrown are related to one of the most famous expressions: “The die is cast!” It was this divination that was called divination in ancient times. Similar methods were widespread in Germany, Mesopotamia, Greece and the islands of Oceania.

Many people like this method of divination, because they do not have to worry about the size and shape of the objects used. And the randomness of choice in such systems is ensured, since you just need to throw objects on some flat surface.

For such systems, people used (and use to this day) a lot of different items:

• Bamboo sticks in China (the method is called Chim)
• Beans in Greece
  • Crystals or pebbles in various cultures (known as pessomancy)
  • Bones and shells in the Far East, in Ancient Rome and in Celtic settlements
• Pieces of wood in China (Chao Pai)
• Palm nuts in Africa (Ifa)
• Runes in Scandinavia and Germanic countries in Yarrow stems in China (Ai Chin)

Sometimes objects were thrown onto a surface prepared in a certain way (it happened that they were painted immediately before the session). In other cases, fortune-tellers interpreted only the resulting arrangement of objects, and the surface on which fortune-telling was carried out was not taken into account at all. Personally, I prefer to combine both methods: first consider the general pattern of divination, and then the ratio and location of individual objects.. And do not forget that any of these methods can be combined with divination on the board.

STONES

During my many travels, I was convinced that stones and crystals suffer incomparably less from spilled coffee, tea or juice than maps. Since then, I prefer to use stones for divination, and not other objects that are less durable. This is especially convenient on the road. For those of you with children, the stones will the best choice for the same reason. In addition, children really like beautiful pebbles, they want to touch them, hold them in their hands, and if they wish, it is very easy to teach children to use this fortune-telling method.

When deciding which stones to include in your set, pay attention to their color and shape. For example, a pinkish stone, shaped like a heart, will simply ideally symbolize "heart matters" (tender love, friendly love, etc.).

On the other hand, if you decide to choose crystals, take into account their traditional meanings. For example, amethyst symbolizes self-control and balance, since it is believed that it protects a person from intoxication. In metaphysics, amethyst symbolizes peace, dreams, recovery, and spiritual energy.

Having collected the stones for your set, try to evaluate how each stone affects the others during divination. Do you feel that the stones are chosen correctly? Are the energies of all stones consonant? It took me about half a year of experimenting with my favorite stones, until I finally put together a set that I have been using for thirteen years now. Since I am very used to these stones, I will use my set as an example.

At one time, I chose 14 stones, one of which became the main one for the entire system. As such a "central" stone, I used quartz; its functions, among other things, are the dissipation of energy and the “centering” of divination itself.

Some of the stones have corners and edges, by which one can determine the direction of this or that energy; they can also point to some important details (like an arrow or a pointer). Some stones have a peculiar shape, which gives divination a special meaning and depth (for example, one of my agates is shaped like an eye).

For divination on stones, I use a quadrangular piece of fabric on which the four cardinal points, the four seasons and the position in the center "I / Now" are marked. Your divination surface can look just the way you want it, but this shape gives the best results for me.

The values ​​corresponding to the positions on the fabric are as follows.

North: New moon, time of silence, foundation; money, physical condition.

Spring: Desires, fertility, growth, health. East: Growing moon, beginning, potential, superiority in anything.

Summer: Communication, change, fever, probation.

South: Full moon, growing up, passion, ending.

Autumn: The time of harvesting "fruits", completion, prosperity.

West: Waning moon, judgment, limitation, emotion, wisdom, intuition.

Winter. Cooling down (or slowing down), rest, concentration on home and affairs of the heart.

I/Now Position: What you take very close to your heart, or what is happening now (or will happen very soon).

When divining, the values ​​​​of the location of the stones will be combined with the values ​​\u200b\u200bof the stones themselves. My kit, which I chose based on color and shape, in addition to the generally accepted ones, includes the following values.

Aventurine: The need to be an honest and reliable person; random matches; money.

Agate in the shape of an eye: Harmony and integrity; reducing the amount of stress; hear the truth.

Agate brown: Approval; balanced "ego"; responsibility.

Amethyst: Gratitude; use of talent self-healing; overcoming an obstacle.

Turquoise: In difficult times you will need courage; travel or adventure.

Hematite: Inner harmony; stability; update.

Carmelite: Seek the truth; increase in sexual energy; emotions.

Cat's eye: Vision of the world; visionary abilities; inner beauty; luck.

Lapis Lazuli: Walk the path of beauty with love and loyalty.

Moonstone: To get something, you first need to learn how to give your spiritual strength, your "I"; wisdom.

Malachite: Be honest with yourself; there will be new business opportunities.

Rose quartz; Someone will help you with a pure heart; be careful when communicating; clarity.

Fluorite: Hope; sober mind; the possibility of successful use of their talents.

Citrine: Learn compassion; fears are unfounded; sleep improvement.

divination method

Question: A young woman came to me to find out what positive and negative energies are currently affecting her life.

Divination: The woman simply shook out a few stones from the bag onto the fabric with symbols. Turquoise fell between West and Winter, malachite fell between Summer and I/Now, and brown agate fell almost in the center, on the sign I/Now. This result was very disturbing to me, as it clearly indicated that this woman was not noticing something very important in her life. Turquoise in this position often means possible danger, especially when traveling. Malachite shows that she does not see this danger. When I questioned her in more detail, it turned out that for about a week her former lover had been chasing her (she had not contacted the police). Naturally, the first thing I advised her was to do something to ensure her safety (brown agate says that you need to be responsible)! The memory of the relationship with this person just drowned out the voice the mind of this woman.

DICE

Fortune telling on dice is called cleromancy. Homer places the invention of the game of dice around 1260 BC. e. (at that time they were used to brighten up the boredom of long sea voyages). Dice divination was widespread in Babylon and ancient Assyria. There, the bones were made mainly from clay or carved from the bones of animals. In different countries, the number of cubes used in divination was different. The Tibetan Sow Mou System uses three dice and 16 values ​​(from 3 to 18). In medieval Europe, they threw one bone, but several times. In Victorian America, two dice seem to have been favored (with divination on Mondays and Wednesdays).

If you want to try cleromancy, first draw a circle (about 30 cm in diameter) on a piece of paper. Formulate your question (it should sound as simple as possible) and roll three dice in the middle of the circle. Add up the values ​​of only those cubes that remain inside the circle. Below is a list of traditional values.

1: You yourself; hermit's refuge; it is better to spend time alone or lie low.

2: Affiliate or friendly relations; equality.

3: Pleasant surprise; event.

4: Difficulties; obstacles; unpleasant encounters.

5: Fulfillment of desires.

6g Some loss or delay,

7: Difficulties related to business or finances; undeserved slander.

8: Misunderstanding (often due to the means of communication).

nine; Cohesion, success; end of disputes or problems.

10: New beginning.

11: Separation; deviation; abstraction.

12: Expect important news.

13: Sadness; depression; bad news.

14: Blossoming of a new friendship or partnership.

15: Postpone the planned; people with bad intentions.

16: Travel or adventure.

17: Change your strategy or methods.

18: Fate is favorable to you; victory.

Question: A person had the opportunity to move up the career ladder.

Divination: Dice are thrown, and it turns out 15. The answer means that this is not the best solution, and the proposal itself came under very suspicious circumstances. On the other hand, if the fortuneteller, having thrown the dice, receives a total of 10, then this will be a positive sign (a solid "Yes")

Circle for divination on dice

To increase the detail of the answer when divining on the bones, you can divide your circle into 12 parts (according to the clock principle). Number these segments with numbers from 1 to 12. Each of the segments will have its own value.

1: The future will show (the answer to this question is not yet).

2; Matters related to money.

3; Motion.

4: Home and family.

5: Real or something that means a lot to you personally.

6: Physical health.

7; Relations.

8: Cases related to the law.

9: Spiritual well-being.

10; work, career,

11: Obstacles.

12: Spiritual progress.

Using additional values, you can use two bones instead of three. In this case, you need the values ​​for the two dice (if both dice fall in the same area of ​​the circle, just add up the scores and use the value corresponding to the sum). Here are the meanings for divination on the bones.

1: Yes, full speed ahead!

2: No, stop!

3: Be careful, but not everything is as bad as you think.

4: Think carefully before making a choice.

5: Luck will return, don't lose hope!

6: A good sign if you have something new in mind.

7: Faith (or intuition) will show you the right path.

8: You need patience - don't rush!

9: Don't waste time!

10: Your doubts are well founded.

11: Deep in your heart you already know the answer to the question.

12: Success is unlikely. Think again about what you want to achieve.

EXAMPLE FORTUNE

Question: The question is asked whether it is worth moving on now (changing jobs, positions, etc.).

Fortune-telling: If, say, one die fell out in the “Present” sector with a value of 1, and the second in the “Movement” sector with a value of 9, it definitely means “Full speed ahead!”. All fortune-telling shows that changes will bring success and pass painlessly. If both dice with a total value of 8 fell in the "Obstacles" sector, this means that you are in too much of a hurry. Stop and think again!

NOTE: Excellent bones of the most different colors can be found in toy stores. Some of these dice have more than six sides, and this will allow you to increase the number of available values ​​(just remember to write down any additional values ​​you come up with just in case).

“The trembling nuts from the huge tree make me drunk.
Born by a hurricane, they roll along the groove.
Like a soma drink from the Mujavat Mountain,
I saw a waking dice"

Rig Veda "Player's Hymn"

If a person tells you that he has never held dice in his hands, this is most likely not true. Everything starts…. since childhood. Each of us had board games, where, in addition to multi-colored chips, a “special die” was attached, but few people think that these are also dice.

The history of the origin of dice.

Their history is one of the richest and most interesting among the games, and its origins lie in more than ancient times, because, according to archaeologists, it is the bones that start the path of gambling in the world. Bones are the basis of the Game and its philosophy, it is no coincidence that the word “excitement” itself comes from the Arabic name for this game. When the task of man was to survive in the harsh conditions of the cave and the lack of mammoths, Pithecanthropes and others like them used the prototypes of dice for magic and divination. So, when you roll the dice during the game, remember that this is an echo of those ancient rituals about calling the gods to help.

Later, when the bones passed into the category of "pleasant pastime", the Greeks, at the suggestion of Sophocles, tried to "appropriate" their invention: talking about the legendary Troy, he mentioned a certain Palamedes who invented the game during the siege. But even the Greeks could not agree on the discoverer of the "cubes" and Herodotus in his chronicles told about King Atis, about the Lydians who played this game. During the Crusades, the version about her Palestinian origin was popular. Thanks to the archaeologists who proved that the zaras (and this is another name for them) are, perhaps, one of the oldest game “artifacts”, known long before the Greeks and even more so the Romans.

Many scientists have repeatedly tried to prove that our ancestors, living on different continents, communicated with each other, while usually showing photographs of the pyramids of Cambodia, Peru and Tenerife, Indian and Indian art, household utensils of the tribes of the Black Continent and Australia. But few people compare the bones. But the Aztecs, and the Mayans, and the Papuans of New Guinea, and the cannibals who lived in Central Africa, and the peoples of the North, who lived thousands of years ago, were no strangers to excitement, and the dawns helped them a lot in this, but they were made from materials characteristic for a particular area, the “dots” (more correctly, markings) were very different, but the principle was the same - the Game and rituals (which is also a kind of game, only for the elite). All over the world, modern Indiana Jones find bones made from fruit seeds and nut shells, from bones, teeth and horns of animals, from stones, and sometimes they are real works of art - the further human civilization developed, the more sophisticated they seemed to become. would be banal cubes that can tell a lot about the culture of the people who made them: ivory, bronze, precious and semiprecious stones, crystal and amber, and even porcelain were used. It is assumed that they were originally widespread due to the cheapness and ease of manufacture, as well as the fact that it is quite convenient to learn to count from one to six.

The ways of playing dice were carved on stones by the Egyptians and written by the Hindus in the Mahabharata 2000 years ago: the legends of Prince Nala and the Pandava brothers tell about the game of dice, its secrets, losing and winning - this is the most cited of the ancient monuments dedicated to bones.

