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Episode 169:

Healing Powers of Gemstones: Each Month and Their Properties!

 

The Alopecia Angel Podcast "Awaken to Hair Growth" by Johanna Dahlman

In this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of gemstones and their unique healing properties. Learn from Linda Turner, a seasoned expert with over 50 years of experience in the field. We’ll explore how various stones have been used throughout history for healing, and discover how to incorporate these powerful tools into your life to enhance your well-being and bring balance. 

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TRANSCRIPT

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Johanna: All right, Linda, thank you so much for joining me on the Alopecia Angel

podcast. I am so excited to have you because you have over 50 years experience in

gemstones and jewelry and in so much more. 50 years, and I'd love to know what other,

skills, traits, and expertise you have in this field, because this way our listeners can

know more about you.

Linda: Thank you so much for asking, and again, I'm really honored to be in this

situation. This is my very first podcast, so I'm super excited that it's with you and it's a

pleasure to have met you. I am a Bachelor of Arts recipient, I have a bachelor's in

product and Joy Design from Metropolitan State College in Denver. I have a master of

fine Arts from CU up in Boulder. I taught photography, in the late 80s and early 90s

before it was digital and have taught throughout Boulder Valley schools. I am a graduate

Gemologist, which is a very rigorous degree and allows me to be an appraiser as well.

My skills all over time have come together to really work together as best they could

possibly for me at this time.

Johanna: Wonderful. So today we're gonna be talking about the healing properties of

stones, gems, crystals, however else that you wanna call them. I know at least for me,

they're somewhat interchangeable, but is there really a difference when I say a gem

versus a crystal versus a gemstone? Is there like nuances to it?

Linda: I believe so. One of the important things to know is that a gemstone comes from

a crystal. So the crystal is some of these minerals that you and I have seen in Tucson

and around the world. I've been around the world with this stuff. You just can't even

imagine them coming out of the earth in the manner in which they do and how they've

been unearthed or even transported. When you take that crystal and you do something,

in the industry, it's called fashioning. Somebody looks at the crystal and decides we're

gonna just leave it as a mineral because it's worth more as a mineral specimen than it is

a fashion gem, or we're gonna take this crystal and we're gonna fashion a gemstone out

of it.

So in my, professional opinion, when the human hands touch that crystal and make it

into yet another iteration, a faceted gem in this case, I believe that does change the

character and possibly the energy of the piece.Johanna: I love how you said energy, because for some of our listeners, maybe they

think or know that, that gems, rocks, water, sand, plants, animals, us humans all have

energy and some people maybe just dismiss it, but from a physical standpoint, physics,

right? Biology, it all teaches us that everything is energy. Whether it's our thoughts,

whether it's the crystals or gems, whether it's the earth we walk on or so many other

things, like even the apple off the tree, it all has a certain energy to it. This is wonderful

to see how we can help utilize them towards healing and I'd love to pick your brain and,

go over, your top gemstones or your top crystals for healing. And maybe if you could

explain what types of healing, if any, or in particular what this would give us or provide.

Linda: I would love to, and thank you for asking. One of the things that I wrote down as

my case for genuine effect or affect onto other energetic forms is that color is measured

by something called an angstrom. In gemology we use this as a methodology for

determining what these gemstones are. Each gem, each color vibrates at a different

angstrom. I found this to be fascinating because it is proof that at least we know that

these are energetic properties that genuinely exist within the crystal form. Cutting it

could change the angstroms a little bit based on how it affects the color. I thought you

might like today to hear a little bit about the history of when all this began, and then also

I'll go ahead and go over some of the gemstones that I think are the most the most

interesting.

People have been using gemstones and crystals, we know has been determined for

over 3000 years as Sumerians did it. One of the things that really fascinates me in a

marvelously morbid way is that what do people bring to their burial? That is the power of

jewelry and gemstones. People are so attached to the energetic properties of that

object, however it comes through, I consider to be jewelry and gems, extremely what

they call talismanic. I've been in the business since 50 years and nobody ever comes in

and cries over their grandma's painting pretty much, but a piece of her jewelry with the

shape of her finger in it, that's it, everybody's crying.

And so I've always been fascinated with that talismanic property. So these are some of

the things that our energy carriers that I think can definitively give us some assurance

that the feelings that we get are possibly genuine. The other thing is like a blankie with

your child. If a gemstone or a rock makes you feel good, I think you should have it. I

think that's enough for me to make me feel like I have the right path. And so with that, I

thought you'd be interested in. Most people are very attracted to their birthstones and I

find that to be amazing. I thought maybe I laid it out according to gem birthstone, if that's

of any help.

Johanna: Oh yeah, we can do both. We can do birthstones and those qualities, but

then if there's anything in particular, because I know there's numerous amounts of

different types of rocks, gems and minerals that are probably not a birthstone 'cause

there're only 12 that have healing properties that you know of. There's a couple that

come to mind, for me right off the bat. And so I'd love to talk about that as well because I

like crystals and I keep, a lot of them with me and I love them in my home.I also think that anything we can do to, like you said, that makes us feel good, that

makes us feel like we're adding in one more thing or one more step into the process and

to making us better. Why not? I like to be open to things and whether it's feng shui,

crystals or acupuncture or anything else I'm open to trying it all and embracing it all.

Linda: Me too. That is so great and I absolutely agree. People are attracted to things

sometimes without even really understanding it. But crystals have been around as

talismans and as objects of power, objects of transference and I think calling in what we

need, it's just another tool in the toolbox. We have options and all these beautiful

options and if, like I said, a crystal makes a person feel better, then so be it. I think that's

fantastic. Some do produce calm, rose quartz supposedly heals the heart. Natural clear

quartz can be used as a crystal or as a fashion gemstone. Quartz crystal balls are just

amazing, they are totally magical in properties. They are also bringing in specific

energies like clairvoyance, like the old adage of the crystal ball, wearing crystal can also

bring, some kind of possible prescient, with it.

So I think if we want to call something in, we can research the object, the crystal or the

gem that might work best, and then we should have it. I really do believe that. I love

crystals, working for the boss that I do, he's one of the great crystal dealers in the world

and