But much more interesting are several works about the player from the Rigveda, dedicated specifically to zaras. In the "Complaints of the Gambler" where God Savitri gives instruction: "Do not play dice, but plow your harrow! Find pleasure in your property and its prices are high! Look after your cattle and your wife, worthless gambler. In ancient India, the vibhidaka game was widespread, which is described in the "Player's Hymn": a lot of bones "a flock of them frolic, three times fifty" were thrown out of the vessel, and sometimes they were simply snatched from the heap, and if they could be divided into four, then the player he won, and if there were extra dice, he lost.

“Because the bones are studded with thorns and hooks,
They enslave, they torture, incinerate,
They bestow, like a child, the winner, they again deprive him of victory.
(per. T. Elizarenkova)

The game of dice deprived not only money, but also personal freedom, in particular, the ancient Germans, after material bets, could put themselves on the line, in case of a loss, becoming the slave of the winner.

And what is characteristic, for some reason it was the Zariki who disliked those in power. Although Julius Caesar was a big fan of them: his phrase “The die is cast” when crossing the Rubicon is directly related to this game, so he was a great admirer of bones, believed in their mystical ability to predict the future, the palm here belongs to the Romans. It was they who issued the first known law on gambling Lex aleatoria (alea (lat.) - a dice). And this despite the fact that in Rome the dice were one of the most popular games: Pompey played them at his triumphs, Juvenal, at the suggestion of which the law was passed, complained about the too great popularity of the dice, as games of unnecessarily gambling; it was especially fashionable to play them during the Saturnalia. They played even and odd, threw dice into a hole in the board or a drawn circle. Various combinations of points on the rolled dice bore the names of gods, heroes, hetaerae (the minimum roll of 4 points was called "dog", the maximum - "Aphrodite"), they were happy and unhappy. This law regulated the conduct of gladiator fights, sports competitions, social events and games. Alea were banned not only as a game, but also for storage.

Since Roman law was taken as a basis in medieval Europe, it is not surprising that dice were banned until the end of the 14th century: laws 1291, 1319 banned this game. According to historians, here, again, the Holy Inquisition could not do without: according to the New Testament, Roman soldiers at the foot of the Holy Cross (the place of execution of Jesus Christ on Calvary) played exactly in them. Although here one can trace the illogicality of the ban: bones are prohibited by Rome for storage, but Roman soldiers play in front of people.

In 1396, an amnesty was declared for the Zarams - only the distribution and production of fake bones were banned. In wealthy houses, they loved this game very much. Three dice, denoting the present, past and future, were thrown onto the board, or the dice were used as a fortune-telling game, for example, the Christmas game “In the Goose” was very popular in France - the dice were thrown onto the board with the image of a clawed bird.

In the Middle Ages, the Church, an ardent opponent of the zar, suddenly discovered that not only the nobles played them, but the clergy were not alien to the excitement. Measures were urgently required and the Bishop of Cambresia, Witold, popularized the game "Virtue". Instead of numbers, virtues were symbolically indicated on the faces of the cubes: 1.1.1 - love, 1.1.2 - faith, 1.2.4 - chastity, etc. The victorious priest had the right to instruct other monks in the virtues. And Pope Sylvester P came up with rhythmomachia - a game based on chess, only instead of figures there were bones with numerical designations on the edges. But nevertheless, in the church and near-religious books of that time, the bones were described only as the creation of the devil, in order to win the souls of mortals. The designations on the edges of the zariks are the main enemies of the devil in the Christian religion, against whom Satan acts: one - the devil acts against God, two - against God and the Virgin, three - against the Trinity. But again, the apostle Peter, having come to Hell, must beat the juggler in the dice, who guards sinners, beats - saves suffering souls. And even despite the new games, and the "story" of the origin of the game, the popularity of dice grew among secular people and clergymen. There were even schools for teaching the intricacies of the game. Usually they played with two or three bones, which were thrown onto the table from a barrel, a hand, and even a knight's glove. The most popular was the game for the highest score.

But the Slavs played bones and roes, and, unlike the Europeans, the poor strata of the population mostly played. The most popular game was “grain”: before the start of the game, the rivals agreed on which faces of the cubes would be considered winning. After that, small white and black zariks rushed to the table, the one who guessed the color won. Like cards, dice games were condemned and severely punished. But Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich allowed to play cards and grain in Siberia, however, the permission lasted exactly a year and was canceled. As usual, the most popular places for games were taverns, taverns and secret tavern baths. The game of grain was more than popular, it had its fans and professional players and card sharpers. And in the north of Russia at the end of the 19th century, dice, or in the local dialect " ankles"Played at Christmas time, the cubes were painted red, black and yellow colors and were kept for decades, as they were used as a payment for forfeits or in card games at the Saints.

Types of dice

And in Russian prisons and prisons, they used a pair of zar with “bulls” for the game - that was the name of the points on the edges, while each combination of points had its own name: 1-1 - goal, 1-2 - troika, 2-2 - chikva, 2 -3 - rooster, 5-6 - with a pood, 6-6 - half a dozen. And by the way, with the help of bones, Russian peasants divided land plots and agricultural work, and also litigated - in all these cases, only lot played its role.

And the most ancient bones were found on the territory of the southern part of modern Iraq: tetrahedral pyramids made of lapis lazuli and ivory, decorated with semi-precious stones in two corners, date back to about 3 thousand years BC. By the way, we owe our usual “cube-shaped cubes” with dotted markings or, to be precise, six-sided cubes with slightly rounded corners, on which the sum of opposite faces always equals seven, we owe, as archaeologists say to the Chinese - they used such cubes in 600 BC. BC. The ancient Egyptians, instead of dots, depicted a "bird's eye" - one of the most famous symbols of Egypt. The Greeks used both cubes and astragalus. Astragalus is a dice with four sides and markings in the form of recesses 1, 3, 4 and 6, four astragalus were taken for the game. IN Ancient Greece there were two types of dice: cubes, identical to modern dice (called "barrels", played with three, later with two) and astragalus.

By the way, even now the game uses not only cubes with dotted markings that are familiar to us. For poker, they take dice with card symbols from ace to nine, and for the game "Crown and Anchor" they take dice with a crown, an anchor and symbols of four card suits on six faces.

In Europe and the Americas, machine-made dice, or "imperfect" dice with rounded corners at the edges, are bought to play at home. And in gambling houses and casinos, you will see only perfect dice on the tables: they are made by hand, according to very strict standards, with an error of no more than 0.013 mm. And such clarity is explained quite simply: even the ancients proved that if the bone does not have an ideal cubic shape, then the laws of probability will be violated - after all, the loss of various faces does not equiprobably. It is no coincidence that the most famous cheating technique is the use of irregularly shaped dice, of which there are only three types: dice with a displaced center of gravity, dice with beveled planes, and dice with broken markings. The latter will not allow you to roll certain sums of points, for example, 2 dice marked 3-3-4-4-5-5 and 1-1-5-5-6-6 will never roll 2, 3, 7 or 12.

And some RPG games use dice with 4, 6, 8, 12, 20, etc. sides. There are even dice with 100 faces - zocchiedrainvented by Lowe Zocchi. IN role playing the type of die is indicated by the letter "d" (dices) or "k", (bones), after which the number of sides is indicated: for example, d4, d8, d20 bones. There is also d% - percentage cube in the form of two decahedrons, one of which defines tens and the other defines units.

In the 21st century, when talking about dice, they mean either the dice used to play dice and board games directly, or they mean games related to dice.

Most famous games that use dice

Dice games are different and they differ in inventory (the number of charges, the ability to use chips, different ways records of results), the goals of the game (the one who scores the maximum or minimum number of points wins, or who throws these or those combinations of numbers together or in order, or, as an option, who collects all the cubes or vice versa, left without them), there are games with strict the number of players - in general, there are a lot of options and they all have one or another historical roots.

by the most early sign wins in the history of the game - the highest number of points dropped. Now you can feel like a distant descendant of the Roman patricians playing Pig, Chicago, Lay Off the Dead. And if you believe in the absolute favor of Fortune, then you can take a chance in "Indian Dice", "Bayburt" or "General" - here your winnings will depend only on the successful combination of the dropped faces. Do you love roulette? You can play Crown and Anchor, Grand Azar, or Under and Over the Family - these games are based on the principle of betting. Are you going to a big company of gambling friends for the weekend? Offer them Azar or Craps - time is important here, since the sequence of the combinations that have fallen is important for victory. And for fans of the exact count, lotto and sudoku, Martinetti will do - the numbers that have fallen will need to be checked against the table and “Help your neighbor” - here you will need to check the numbers assigned to the players.

Games are now gaining more and more popularity, where not only dice are used, but also special chips, checkers that move along the board in accordance with the dropped faces. These are well-known backgammon with varieties: backgammon short and long, khachapuri and gulbar, and of course, children's board games and lotto with dice, where the promotion of chips depends on the number of points on the edge. And the game "Aces" is notable for the fact that the dice in it are both dice and chips at the same time.

Craps

In any case, all games have the same principle: the roll of the die determines the winner or the loser.
In world casinos, craps, which is played with six-sided dice, is the most popular. This game has been known since approximately the 18th century and, according to one version, was invented in New Orleans. African Americans.
The number of craps players, as well as their entry into and exit from the game, is not limited by the rules. At the same time, the order of throwing is clearly regulated: two dice must be thrown so that, having hit the opposite edge of the table, they stop on the table. At the first stage of the game (there are two in total), the player must make one throw, and according to the results of “crepe” (points): if he rolled 2, 3 or 12, he is considered a loser, with 7 or 11 points - a winner, and all other combinations ( 4 - 6 and 8 - 10) indicate that the player must repeat the dropped points on the second round. In the next step, the player rolls the dice until he repeats his points, which means a victory, or until a 7 rolls, which means a loss.

In craps, bets are made between players on any combination of dice rolls, and there are also many betting options.

Dice Poker

Classical poker served as the ancestor of a number of dice games, and for some games you need standard dice, for others - special poker dice, where images of nine, tens, figures and ace are applied on six sides of the dice, and in others a combination of both is used. . Dice poker is closest to card poker, it requires not only luck, but also the ability to quickly calculate the situation, combine solutions.

Bets are placed before the game, the pot belongs to the winner. Players throw five zariks and, according to the rules of poker, count the combination that has fallen out: four of a kind, straight, full, etc. The rules allow an additional roll by prior agreement between the players (similar to the ability to discard unnecessary cards in poker and buy new ones instead): the player can, leaving the bones he needs in the same position, transfer the rest. Each of the players after the roll can either be satisfied with the results, or roll from one to five dice. After the second roll, it is possible to reroll all the dice, except for those that remained on the table during the first reroll. The final third roll does not give the right to re-roll. The winner will be the owner of the highest combination (as in poker): poker, four of a kind, full house, three of a kind, two pair, a pair, or, if there are none, the player with the largest number points. The points scored are also taken into account when the opponents have the same combinations (they count the points at the dawns included in it), while the combinations can be polysyllabic: a full house of 3 fives and 2 twos (3x5 + 2x2-19) is older than a full house 3 threes and 2 sixes (3x3+2x6=21). In case of absolute coincidence of combinations and points, an additional batch of players is announced, whose results coincided.

The player who threw second in the previous game, or sitting to the left of the starter, starts the next game. It is forbidden to interrupt the game in the middle of the circle, when the right of the first move returns to the one who started the whole game.

Zarah game - Sic-bo (Sic Vo)

The ancient Chinese game Sic-bo (Sic Bo), its other name Grand Azar (Grand Hazard) is also popular in the casino.
They play with three dice, bets are placed on the numbers of the faces that will fall out in the game. The number of players is limited by the size of the gaming table and the space around it. Like other casino games, Sic-bo is played with perfect zarami: a perfectly regular cubic shape with dotted markings. The principle of placing bets is similar to roulette: players place chips on the sectors of the playing field according to the types of bets. The dealer launches a popper (from the English pop - clap), a special device that throws the dice. The name arose from the fact that electrical impulses the bones are tossed up on a round membrane, while hitting the dome, characteristic pops are heard. The device is turned off after the announcement of the end of the acceptance of bets, the dome is removed and the players see the numbers that have fallen out. Additionally, the dealer calls them out loud. Then winnings are paid, chips are removed and bets are accepted for a new game.

As a rule, the casino administration sets the bet sizes on its own, which can be seen on the table where they play Sic Bo: a special plate indicates the minimum and maximum bets for all types of bets.

There are 7 types of bets in Sic Vo (Sic Bo). A bet on one number, with a payout ratio of 1:1. In this case, if the number you bet on landed on two dice at once, then your bet will be paid out twice, but if on all three dice, it will be paid out twelve times. Domino bet - implies 15 combinations of numbers, two selected different numbers will be winning. Payment of the rate 6:1. A bet on a combination of two numbers or a bet on a specific doublet. If your bet wins, then you will receive a payout in the ratio of 11:1, if your number falls on 3 dice, the bet will already be paid thirty times. A bet on a combination of three identical numbers or on a certain triplet will be paid at a ratio of 180:1 if all three dice show the same number. A bet on an arbitrary triplet means that any triplet that has fallen out will be the winning one, but the player does not choose the number, the payment will be in the ratio of 31:1. The next bet, on more or less, is divided into two subspecies: either the player bets on the "large amount" from 11 to 17 or on the "small amount" from 4 to 10. If the sum of the points of the three dice falls within the player's range, then his winnings will be calculated in the ratio is 1:1, the main thing is that a triplet does not fall out, in which the bet loses. And finally, a bet on a certain amount of numbers. There are 14 of them for all amounts from 4 to 17. The amount you specify must match the sum of the numbers on all the dice, the winnings are determined by the selected amount.

Backgammon is the most famous and respected game that uses dice.

One of the most popular dice games is backgammon. It was from them that another name for the cubes came - “ zary”. It is approximately known that backgammon has been played for more than 5000 years, an analogue of this game was found in the tomb of Tutankhamun, and the oldest backgammon board dates back to about 3000 BC. The Persians considered this game to be mystical, predicted fates based on it, correlated the game board with the sky, and the movement of checkers with the movement of the stars. Everything on the board is a multiple of six and is related to the passage of time: 12 months - 12 points of the board, 24 hours in a day - 23 points, 4 seasons - 4 parts of the board, 30 checkers - the number of moonless and moonless nights in a month. The sum of points on opposite sides of the die is seven - the number of planets known at that time that influenced everything good and bad in the world.

Historians argue about the progenitor country of this game. According to one of the legends, the Indian ruler sent chess to the Persian ruler, believing that no one would understand how to play this complex game. In response, the Persian sage Byuzurkmehr, who immediately unraveled the secret of chess, sent them Nard takh “The Battle on a Wooden Board”, the principle of which the Hindus had been unraveling for 12 years. Another version of the origin of the name is from the Indian "nard" - a plant from which incense and fragrant oils were made. Backgammon is also called a special board that serves as a playing field.

Backgammon is a game with many names: in Spain - tablero, in Italy - tavola reale, in the Ottoman Empire - tavla - all these words mean " table game". But the Greeks, the French and the British gave backgammon their own names, διαγραμισμος, trick-track and backgammon, respectively.

The spread of backgammon, then called Backgammon (presumably because of the sound of bones hitting a wooden board), in Western Europe begins with the end of the Crusades of the 12th century. In the Middle Ages, only the game of kings was called backgammon - it was a privilege of the highest aristocracy.

The original rules of this game have almost faded into history, we mainly play backgammon now, the rules of which were established in the middle of the 18th century by Edmond Hoyle in Great Britain, known as "Short Backgammon". This name arose as a contrast to the eastern "Long Backgammon". Another name for short backgammon is Backgammon, again, it does not have an exact explanation, but the most popular versions are that this name comes from the English “back” and “game”, and contained the basic principle of the game: the beaten checker of the opponent comes back. Another version of the origin of this name is associated with the Gaulish language: "Baec" (small) and "Gammit" (battle).

Backgammon is played on a special board - a playing field - of a rectangular shape. The board consists of 24 points, 12 on each of two opposite sides. Outwardly, these are usually narrow isosceles triangles, the base of which lies on the side, and the height reaches the middle of the board. The points are numbered from 1 to 24 for each player, most often the even points are colored in one color, and the odd ones in another. The player's home consists of six consecutive points in one of the corners of the board, its location is determined by the rules. Some boards have special areas on the sides for placing checkers off the board. From the sides of the board, areas intended for placing checkers over the board can be allocated. In the middle of the board is a bar - a vertical strip that separates the board. If the game goes according to the rules, where you can beat the opponent's checkers, then they are placed on the bar.
Each player has his own set of checkers of the same color - usually 15 of them (maybe less, depending on the rules). And actually the dawns themselves. At least one pair, but maybe two, for each player, as well as kegs for shuffling the bones. If the game is played on a bet, then on the playing field there may also be a “doubling cube”, on the sides of which the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 are marked - it is convenient to take into account the increase in rates with it.

Regardless of the many options for playing backgammon, which differ from each other in the rules of moves, bets, and the initial position of the chips, backgammon unites the general rules of the game. Players move in turns, the checkers move in a circle, the direction of their movement is fixed in a particular game, but may vary in its other variants. The first move is determined by lot: each player throws one die, the winner starts the game.
Before each turn, the player rolls two zaras. The dice are thrown to an empty space on the board on one side of the bar - thus the possible moves are determined. Throws are strictly limited by the rules: if at least one of the dice flies off the board, the dice are on opposite sides of the bar, the dice falls on a checker or stands on an edge (on the edge of the board or on a checker), then the throw is not counted and is repeated. For one throw, from 1 to 4 checker movements are possible. In each of them, the player moves the checker by the number of points that fell on one of the dice. If a double falls out, the points will be doubled and the player will make 4 moves, while he must use the maximum possible number of points. Each movement of the checker is done for the full number of points that fell on the dice. In this case, if there are no available moves for the dropped number of points, then the player skips the move, but if it is possible to move the checker, then the player must do this, even if this worsens his playing position. If there are two options for a move, where one involves using the points of only one of the dice, and the other - both, the player must choose the last option. In the event that it is possible to move one of the two checkers, when the move of one checker excludes the possibility of moving the other, the player must make a move by more points.
After all the player's checkers have hit their home, making a circle around the board, the player begins to put them behind the board. A checker is placed off the board when the number of the point on which it stands coincides with the number of points that fell on one of the charges. If all the checkers being placed are closer than the dropped number, then the checker from the point with the highest number is put on the board.

In backgammon there is always a winner - the one who first put his checkers off the board. He gets one point. In the case of mars, when the winner has put all the checkers overboard, and the loser has none, then the first one gets two points. Three points are given to the winner who has removed all the checkers from the board, while his opponent has not removed any and one of his checkers is in the winner's house or on board - this is called coke. If the game is played on a bet, then one bet is paid for a regular win, doubled for mars, and tripled for coke. Bets in backgammon can be increased at the request of the player before his turn. Before the first move, each player has this right. Refusing to raise rates entails admitting a loss. When a player raises the bet, he takes the doubling cube for himself and sets it up with the face that shows the coefficient of the increase in the bet. Today, backgammon is so popular that international tournaments are held on it.

Less popular dice games

Another game using Under and Over the Seven dice is a variant of Sic-bo, which is played with six-sided dice. There are three fields on the gaming table where bets are placed. The game is against the bank. The banker throws two dice and the winner is immediately determined. The winner receives a payout of 1:1 for the winning bet in the "Under 7" and "Over 7" fields, and 5:1 for winning in the "7" field.
Under 7 7 Over 7
2-3-4-5-6 7 8-9-10-11-12
1 to 1 5 to 1 1 to 1

Types of fraud and illegal manipulation of dice

Naturally, such an ancient game could not fail to attract the attention of scammers: in the tombs of Ancient Egypt, zaras were found, over which cheaters obviously worked, archaeologists found fraudulent bones in the burial places of the Middle East and the American continents.

If the edges are deviated from the correct shape, then the nature of the game will change, the probability of an equal loss of numbers will disappear. Dishonest players use dice with beveled planes, a displaced center of gravity, incorrect marking, magnets, and mercury in the game. If you hold the cube in the desired position for a few moments, the mercury will move and the cube will fall on the side that it was held on.

The numbers appearing on the marked dice do not correspond to the correct probability distribution. The most common among scammers are sawn bones. Usually one or more sides of such bones are filed, which means that the cube will more often fall on the wide sides. Equipped bones are zara, regular in shape, but on one side a hole is drilled near the surface, into which a lead sinker is placed. The hole is sealed, and the die is more likely to fall on the opposite side of the weighted one.

It happens that the bones change shape: two faces are made slightly concave, and two are convex. When thrown, such a die will fall on even faces. Can make the bone lightly elongated shape, then it will fall on the longer side. Another change to the charge is to round off the edges of some of the faces, which will prevent it from falling on them, and by making the edges of the face protrude, this will prevent the bone from rolling.

Another option for cheating is to repeat the numbers on the opposite side, professional cheaters introduce them into the game during the game, and since it is impossible to see all the faces of the die at the same time, novice players may not notice this.

Even in a dishonest game, magnetic dice can be used. They contain a thin steel wire grille or steel discs that are inserted into holes that represent goggles. Usually 4 faces are stuffed with metal, which are opposite to those that should fall out according to the plan of the scammers. An electromagnet is inserted into the table, and when it is turned on, the metal faces are attracted.

There are many stories about the “lucky Fortune” who can throw any combination, but in reality, professional dice players with a long training can bring the throwing technique to the ideal one, which can significantly increase the likelihood of a given combination.

If, during a throw, a rotational impulse is given to the bone parallel to the table, at the moment of throwing the cube is with the right side up, falling, it will continue to rotate, preventing it from turning over. You can "roll" the bone in a given plane - two faces located on the side will then have less chance of falling out. If the game is played on a sufficiently slippery surface, then you can make the dice slide in the right direction: one of the dice is lightly held with the little finger, as a result, it will slide, not roll, and keep a pre-selected number on the upper face.

Exposing scammers with the ABILITY to roll the dice is very difficult. So, the "Greek" throw, when the lower bone is pressed in the right direction by the upper one, is almost imperceptible, and the most talented cheaters can change the bones in less than a second during the throw, hiding the false bones inside the palms.

Absolute confidence that the game is fair cannot be experienced even by a superprofessional. If a player doubts the decency of his opponents, then you need to pay attention to: the numbering of the faces of the cube; that the sum of points on opposite sides is always equal to 7; all faces are equal in area and identical in shape, texture, plane, vertices and edges have correct form, there are roundness, then they are the same at all corners; the gaps between two cubes pressed against each other should be the same; the markings on the cubes are made at the same distance from each other and at the same depth. Bones with a displaced center of gravity will help to identify the rotation test between the fingers (or, if conditions permit, when immersed in a liquid).

The most reliable way not to get at the same table with scammers is to choose a company and place to play wisely. The integrity of the partners and the reliable reputation of the gambling establishment guarantees you higher security than if you examine the dice with a magnifying glass after each throw.

Dice in astrology

And it will also be interesting for lovers of the stars to know that astrologers advise picking up bones in accordance with the sign of the zodiac. Aries are recommended classic colors - black and white, for a change, you can take bright red, orange, blue, lilac, crimson and all shiny. Cubes of the colors of nature are suitable for Taurus: green grass, pink sunset, blue sky, brown gobies. And, of course, no red! The twins are lucky with purple dice, but it doesn’t fit to use light yellow and gray cubes. Cancers are lucky with pale golden and silver, light green and purple, lilac. Luxurious Leos will appreciate purple, gold, orange, scarlet and black dice. And unpretentious Virgos will be enriched by gray, beige, dark blue zaras, as well as any shades of green. Balanced Libra needs dark blue, aqua and pastel shades, and bright cubes promise victory to bright Scorpios: rich yellow, dark red, scarlet, crimson. Sagittarians will be lucky with blue, blue, purple, crimson bones, and Capricorns should never choose light bones, for them the best dark green, black, ash gray, blue, pale yellow, dark brown and all dark colors . Aquarius will be enriched when playing with dark blue, sapphire, purple, blue-green and purple dice, unless, of course, he is opposed by Pisces with white, emerald, light lilac, purple, purple, blue, purple or steel dice.

If you love tattoos, then dice are a symbol of good luck and success in all matters, because the number of union and balance is strongly associated with them - 6.

Buying dice and criteria to pay attention to

The main part of dice games is based on the calculation of the mathematical probability of the appearance of any sum of numbers on the faces of the die when throwing the dice, while the theory of probability always leaves a chance for a huge jackpot. Total probability obeys the law of combinations and permutations, but now it is determined by simple mathematics.
Bones were thrown and thrown into a circle, played and guessed at them. They evoke a reverent attitude towards themselves, as connecting with higher powers - and no wonder, with such a history! It is in the bones that the inconstancy of Fortune is visible, which instantly withholds its favor, and then elevates and enriches. Despite numerous prohibitions, dice games have survived to this day and are popular both in ordinary houses and in casinos.

Any map has its own special language - special conventional signs. Geography studies all these designations, classifies them, and also develops new symbols to designate certain objects, phenomena and processes. It is useful for absolutely everyone to have a general idea of ​​conventional cartographic signs. Such knowledge is not only interesting in itself, but will certainly be useful to you in real life.

This article is devoted to conventional signs in geography, which are used in the preparation of topographic, contour, thematic maps and large-scale terrain plans.

ABC cards

Just as our speech consists of letters, words and sentences, so any map includes a set of certain designations. With their help, topographers transfer this or that area onto paper. Conventional signs in geography are a system of special graphic symbols used to designate specific objects, their properties and characteristics. This is a kind of "language" of the map, created artificially.

It is rather difficult to say exactly when the very first geographical maps appeared. On all continents of the planet, archaeologists find ancient primitive drawings on stones, bones or wood, created by primitive people. So they depicted the area in which they had to live, hunt and defend themselves from enemies.

Modern conventional signs on geography maps display all the most important elements of the terrain: landforms, rivers and lakes, fields and forests, settlements, communication routes, country borders, etc. The larger the image scale, the more objects can be plotted on the map. For example, on a detailed plan of the area, as a rule, all wells and sources of drinking water are marked. At the same time, marking such objects on a map of a region or country would be stupid and impractical.

A bit of history or how the symbols of geographical maps have changed

Geography is a science that is unusually closely related to history. Let's delve into it and we will find out how cartographic images looked many centuries ago.

Thus, the ancient medieval maps were characterized by the artistic rendering of the area with the widespread use of drawings as conventional signs. Geography at that time was just beginning to develop as a scientific discipline, therefore, when compiling cartographic images, the scale and outlines (boundaries) of area objects were often distorted.

On the other hand, all the drawings on the old drawings and portolans were individual and completely understandable. But nowadays you have to connect your memory in order to learn what these or other conventional signs on maps in geography mean.

From about the second half of the 18th century, there was a tendency in European cartography to gradually move from individual perspective drawings to more specific plan symbols. In parallel with this, there was a need for a more accurate display of distances and areas on geographical maps.

Geography: and topographic maps

Topographic maps and terrain plans are distinguished by rather large scales (from 1:100,000 or more). They are most often used in industry, agriculture, exploration, urban planning and tourism. Accordingly, the terrain on such maps should be displayed as detailed and detailed as possible.

For this, a special system of graphic symbols was developed. In geography, it is also often called the "map legend". For ease of reading and ease of remembering, many of these signs resemble the real appearance of the terrain objects depicted by them (from above or from the side). This system of cartographic symbols is standardized and mandatory for all enterprises that produce large-scale topographic maps.

The topic "Conventional signs" is studied in the school geography course in the 6th grade. To test the level of mastery of a given topic, students are often asked to write a short topographical story. Each of you probably wrote a similar “essay” at school. Offers with conventional signs for geography look something like the photo below:

All symbols in cartography are usually divided into four groups:

• large-scale (areal or contour);
• off-scale;
• linear;
• explanatory.

Let us consider in more detail each of these groups of signs.

Scale signs and their examples

In cartography, scale signs are those that are used to fill in any areal objects. It can be a field, a forest or an orchard. With the help of these conventional signs on the map, you can determine not only the type and location of a particular object, but also its actual size.

The boundaries of areal objects on topographic maps and terrain plans can be depicted as solid lines (black, blue, brown or pink), dotted or simple dotted lines. Examples of scale cartographic signs are shown below in the figure:

off-scale signs

If the object of the area cannot be depicted in the real scale of the plan or map, then in this case off-scale symbols are used. We are talking about too small, maybe, for example, a windmill, a sculptural monument, a rock-outlier, a spring or a well.

The exact location of such an object on the ground is determined by the main point of the symbol. For symmetrical signs, this point is located in the center of the figure, for signs with a wide base - in the middle of the base, and for signs that are based on a right angle - at the top of such an angle.

It is worth noting that the objects expressed on the maps by non-scale conventional signs serve as excellent landmarks on the ground. Examples of off-scale cartographic signs are shown in the figure below:

Linear signs

Sometimes the so-called linear cartographic signs are also distinguished into a separate group. It is easy to guess that with their help linearly extended objects are designated on plans and maps - roads, boundaries of administrative units, railways, fords, etc. An interesting feature of linear designations is that their length always corresponds to the scale of the map, but the width is significantly exaggerated.

Examples of linear cartographic symbols are shown in the figure below.

Explanatory signs

Perhaps the most informative is the group of explanatory conventional signs. With their help, additional characteristics of the depicted terrain objects are indicated. For example, a blue arrow in a riverbed indicates the direction of its flow, and the number of transverse strokes on the designation railway corresponds to the number of paths.

On maps and plans, as a rule, the names of cities, towns, villages, mountain peaks, rivers and other geographical objects are signed. Explanatory symbols can be numeric or alphabetic. Letter designations are most often given in an abbreviated form (for example, a ferry crossing is indicated as an abbreviation "par.").

Symbols for contour and thematic maps

A contour map is a special kind of geographical maps intended for educational purposes. It contains only a coordinate grid and some elements of the geographical basis.

The set of conventional symbols for contour maps in geography is not very wide. The very name of these maps is quite eloquent: for their compilation, only contour designations of the boundaries of certain objects - countries, regions and regions - are used. Sometimes rivers and large cities are also plotted on them (in the form of dots). By and large, a contour map is a “silent” map, which is precisely designed to fill its surface with certain conventional signs.

Thematic maps are most often found in atlases of geography. The symbols of such cards are extremely diverse. They can be depicted as a color background, areas or so-called isolines. Diagrams and cartograms are often used. In general, each type of thematic map has its own set of specific symbols.

Sun Stone

SYMBOL. STONES.

Agate.

yeah t - one of the mystical stones-talismans. The name comes from the name of the Ahates River in Sicily, where this mineral, a variety of chalcedony, has long been found. Agate is the stone of the planets Saturn and Neptune in earth signs. Agate is associated with the zodiac sign Taurus. It is considered the talisman of May. Agate protects from the evil eye and poisons, grants its owner longevity and health. White and yellow agate promotes kindness, gentleness, inner peace and confidence. In ancient times, it was considered a talisman against sorcerers and vampires. It was dedicated to the goddess Pomona, the patroness of the harvest and gardening. This is the talisman of honest hardworking farmers and gardeners. Black agate is a male talisman. It protects from danger and evil forces, but causes sadness. Black agates were especially valued in medieval Europe. This kind of stone gives power over evil forces, and therefore serves as a talisman. But at the same time, agate can plunge the owner into sadness. Layered agates endow men with love charms. Healers gave the patient, tormented by thirst, to hold agate in his mouth, which was supposed to alleviate his suffering. Moss agate contributed to the harvest and protected from atrocities. True, it was not recommended to give it as a love talisman. Many peoples had the idea that agate facilitates childbirth.
In ancient times, in the countries of the East, moss agate was highly valued, the bizarre patterns of which resembled dense forest thickets and evoked mysterious and mystical images. This is a stone of people with a passionate imagination, who are able to see the whole world in a small fragment.
It is believed that agate beads help with prolonged coughs and sore throats. It is also believed that agate helps with epilepsy.

Diamond.

This gem acts primarily as a symbol of hardness, strength, brilliance and light. One of its names, diamond, comes from the Sanskrit dyu meaning "shining"; in the Indo-European tradition, the etymology of this word can be traced to the stem with the meaning "shining sky" (which is understood as the supreme deity). Also called "adamante" (from the Greek adamas, "invincible"). The Hindus called him "azira" - indestructible. It was believed that the diamond could not be destroyed and that the anvil would go into the ground sooner than the hammer would break the diamond. In one of the areas of Buddhism, Vajrayana, a diamond (vajra, at the same time this word means lightning) is considered as a symbol of the irresistible power of the spirit that pierces the darkness. In the Bible, Yahweh says to Ezekiel: “I have made your forehead like a diamond that is harder than stone” (Ezek. 3); the sin of Judah (that is, one of the tribes of Israel), as the Bible says, “is inscribed with a diamond point on the tablet of their hearts” (Jer. 17). Diamond, like all precious stones, symbolizes moral and intellectual values; he is an image of spiritual strength, perfection, greatness. In addition, the image of a diamond on various emblems symbolizes the mystical Center.
Diamond is a precious stone that has the ability to glow in the dark and endowed with unique optical properties. It is transparent to ultraviolet light, usually colorless or slightly tinted in shades of yellow, pink, blue and green.
Diamond is a symbol of many different aspects of personality, such as purity, innocence, invincibility, strength. If you believe the legends, the owner of this stone will always be protected from illness and bad sleep. Diamond is very demanding. Self-indulgence on the part of the owner does not forgive and can even turn against the person himself. According to belief, a diamond must come into the hands of a person in an honest way, without the use of force, otherwise it may have a negative impact on the newly minted owner. When choosing diamond products, you should pay attention to the quality of the stone itself. Defective items should be avoided as they were thought to attract disease. The symbolism of a diamond is undoubtedly associated with its crystal structure (a crystal is thought of as a perfect form of matter). Various magical properties: with its help it was possible to detect poison, treat many diseases, it also acts as a powerful amulet.
Amethyst.

Amethyst is a mystical talisman stone. The name of this mineral in Greek means "non-drunk", because in those days there was a belief that the one who wore the amethyst was not subject to intoxication. It was believed that the stone absorbs wine vapors. For this reason, goblets were often decorated with amethyst. In addition, amethyst gives a person reason and vigor, drives away evil spirits from him. With it, it is possible to pacify the wind. It has the allegorical names "stone of love", "bishop's stone", "stone of old bachelors", "widow's stone", etc. It is considered the stone of February. Astrologers have defined it as "moonstone". On an astrological level, it is ruled by the planet Neptune. In ancient Babylon, amethyst was believed to bring happiness to those born under the sign of Pisces. Ancient Greek and modern astrologers attributed it to the sign of Sagittarius.
Amethyst can be safely called a chameleon stone, since its color can vary from pale purple to rich magenta. This variation in hue is due to the exposure of the stone to sunlight, which causes the amethyst to discolour. Merchants not quite justifiably called his modifications "Madeira-topaz", "Palmeira-topaz", "golden topaz". Necklaces, beads, earrings, rings and other products were made from it.
The first mention of amethyst ("amethitos") that has come down to us belongs to the student of Aristotle - Tirtamos of Erez, the author of the essay "On Stones". But it is known that even the Sumerian priests used the stone in magical practice. Amethyst symbolizes fun. He assists the owner in hunting and sports. According to Greek myth, the stone got its name from the nymph Amethys. Pursued by Dionysus, the nymph prayed for help to the goddess Artemis, and she turned her into stone, which is why the amethyst prevents the action of the wine spell of Bacchus.
According to another interpretation, the word "amethyst" comes from the distorted Hebrew "ahlam", which in turn comes from "halon", which means "sleep". Related to this is the ability of amethyst to induce drowsiness and induce dreams. The Romans gave amethyst the epithet "blessed stone". According to them, it brings good luck and cures nervous disorders.
Amethyst was used as a love spell. It evokes love for the giver of the stone. Due to this circumstance, the Sumerians called amethyst "a stone new love". Married women were warned against receiving such gifts. It is no coincidence that amethyst was called the "stone of old bachelors." The ban on giving amethyst to women was strictly observed until the 20th century. In Catholic countries, amethyst was called "episcopal", and in Orthodox - "bishop's stone". When consecrated to the rank of cardinals, they were given a special ring with amethyst.Amethyst was always present in the jewelry of clergy.
Was one of the favorite gems in Russia, where it was called "varenik". The manuals on Russian healing practice reported: “The power of this stone is this: drunkenness drives away, dashing thoughts removes, makes a good mind and helps in all sorts of deeds. it leads to overcoming, and it is good to help to catch wild animals and birds. Amethyst does not allow the one (who) wears it to depart in memory. Ural miners called amethyst "underground violet". Even in underground workings, he did not lose the brightness of tone, which was a specific property of amethyst. With its own healing properties, amethyst protects against intoxication, and also heals burns and nervous disorders. In the past, amethyst was preferred as a gift to your loved ones. This stone was considered a means of smoothing wrinkles and getting rid of freckles. People also believed that amethyst brings happiness and strengthens the will of man. It is important that in order to achieve positive results from the use of amethyst, it should be worn only occasionally.

A symbol of happy love and fertile family life. Its symbolism is associated with ancient Eastern beliefs that turquoise is nothing but the bones of dead people. Astrologically, turquoise is subordinate to Jupiter. True, ancient astrologers did not include turquoise among the zodiac stones. However, it is recommended for people born under the sign of Sagittarius. Almost everywhere, turquoise is the talisman of December.
Turquoise is the main stone of the East, the sacred stone of Tibet, the stone of the Egyptian pharaohs, and also the heavenly stone of the American Indians. Many stones lose their incomprehensible powers, but turquoise is able to retain its mystical properties, changing color, becoming pale, spotted, turning from blue to white. Apparently, her capricious nature provoked the emergence of many legends and myths that interpret these changes in a certain way. Turquoise was believed to reflect various health conditions. Turns pale - if the owner is sick, becomes white after his death. The color of the stone can be restored if it is worn again by a healthy heir.
The ancient Egyptians valued turquoise above other stones, perhaps because of its ease of shaping. The Egyptian goddess Hathor was called the "queen of turquoise"; scarabs were carved from the same stone - the sacred symbol of the resurrecting god Ra. In the lifeless deserts, legends arose that with the help of a turquoise wand one could find water. Aristotle wrote that turquoise protects against death and is curative in the treatment of a scorpion sting.
In Tibet, turquoise was valued so much that it was considered not a stone, but a deity.. Famous Tibetan families even took surnames like "turquoise roof", believing that this would bring good luck.
The American Indians wore turquoise beads, believing that turquoise saves them from fear and from the deadly bite of a rattlesnake. Shepherds of the Navajo tribe wore such beads for protection from thunderstorms. Making requests to the god of rain and the god of winds, they threw a turquoise stone into the water. It was also believed that if the wind howls, it is looking for turquoise. A horse carved from turquoise is said to make the horse trade profitable. Most important to the Indians was the influence of turquoise on hunting. She also served as an award in various competitions and as a medium of exchange in all business agreements of the Indians. Used in many religious ceremonies and rituals.
Turquoise was known to Europeans long before Cortes brought its varieties from the New World. The myths of the Old World are very reminiscent of American ones. In China, it was believed that turquoise gives great strength to those who look at it. According to Chinese doctors, the use of a healing turquoise ointment led to the cure of cataracts. It allegedly restores color to the pupils and promotes vision in the dark. In terms of a magical procedure, meditation on turquoise at night, on the day of the new moon, could improve health and bring victory in battle. Many ancient authors attributed to her the ability to cure epilepsy, intestinal diseases, ulcers, tumors.
Russian soldiers wore turquoise as a means of protection in battles. It was especially highly valued by cavalrymen. It was believed that turquoise is quite suitable for pain in the eyes, and its correct contemplation makes a person happy; so at least in 1655 Thomas Nicolier wrote.
The Romans associated turquoise with the goddess of love, Venus. It should have been worn on Fridays - this day is dedicated to Venus and love. In Russia and Germany, turquoise was made wedding rings to strengthen the marriage union and reconcile spouses in family quarrels.
Turquoise makes a person more attractive. It is often used in fortune-telling practice and is one of the favorite fortune-telling fetishes among gypsies. Turquoise was widely believed to bring happiness. The name "stone of happiness" is used even in modern reference books. Turquoise helps lovers. The Romans associated turquoise with Venus. They believed that turquoise jewelry should only be worn on the day of the goddess of love - Friday. In Russia and Germany, wedding rings were made from turquoise. The main qualities of the stone are to reconcile the warring parties, stop quarrels, establish peace. Hanging around the neck as a talisman, turquoise moderates bleeding, alleviates the suffering of patients with hepatitis. But it is contraindicated for evil people. For property owners who do not observe moral precepts, turquoise brings misfortune.
· Heliodor.

Heliodor is a variety of beryl. Stone of heavenly bodies - Sun, Mercury; associated with the zodiac sign Gemini. Heliodor is one of the varieties of transparent golden beryl and contains a complex of aluminum, beryllium and iron. White and gray beryls with a yellowish tint can also be classified as heliodors. Translated from Greek, the name of this stone means "gift of the sun", apparently due, for the most part, to the golden hue of the mineral. In ancient times, only transparent yellow stones, called particles-gifts of the Sun, were valued. They contributed to intellectual activity. Therefore, beryl was considered a stone of people of science, prone to research work. In ancient times, it was believed that the stone contributes to scientific discoveries. As a talisman, he guarded his owner on trips. It was a symbol of fidelity and love.
In the East, it was considered a purely feminine stone. It was used in the treatment of female diseases and some eye diseases. Heliodors are valued for their transparency. The more transparent the stone, the higher its price. Thus, yellowish-green, as well as lemon-yellow transparent heliodors are of the greatest value. There is a belief that heliodor, whose color is represented by warm shades, is able to endow the soul of its owner with peace and tranquility. Heliodor has a positive effect on children, protecting them from external dangers. Therefore, a family, most of whose members are children, is recommended to give preference to this stone. For everyone else, this stone will provide harmony and peace of mind. A person who chooses a heliodor jewelry for himself must make sure that this stone suits him according to his zodiac sign. In case of compliance, the stone must be worn constantly, and only then will the heliodor show its magical properties. It is believed that heliodor is able to stop time and slow down human aging. This is the stone of immortality. (approx. Mefisto)

Hyacinth.

Hyacinth is a talisman stone. A variety of zircon with a crimson or reddish hue. The leading color of this stone is red, but often it forms a complex with brown and yellow. Hyacinth is considered a stone of the luminaries of the Moon, Saturn and Uranus. Hyacinth is a transparent mineral related to some precious stones. So, in the East, it is considered the "brother" of the diamond. At the present time, noble zircon is often called hyacinth. The extraordinary brilliance of hyacinth is lost when the stone is exposed to fire or, oddly enough, when bad weather approaches. Pliny the Elder wrote: “Hyacinth differs sharply from amethyst, although they are similar in color. The biggest difference is that the bright purple color, which is so brilliant in amethyst, is diluted in hyacinth.
It is believed that this mineral got its name from the hyacinth flower, with which the Greeks had a legend about a beautiful young man - the son of the Spartan king Ebal, a favorite of the radiant god Apollo. One day, Apollo threw a heavy disk to the very clouds. Hyacinth rushed to the place where this disk was supposed to fall, wanting to prove to his divine friend that he would not yield to him in the art of throwing. But the god of the western wind, Zephyr, was inflamed with jealousy for the beauty of the young man and sent the disk directly to his head, mortally wounding him. Apollo, shocked by grief, in memory of Hyacinth, grew a fragrant flower from his blood.
Hyacinth, like many precious stones, has its own magical properties. So, this stone guarantees its owner an increase in the level of mental activity and the development of craving for various kinds of sciences. In ancient times, blue zircon, as a subspecies of hyacinth, was considered a talisman for travelers, because, according to legend, it was able to protect them from snake bites and attacks from forest animals. In addition to the above properties, hyacinth also has the ability to promote the development of human cognitive activity, improve memory and increase the level of intelligence. Hyacinth is a stone of sadness and sorrow. Calming effects were attributed to hyacinth: it was believed that it relieves melancholy, gives hope, it can be worn during depression. But despite all the advantages, hyacinth brings loneliness and unhappiness in love. Therefore, you can wear it only temporarily - during the period of depression. In Russia in the 19th and 20th centuries it was considered a stone of merchants and artists.
Pomegranate

Pomegranate (from lat. "granatus") - a mystical talisman stone. Associated with the zodiac signs Leo and Capricorn. There are pyropes (garnets of fiery red color), almandines (stones of crimson and red shades), andradites (garnets of emerald color), grossulars (colorless garnets) and melanites (black garnets). Another name for pomegranate is "venis": under this name long time was famous in Russia. The ancient Romans called pomegranates carbuncles, that is, coals. “He, like a burning coal, throws rays in all directions,” wrote Pliny the Elder about the grenade. Various nationalities attributed to the pomegranate, respectively, different magical properties. So, the inhabitants of the East believed that pomegranate contributes to the emergence of strong passionate desires in a person. They also had a belief that garnet jewelry, worn on the hand of a truly ardent and passionate person, delighted the eye with extraordinary brilliance. The peoples of Persia considered pomegranate to be their patron and even called it " royal stone". Among the Chinese, the pomegranate symbolized fun. He protected from the evil eye, bad dreams and betrayal.
IN Ancient Egypt and Babylon it was the sign of the harvest. In India, it symbolized love and devotion. For many centuries, it was believed that pomegranate, as a stone of friendship, improves relationships between people and strengthens love relationships. Christians appreciated the red pomegranate because it gladdened the hearts and contributed to the reconciliation of friends. Medieval magicians believed that the pomegranate gives rise to outbursts of passion, and sometimes this circumstance turns against the owners themselves. On the hand of a man obsessed with passion, grenades begin to shine strongly, as they are filled with blood. Many disasters can be brought by stolen grenades. In the magical calendar, garnet is the amulet of January.
Since ancient times, this stone has been considered a talisman of lovers and, as a gift, symbolized a gentle friendly or loving attitude towards the recipient of the gift. Due to its rich red color, pomegranate has long been considered a blood pressure stabilizer. One of the medicinal properties of pomegranate is to help with infectious diseases, as well as feverish conditions. Pomegranate gives a person energy, increases vitality and gives strength.

Pearl.

Pearl is the highest element in the symbolic hierarchy of gems. as an image of perfection (because it has the shape of a ball) and beauty. As a rule, it symbolizes absolute reality, higher wisdom and purity, as well as the human soul (hidden in the body). Pearls are a stone of organic nature. Pearls are white, silvery white, cream or Pink colour. There are even golden brown and black pearls. Known for sea and river pearls. In China and India, pearls were associated with the feminine, with the Moon, fertility and magical power.
Lao Tzu remarked: “The chosen one wears coarse clothes, but hides a precious stone in his chest,” thus likening the sage to a pearl hiding inside a shell. In Taoist legends, Laozi himself appears to be born from a five-colored pearl (a symbol of solar energy) swallowed by his mother. The ancient Greeks considered the pearl a symbol of marriage. In Islam, the pearl is regarded as an image of the sky. It is also believed that the pearl is the fruit of the union of fire and water. In the New Testament, the kingdom of Christ is likened to pearls that a merchant buys after selling all his possessions. The gospel expression "throwing pearls before swine" originally meant "arguing about the truths of faith with blasphemers." In the esoteric tradition, pearls are a symbol of secret knowledge.
Magical astrology recommends immersing pearls in water on the first, second, twenty-eighth and thirtieth days of the lunar month. It is best to buy and wear pearls on the 29th lunar day. Pisces can wear it, because. he guards them from rash acts.
Pearls and mother-of-pearl are stones that can make you a completely frustrated, disorganized person if you do not control yourself. Pearls are contraindicated for those who do not have their own pair. It works well only for family people. For loners, he can give bouts of longing and depression. And for those people who have lived together for a long time, he brings peace and tranquility.
Pearls are a dangerous and very evil stone.. It is good only for fanatical, self-confident people. It provides them with different options for choosing actions, it distracts them from fanaticism, gives them objectivity, and in frivolous people, pearls make their epileptoid nature even more unstable, gives congestion, eternal concern and misanthropy.
He makes convinced people more objective, closer to other people, he knocks down pride, arrogance, vanity, makes it possible to look back and secure their rear.
It is bad for all love affairs - it strengthens fidelity in love for the chosen one and loyalty to the chosen one herself. Therefore, you can often see pearls on the icons in the church. Pearls strengthen the house, domostroy. The pearl is the symbol of the soul. Best of all, he reveals his essence to those people who devote themselves to spiritual development or manifest themselves in a spiritual society.
Pearls immediately dim if a person begins to walk on the "low path". It is especially bad for travelers, actors - it deprives them of opportunities. Stops sexual activity.
Black pearl is a stone of melancholy, sadness, depression. Young women should not wear it, it provokes widowhood. But on the other hand, it gives widows and divorced people the opportunity to find a life partner.
He knocks down arrogance, pride and vanity from offenders, defending his master in every possible way. Pearl loves and quickly gets used to the owner, but is extremely reluctant to serve another if given as a gift. It protects its owner from anger, hatred and betrayal.
At low man pearls are short-lived: they darken and may crumble. In water travel, the pearl makes sure that they are unhindered, and knows how to negotiate with the water element and its inhabitants, one has only to lower it into the water. Promotes prosperity and longevity, brings happiness to its owner. The brilliance of pearls depends on the health of its owner. After the death of the owner, the pearl fades. In ancient Rome, pearls were dedicated to the goddess of love, Venus. A pearl ring protects from thieves and from unfortunate transactions. Even the ancient Chinese believed that pearls enhance visual acuity and treat ear diseases. In the form of ashes, it is used to cleanse the stomach and for inflammation of the intestines as an internal one. It can be used in the treatment of hepatitis and in the presence of gallstones. In the Middle Ages, children suffering from anemia were allowed to drink milk with crushed pearls. In case of liver diseases, they drank a solution in which pearls were boiled.
Pearls promote longevity. Pearls are a good hemostatic agent. Therefore, it is used in the form of powders and infusions for bleeding gums, vomiting blood, bloody hemorrhoids. In order to get charged pearl water, you need to dip four or five small pearls into a glass of water and let it brew overnight. You can drink water the next morning. Pearl water helps with inflammatory processes. It is alkaline and akin to "living water".
Lapis lazuli.

Lapis lazuli is a bright blue semi-precious opaque stone, sometimes with white spots or golden inclusions of light inclusions of pyrite. The general color structure of lapis lazuli allows us to draw an analogy with the starry sky. But to observe such a picture is possible only in sunlight, since in a dark room lapis lazuli instantly darkens. Stone of the planets Venus and Uranus in the signs of the earth. The Armenian manuscripts of the 17th century say that the real precious lapis lazuli is only the one that “can stay on fire for 10 days without losing its color.”
Known since the 4th millennium BC. e. In Assyria, Babylon and Egypt, it was considered one of the most expensive stones, served as a measure of value. In ancient Egypt, sacred scarab beetles were carved from lapis lazuli, rolling the Sun and symbolizing immortality. A gold-rimmed scarab was considered a talisman that ensured long life and prosperity. According to biblical legend, the laws of Moses were carved on lapis lazuli boards. The figurine of the Egyptian goddess of truth Maat was carved from the same mineral, which served as a talisman for the supreme judges-priests of Egypt. The history of this mineral is connected, for the most part, with the creation of architectural ensembles and painting. So, in the 19th century, two columns of the greatest St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg were made of lapis lazuli. And even earlier, in ancient Egypt, a coating of lapis lazuli adorned the statue of one of the rulers of the state. The most valuable paint for artists of past centuries was ultramarine, since it did not have the ability to fade in the sun. Lapis lazuli played in those days important role, because added as a powder to paint, acting as an ultramarine pigment. The resulting paint was used in their work by the greatest artists of the past centuries.
It is a stone of sincerity and friendliness. In ancient times, diplomatic gifts, including lapis lazuli, were more trusted than any assurances. Otherwise, this mineral is called "sky stone".
Possessing its magical properties, lapis lazuli symbolizes love, thus being the talisman of lovers. Lapis lazuli bestows happiness in love, play, peace and joy. Contributes to the implementation of plans and projects, renewal of the circle of acquaintances, strengthens friendship. It provides good luck to everyone who strives for new heights and conquests. As a remedy, lapis lazuli helps those suffering from insomnia, allergies, skin diseases and rheumatism. In addition, this stone is useful in diseases of the spine. It is believed that this stone has a strong anti-inflammatory effect and analgesic effect for bruises. It is used for epilepsy and rheumatism. Its use is indicated for nervous exhaustion. You can wear all the signs of the Zodiac in a ring or pendant in silver or gold, depending on your metal.
Nephritis.

One of the sacred symbols of Ancient China; its meaning is in keeping with the general tradition of lithophany. Jade is considered the focus of cosmic strength, energy, power; it acts as a symbol of perfection and various virtues (humanity, justice, sincerity, wisdom, etc.). In Confucianism, the head of the heavenly hierarchy is called Yu Huangdi - Jade (in other versions - Pearl) Emperor. The attribute of the emperor was a jade seal, which served as a sign of "trust of heaven" (Tian Ming), that is, a symbol of the divine nature of imperial power, carried out at the will of heaven.
In Taoism, jade also has a special place among the minerals. Jade refers to the masculine principle - yang and thus to the sky. For this reason, it was considered to protect the body from decay and give eternal life and was used in Taoist alchemy to obtain the elixir of immortality. According to Taoist legends, the jade spring (yaoshui) is located in the abode of the immortals, the earthly paradise. Also, endowed with the status of a “pure” element, jade was used in purification rites. It was widely used in the ritual symbolism of China; its shades, ranging from cream to dark green, add additional connotations to the overall symbolism of the mineral. So, for example, bi, a disc of light green jade with a hole in the middle (an image of absolute emptiness), was a symbol of the sky; zong - a square plate of sandy-yellow jade with a round hole inside, where a cylindrical stick (an image of the world axis) was inserted - a symbol of the earth. Jade was used to make gongs used in rituals.
The whole genus of jade is considered to be healing stones, guardians and protectors from filth. Jade, jadeite, jade are related stones, from greenish to white, pinkish, blue, orange.
The color of jade ranges from gray to grass green, it can be yellow, blue and black. The color intensity varies depending on the content of iron oxides in the composition of the mineral.
The main stone is white jade. White and yellow are very rare jade. Jades are warrior stones. Jade is associated with Venus, Saturn and the Moon. Of all the signs of Air, jade is good only for Aquarius, who is capable of transcendental transformation. Capricorns are more suited to green jade. White (medical) jade is good for Libra. Red-brown jade is associated with the sign of Virgo, yellow is associated with water signs. For fire signs, red jade.
Blue Jade is not associated with any sign. The darkening of jade is a harbinger of misfortune. This indicates that you persist in your delusions and sins and that you can no longer be corrected. Perhaps misfortune looms over you - know this. This stone is an indicator of your spiritual growth. Least of all, jade is shown to Taurus and Sagittarius - it is bad for them. Blue - best worn by Aquarius and everyone air signs, except for Libra, they are white jade. Until now, in China it is called a clot of love and they believe that the stone of spirits gives sweet dreams, victory over dark forces both outside and inside a person, preserves beauty, protects from diseases.
Western alchemy also recognized jade as a magical stone, especially blue jade. Blue jade is the rarest, most noble type of jade. It is associated with a complete transcendental transformation of a person. Jade is associated with complete external (rejuvenation) and internal restructuring, with a victory over one's subconscious essence. This stone is associated with religion and at the same time with the restructuring of all life. Jade can be worn only by those people who are trying to completely change their lives, stand on a completely new, unique level, remake, rebuild.
Jade is also called "stone yu" - that is, bestowing mercy, wisdom and modesty. Jade - translated from Spanish means "stone of the waist." The fact is that this stone has an amazing viscosity and keeps heat for a very long time. Therefore, it was heated and used as a heating pad. Light jade is especially good for kidney diseases. It is worn for a year on the lower back, while chronic pain and other symptoms completely disappear. The Aztecs considered jade sacred, they made talismans and masks from it, which not only protected them from harm, but also allowed them to safely communicate with spirits. In China and Tibet, jade talismans were hung around the necks of children to protect them from illness, and if a difficult task was ahead, its participants would never do without jade beads. It was also considered a stone eternal love. A jade butterfly is a guarantee of eternal happiness in love. Jade has the ability to smooth the face, so the cosmetologists of antiquity, after the massage, put jade plaques on the faces of beauties.
Men preferred to smoke pipes with jade shank, because this stone can neutralize poisonous smoke. It is known that Genghis Khan treats jade with great respect, even his personal seal was made in the form of a jade figurine of a lying tiger.
The throne of the Chinese emperor was carved from jade, noble people ate from jade dishes, jade rings served as a symbol of prestige. Jade powder in China treated many diseases. Avicenna treated diseases of the stomach with nephritis. In Central Asia, the tomb of Tamerlane is covered with a tombstone made of black-green jade, which, according to legend, was supposed to protect it from desecration. Jade melts with difficulty, acids do not affect it, it has high fracture strength and does not lend itself to abrasion. In the workshop of one of the Krupp factories in Germany, they tried to break a block of jade on an anvil with a steam hammer; the attempt ended with the fact that under the blows of the hammer the anvil fell into pieces, and the block remained intact.
Thin weaves of crystal fibers make jade twice as strong as steel. Primitive people made knives, axes, arrowheads and spears from jade. In China, jade was considered a national stone and was valued so highly that plaques were made from it, which circulated on a par with coins, and paired jade plates served as a passport for the emperor's envoys. Emerald green jade was valued above all.
Jade always seems warm, pleasant to the touch. Medicinal properties: white jade reduces renal colic and pain in the liver. Sharpens hearing and vision. Red jade regulates the heartbeat. Mystical properties: jade strengthens strength, gives longevity, worn as a talisman drives away failures and misfortunes, helps single people. Blue or green jade defeats evil in a person, makes him change for the better. Has strong energy. Promotes happy change, leads out of a dead end. This is a stone of single people, they always need to wear it as a talisman. Jade is a sacred stone ancient China and others eastern states, it was used in the treatment of a number of diseases, it protected from lightning strikes and encouraged others to be faithful to its owner. Jade is an "indicator" of behavior - if it becomes cloudy and then darkens, therefore - it convicts you of your sins.
Additionally.
In Eastern practices and poetry, the expressions "jade trunk", "jade gates" are used as a description of the male and female genital organs.
Ruboko Sho "Nights of Komachi, or Time of Cicadas"
***
Birds
Meetings are not meant to be
Nothing compares to you
Pure and transparent
Jade lips depth
***
Yes, I'm three years old
I let myself be deceived by the fox
What does my jade trunk look like?
Oh God! Dark Shijimi
Shell river.·
Onyx.

Onyx is an agate with plane-parallel layers of various colors, usually white and black or dark gray. Onyx translated from Arabic "onyx" meant sadness, sorrow. Varieties: onyx - agate with alternating plane-parallel layers of different colors; according to the color of the layers, they distinguish: Arabic onyx (or onyx itself) - the layers are black and white; carneolonics - red and white; sardonyx - brown and white; chalcedonyx - gray and white; onyx agate - gray in various shades (this variety is rarely distinguished). Onyx was known as an ornamental and facing stone in ancient Egypt, Assyria and Babylon. In Rome, it was used for inlays and mosaics. According to legend, in Jerusalem, in the temple of Solomon, the walls did not have windows, but let in enough light, being made of this stone. In the Gur-Emir mausoleum in Samarkand, interior decoration was made from it.
In ancient times, in Babylon and Ancient Egypt, onyx was used, for the most part, as a building and facing material. And in Rome, mosaics were made with it.
A large chalice (church bowl for communion), carved from onyx, is stored in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. It was brought from Rome to Novgorod in 1106 and captured by Ivan the Terrible during the capture of Novgorod. In the Middle Ages, extremely controversial properties were attributed to onyx: it was considered an unlucky stone and instilled terrible dreams, but at the same time, onyx facilitated childbirth, instilled respect for the owner, encouraged him to bold deeds and increased income. According to a Georgian manuscript of the 10th century, onyx can only be found by a person who is pure in heart and sinless in thought. Biruni, exploring the properties of onyx, writes: in China, they believe that wearing onyx brings a lot of worries, and if it is hung around the neck of children, they will begin to salivate; a drinker from an onyx cup suffers from insomnia. This is a message from an unknown person from an untrustworthy book.
If this were so, then the Arabs would not revere onyx and would not dedicate poems to it, in which beauties are compared with onyx. The unfavorable properties of onyx in the Middle Ages were attributed to the fact that onyx promotes terrible dreams with ghosts and gloomy visions, unrest arises around its owner, he is drawn into litigation and fights, and also that he causes salivation in children.
Even in the 16th century, Gerolamo Cardano said that in India they wear onyx around the neck to cool the ardor of love. This coincided with the idea of ​​onyx as a stone that separates lovers. Indian astrology believes that onyx is useful for any person because it concentrates bioenergy and draws out diseases. According to Eliphas Levi, onyx is also considered a very useful stone - it soothes pain, it is placed to relieve inflamed areas to the tumor.
In terms of its healing functions, onyx is like a cat - it should be placed on that area human body, which causes discomfort, and the stone will relieve pain. So, for example, during colic, it is necessary to attach onyx to the stomach and relax. Wearing onyx helps to strengthen human memory and sharpen hearing, and onyx, set in silver, cures insomnia and various heart diseases.
This is the "stone of fighters", it makes it possible to concentrate energy in oneself. It makes a person self-confident, makes it possible to insist on something, to defend their interests with perseverance. This is a stone of scrupulous, purposeful people, it will provide them with consolidation in the achieved positions. Onyx is useful to Aries, as well as to all earth signs - Virgo, Capricorn, Taurus. It has an important medical significance - a "concentrator" stone and can "pull out" diseases. Most of all, it is contraindicated for Gemini. Onyx contains the forces of Mars, Mercury and Venus.
Wearing onyx sharpens hearing. Strengthens memory. Set in silver helps with pain in the heart, cures insomnia. Onyx endows its owner with the gift of eloquence, and onyx of black shades contributes to the development of enterprise and a desire for enrichment in its owner.

ABOUT fell.

Opal is a precious stone, a sign of foresight and friendship. Because of its iridescent color, this stone is revered as a symbol of hope. Opal is a stone of the Moon and Neptune, in astrology it is associated with the month of October and with the sign of Libra. In Latin, the name of this mineral came from the Sanskrit language and literally means "precious stone". In most cases, opal is colorless and has an opaque structure with impurities of dull shades. Sunlight has an extraordinary effect on opal, causing a play of colors. There are three types of opal - white opal, fire opal (a deep red stone) and black opal.
Opal, like other precious and semi-precious stones, has been attributed to mystical properties since ancient times. The paradox of this stone is that, being a symbol of hope, it is considered an unlucky stone for everyone except those born in October. There are many stories of misfortune and even death that befell those who did not rightfully wear it. For hundreds of years, the opal has had a bad reputation. He was considered a symbol of secret passions and inconstancy (with prolonged exposure to the sun, opal dehydrates and loses its iridescence), a stone of deceptive hopes and illusions.
The story tells that, fearing trouble, the English king Edward VII replaced opals in his crown with rubies. It is also alleged that during the exile of Napoleon, the famous opal "Fire of Troy", which belonged to Josephine Beauharnais, disappeared without a trace. According to legend, he seemed to have vanished into thin air, destroying himself. Because of these rumors, Vienna's jewelers lost many customers in their time. In the 17th century, a large gold-rimmed opal ended up in the treasury of the Spanish kings. And right there, misfortunes rained down on the reigning house: the heir died, a flotilla of ships loaded with gold sank, etc. To prevent further troubles, the beautiful opal was handed over to the clergy of the monastery in Almeida, who hung the stone in front of the image of the Madonna.
It was believed that opal is a stone of melancholic people, but with high and pure thoughts. In addition, it is a stone of visionaries and dreamers living in a world of illusions and unfulfilled hopes.. For business people, down to earth, it is not suitable. Nervous people, with an unstable character, should also not wear opal. It is believed that the owner of this stone acquires the gift of prophecy. However, opal will bring success only to a noble and strong person who has overcome selfishness and passion for profit. For malicious and selfish people, opal becomes a stone of evil: it gives rise to suspicions, causes quarrels, fear, nightmares. For a long period of time, superstitious people considered opal to be a stone that brings bad luck, and therefore did not wear it. But in ancient times, it symbolized various religious motives, as well as loyalty and security. In the East, black opals have always been considered exceptionally lucky stones. They protected against infectious diseases, calmed the nerves, helped with fainting, restored visual acuity and sparkle to the eyes.
Opal treats mainly sluggish chronic diseases. As a remedy, opal is able to calm the nerves, prevent fainting, and also treat heart disease and restore visual acuity to a person. For these purposes, it is recommended to wear it in gold on the index finger of the right hand (only born in October).
Sapphire.

Sapphire is a stone of fidelity, a symbol of chastity and modesty, which brings divine favor, happiness and peace. Translated from Greek, "sapphire" literally means " blue stone". In astrology, sapphire represents September as a symbol of clarity of thought, and the sign of Taurus, symbolizing divine favor, happiness and peace. The color of the stone is varied: there are green, yellow, orange and colorless sapphires.
Gemstones have always been highly valued, not only in their own right, but also as symbols for the supernatural or healing properties they were believed to possess. Sapphire was considered the most "spiritual" of all stones and its blueness denoted heavenly bliss. It is no coincidence that, according to the Bible, the heavenly throne is made of sapphires. The ancient Persians believed that the blueness of the sky comes from the giant sapphire on which the Earth rests.
Sapphire was also a symbol of firm faith and protected its owner from betrayal. Buddhists believe that this stone is able to open locked doors and dwellings for the human spirit. But those who wear it must lead a holy life for this.
According to historical sources, some rulers of past years wore sapphire rings. So, it is known that Alexander the Great had a similar decoration, as well as Mary Stuart. In the Middle Ages, sapphire was called the "bishop's stone", because, according to popular beliefs, it was a symbol of the highest spiritual values ​​of a person. In addition, sapphire was considered a stone of wisdom, power and fidelity; it helped to strengthen the prudence of a person, thereby cooling his passion. It was also believed that sapphire helps to prevent disagreements and bestows eternal life on its owner. But only altruists could feel the result of the impact of this stone, for people who think only about themselves, this stone would hardly have helped in any way. It is also important to consider that sapphire with a damaged structure can be very dangerous for humans.
In ancient times, a large number of medicinal properties were attributed to sapphire. So, for example, it is able to help a person with cardiovascular diseases, heal various diseases of the skin and spine, and also be useful for rheumatism, diabetes and bleeding. Another equally important property of this stone is getting rid of insomnia, helping with various allergic reactions and providing a calming effect.
Additionally:
Contrary to popular belief, sapphires are not only of blue color. Wonderful yellow sapphires are mined in Australia, and in Queensland there are also green varieties of this stone. Sri Lankan mines produce pink and purple sapphires, as well as rare stones of two or more colors.
The best shade of sapphire is cornflower blue. and such blue specimens, with a velvet-like surface, quarried in Kashmir, are the most rare and prestigious. High prices are also set for stones that lie near the village of Peilin in Cambodia, not far from the border with Thailand. High quality sapphires are mined in Burma (Myanmar), Thailand and Tanzania, and dark blue stones with a metallic sheen are found in Montana (USA).
For many centuries, all blue stones were called sapphires, and therefore it is currently quite difficult to determine which of the legends tell exactly about the stone that is known by this name.

Topaz.

Topaz is a semi-precious stone. Associated with heavenly bodies - planets
Pluto and Mercury. Topaz owes its name to the small island of Topacion in the Red Sea, where sailors found beautiful gems. This stone was highly valued in the ancient world. The color of topaz is very diverse. There are purple, pink, golden topazes, but topazes that do not have color are most common.
Topaz was considered the stone of courtiers and entrepreneurs. In ancient times, it was believed that, having topaz, one could win the favor of the powerful of this world and become rich. Going on a long journey with a certain mission, for the success of the enterprise, it was necessary to take topaz as a talisman. This stone made it possible to predict the intentions and actions of a business partner, and prompted the right decisions in time. It is also a stone of revealing secrets, a stone of criminologists and psychologists. It develops intuition, warns of the intentions of enemies. But topaz is contraindicated for family people, because it can destroy family happiness.
Topaz has its own medicinal properties. Mounted in silver, it relieves asthma attacks, is useful in diseases of the spine, anemia and epilepsy. Topaz also helps to increase the effectiveness of various treatments for chronic diseases. Like many other gems, topaz protects a person from madness and the evil eye, returns healthy sleep. It is believed that men wearing topaz will be endowed with wisdom, intelligence and prudence, and for women it will bring beauty and fertility. It is also believed that topaz brings wealth. In ancient times, it was believed that it treats infertility and liver diseases, heals from insanity, helps with myopia, gives strength to the weak, and wisdom to all people together.
Tourmaline.

Tourmaline (lit. “multi-colored”) is a talisman stone. Associated with the zodiac sign Scorpio and the heavenly bodies Pluto and Venus. Cherry red, green, blue or colorless transparent stone. This is a male stone. Stronger sex he brings victory in love or the opportunity to assert himself in another field. The island of Ceylon is considered to be the birthplace of tourmalines, from where this stone was brought to Europe by Dutch sailors. Tourmaline has many varieties. So, there are colorless tourmalines or achroites, pink or rubellites, blue ones, otherwise called dravites or indigoites, black or schorls, green or verdelites, as well as yellow or elbaites and brown, otherwise called burgerites. Associated with the transformation of sexual energy, tourmaline increases potency. For these purposes, cherry tourmaline is especially good. Men who doubt their manhood should wear a tourmaline ring when going on a date.
There is a belief that tourmaline, as a spiritual stone, is able to develop Creative skills man and protect people of art from all sorts of dangers. So, green tourmaline has always been considered a talisman of creative people, and red patronized artists. Moreover, it is believed that red tourmaline always brings success in love and personal happiness to men, and also increases their bioenergy. However, tourmaline should not be worn all the time, because it can cause unhealthy sexual thoughts.
Chalcedony.

Chalcedony is a semi-precious stone. The most famous varieties of chalcedony are sardonyx and carnelian. Carnelian (carnelian) is a stone of the heavenly bodies of the Sun and Venus. In ancient times, carnelian was attributed magical properties. On many mummies of Egypt (including Tutankhamun) they found various carnelian amulets - to protect the dead in the other world. Carnelian is a stone of the color of blood, the color of life, in connection with which the ancient peoples of the East attributed to it the ability to protect the living from death and disease, to bring love and happiness. It was believed that it bestows wealth, strengthens health, improves mood, calms anger, but, above all, it is a stone of happy love. In Russia, carnelian was also very popular. He was considered an extremely happy and healing stone, bringing happiness in love, contributing to the kinship of souls. If you have a real feeling, and not a temporary hobby, then the stone in your hands becomes brighter when you look at your loved one. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that this stone was able to defeat black magic, protect against ill will, and prevent quarrels. Mystics believed that carnelian protects them from wasting magical energy and vitality.
In medical terms, it is an almost universal stone that creates a large healing field around itself. It was believed that it increases the immune properties of the body, pacifies fevers, strengthens teeth, helps with childbirth, and treats many female diseases. In the form of beads, carnelian is useful in diseases of the thyroid gland. For women, pink-orange in beads and earrings is most suitable, for men - red in a ring.
Sardonyx is a yellow-brown and reddish-brown variety of chalcedony. Astrologically corresponds to the planet Uranus in earth signs. It helps to get rid of fears of the future, protects a person on trips and travels. Promotes rejuvenation, prolongs life. The ancients believed that this stone gives protection from love spells, helps to protect oneself from infidelity and betrayal. Helps with bone fractures. Dark sardonyx (male) when worn on the body helps in quick healing of ulcers and wounds. Light (feminine) promotes conception.
Chrysoberyl.

Chrysoberyl is a stone of the heavenly bodies Neptune and Venus. Transparent stone of golden yellow color. Particularly valued are varieties of cymophane stones - stones with the effect of a "cat's eye". The name of this precious stone is composed of two: chrysolite and beryl. Initially, this was the name of a variety of beryl, and chrysolite was actually topaz. The color of chrysoberyl varies from pale yellow to brown. Such variation is explained by the admixture of one or another chemical element. So, a mineral of a pale yellowish-green hue owes its color to the presence of iron in its composition. Chrysoberyl is rarely used in the manufacture of various jewelry, although it has high strength and is very suitable for this type of work. Despite this, earlier chrysoberyl was very popular, since the somewhat cloudy shade of this mineral gave the effect of a "cat's eye". This name is explained by the color structure of the stone and the type of its processing. So, a stone cut with a cabochon, when light passes through its uneven upper part, resembles a cat's eye. This phenomenon is the reason for this name.
Gives peace and peace of mind, strengthens family relationships. Good for people seeking marriage, especially after mature reflection - it attracts potential brides and grooms.
Crystal.

Crystal (from the Greek "crystal", translated as "ice": it was believed that crystals were formed under the influence of cold), like precious stones, is a symbol of the spirit and intellect, as well as perfect virtue. Transparent crystals of colorless quartz have attracted people since ancient times. Its value lies in transparency and similarity with the two foundations of life - water and air. It was the purity, transparency and coldness of the mineral that made it a symbol of innocence and constancy, modesty and chastity, fidelity and purity of thoughts.
It is also an image of harmony in nature, since the transparency of matter appears as the embodiment of the unity of opposites: crystal can be perceived simultaneously as existing and non-existent. It is an obstacle in the way of bodies, but not in the way of sight, and this last property was interpreted symbolically as the ability of crystal to reflect and show to the human gaze events remote in space and time. In Christianity, crystal was associated with the Virgin Mary. In ancient Greek myths, gods, heroes and kings drink mostly from crystal goblets. In ancient times, it was believed that this mineral expels diseases from the water. In Tibet, when treating wounds, monks apply crystal balls to wounds so that Sun rays. It has been established that when ultraviolet rays pass through the crystal, bacteria die, which in turn contributes to the speedy healing of wounds.
Divination by a magic crystal - that is, a sphere of rock crystal (similarly - by the surface of water, mirrors, polished metals)- they emphasized the property of transparent or "reflecting" objects to act as a "communication channel" with the other world. Beyond their edge, beyond their surface, it was as if an area of ​​supernatural existence opened up to a person. Glass served a similar function. In addition, crystal was used for meditation.
Since ancient times, it has been believed that crystal endows its owner with the gift of clairvoyance. It is believed that crystal placed under the pillow saves a person from nightmares, relieves insomnia and causeless fears. If a person wears crystal in a ring set in silver, then it is believed that this mineral saves the owner of the stone from the danger of freezing in severe frosts or getting heatstroke in the heat.
There are several varieties of rock crystal, and each affects a person in its own way. Smoky crystal excites fantasy, but distorts the idea of ​​reality. Astrologers say that it should be worn by people born under the signs of Air (Libra, Aquarius, Gemini) and under the signs of Water (Cancer, Pisces, Scorpio). Signs of the Earth (Capricorn, Aquarius, Virgo) should wear it only if they suffer from alcoholism or drug addiction - smoky crystal cures these serious diseases. It is absolutely contraindicated to wear this stone to Capricorns and Sagittarius. People born under these signs are already prone to excessive fantasy - smoky crystal will make them real liars.
Black crystals of rock crystal help the wearer to communicate with the souls of the dead. This stone can only be worn by people born under the sign of Scorpio.
Crystals with opaque needle-shaped inclusions are called "Cupid's arrows", with fibrous inclusions - the hair of Venus. The very name of these stones speaks of their purpose - to attract love and happiness. As a talisman, rock crystal crystals attract love, joy of life, sympathy of other people, good luck, peace of mind and well-being to the owner.·
Zircon.

Zircon is a semi-precious stone. Associated with the planet Saturn, is a sign of fire. The name "zircon" comes from the Persian word zargun - golden color. Zircon is a silicate of zirconium, a colorless or yellow transparent mineral often used to imitate diamonds. The color of minerals is red, brown, golden yellow, yellowish green, blue, smoky, golden red, black. Tries to imitate the greatest of gems - diamond in color and properties.
In ancient India and in some other countries, zircon was used as a magical remedy to prevent unwanted pregnancy. In ancient times magical rites zircon was used as a tool capable of evoking supernatural powers in a person, such as clairvoyance. Zircon patronizes people born under the sign of Aquarius. Zircon is the talisman of people doing business. Jewelry with zircon, charmed by merchants' luck, has served as talismans in trade deals since ancient times. It is also considered the talisman of criminalists, judges, all people trying to expose deceptions and scams.
It is believed that zircon helps with coronary heart disease and stimulates the thyroid gland and liver. blue stones sometimes used in the treatment of obesity. Also, zircon is useful for depression, general despondency and hopelessness, it treats all types of neurasthenia, gives its owner the missing energy and helps to overcome constant fear and apprehension. Zircon deprives a person of unnecessary doubts, torments, bestows unshakable conceit and self-confidence - great ambitions from scratch. Zircon is dangerous because it can make its owner vain and selfish.
Spinel.

Spinel (lal). Stone of heavenly bodies - the Sun, Venus, Jupiter.
Scarlet or pink stone. The name of this stone came to us from the Latin language, where the word spinella meant a small thorn. It's connected with appearance stone, the shape of the crystals of which was extremely pointed. The leading shade of spinel is red, but more often there are stones, the color of which is heterogeneous. So, there are purple-red, orange-red and pink-red spinels. Spinels of other shades are less common. For example, yellow, blue, green and black. Red lal (ruby spinel), transparent and clean, resembles a ruby, sometimes surpasses it in beauty, but is inferior to it in hardness: it is erased in the corners and ribs. Spinel is well worn by the signs of Venus - Taurus, Libra and Pisces (Venus in exaltation). This is truly one of the best Pisces stones.
Spinel is one of the favorite stones of Fortune, known since ancient times. It was believed that this mineral bestows happiness in love, wealth and the location of others. Moreover, all the benefits go to a person by themselves, without any participation on his part. However, it should be remembered that lal is a changeable and capricious stone, like Fortune herself, and it must be handled carefully and carefully. Spinel is especially conducive to love, money, sleep, relaxation, daydreaming, after which very great misfortune often comes. Spinel can contribute to the formation of physical diseases, especially metabolic disorders and liver disease.
Lal is associated with the energies of Venus, the Sun and Jupiter. It promises misfortune to Aquarius - Russian people cannot wear it. It is also bad for Cancers - it makes them lazy, helps to avoid the struggle. If you treat him well, then he contributes to the attraction of women. The stone of love and art promotes good attitude to you. He protects any person with a child's soul, with the soul of a child, with a spotless reputation. And spinel can take everything away from you as soon as you start to sin, philosophize, dissemble. Spinel is manifested in the fact that it spreads softly, but in the end it is very hard to sleep. If the ruby ​​is associated with primary fire, then spinel is associated with primary air - with what unites people and sometimes manifests itself as a magnesium flash, like lightning.
Spinel is best perceived by Libra. For Virgo, black spinel is good - pleonast. Spinel is related to Venus, especially if it somehow interacts with Uranus. Lal allows you to repel any perverts, rapists. It turns out that spinel resists malachite, which, on the contrary, attracts rapists. Of the medicinal properties, it was believed that lal has general strengthening qualities, has a beneficial effect on vision, and relieves back pain.
Amber.

Amber is a golden-yellow fossilized resin highly valued already in prehistoric times; it is worn as an adornment that protects against witches, magic and poisons. The name "amber" (English amber) comes from the late Latin word ambar, which in turn comes from the Arabic anbar. The name "fake amber" (bastard amber) is given to an opaque material. Wearing amber is not contraindicated to anyone except Taurus. Most of all, amber is good for Lions - it cleanses and strengthens them.
Amber is never worn in silver, but only in copper or in copper alloys with a high content of it. Or pure amber, for example, in the form of a necklace. It should be worn as close to the neck as possible. Red amber is a type of amber that is more suitable for magic. Amber becomes magical only when there are insects in it. The most interesting is the one in which scorpions are found. This is a stone of magical purification, protection from the consequences of a magical deed. Amber contains the forces of the Sun and Venus. Amber should not be red-hot, otherwise it loses all its strength completely. It also has medical significance. It is a universal cleaner of our body. If it is worn on the body for a long time, astral slags are removed through amber, and the purification of the physical body is also achieved. As a jewel and an amulet, only pearls are older than amber. Amber was traded a lot by the Phoenicians. The ancient Romans used amber as a remedy for headaches and infections and believed that the phallus made from amber was the best defense against the evil eye. It is also believed that amber brings good luck and preserves health. It is believed that it helps women in their affairs, protects from strong sun, corrects impaired eyesight, helps with earache and diseases of the intestines and kidneys. Jet, or black amber, has the same properties. In Iceland, jet is used as an amulet to protect its wearer. In medieval Europe, jet was burned to exorcise evil spirits.
Even in the pre-Christian period, our ancestors believed that spirits found habitats in pieces of amber in small depressions, and therefore they were highly valued. In ancient times, amber products were widely used in Italy, either pear-shaped, or in the form of a ram's head or cowrie shells as talismans that ensure fertility and successful hunting. Especially popular were amber figurines depicting fruits, cereals and animals as New Year's gifts. In the Middle Ages, amber rosaries and other objects of religious worship were in great demand; Patriarch Nikon had an amber staff. For the Greeks, to give amber meant to wish happiness. This stone is the bearer of victory: it gives victory in battle, so most of the amber items in burials are battle amulets.
Amber was proclaimed a panacea for all diseases in ancient times; Healing white amber was especially appreciated by connoisseurs. It was believed that there were practically no diseases from which this gem would not bring healing. It cures myopia and cataracts, heart ailments and sore throats, stops vomiting and hemoptysis, expels stones from the kidneys and liver, and promotes urination. Amber strengthened the organs of the abdomen, and drunk in the form of a powder with water, it cured stomach diseases; rubbed with rose oil or honey helped with diseases of the eyes and ears, healed cracked legs. With the help of amber, one can allegedly detect poison: an iridescent flicker of sparks appears in the glass, accompanied by a crackling sound. Amber is a stone of health, happiness and the sun, a love amulet that can attract the object of his sighs to the owner of the gem. According to the psychological influence of color on a person, orange (amber) is an exciting and expansive color, cheerful and invigorating, cheerful and hot, but not intimate.
Amber was used for fainting (amber oil with ammonia), against dizziness and bleeding, suppuration and tumors, severe cough and consumption, convulsions, hysteria and hypochondria, treated and prevented a number of female and colds strengthened loose teeth. It was believed that amber saves from dementia and suffocation, fever and jaundice, helps with deafness and improper metabolism, poisoning and joint diseases, spasms, whooping cough and colic in children. It was believed that it protects from evil spells, the evil eye, diseases.
Amber has always been considered different peoples anti-demonic amulet. There was a belief that by hiding an amber bead in the folds of a baby's clothes, one could counteract evil forces.
In Scotland, it was believed that witches and evil spirits were driven away by amber beads, collected by all means on a red thread. In the old days, in the rich houses of Russia and Poland, nannies, nursing mothers always wore a heavy amber necklace around their necks. It was believed that it not only imparts dullness and purity to the child's skin, but also protects him "from the evil eye" and evil spirits, does not miss anything bad from the nurse to the child and brings him strength and health. Amber has long been used in the East as a decoration for brides; in Russia, amber beads were also worn on brides before the crown. It was believed that amber would help make a young family happy, at the same time it would give beauty and longevity to its owners.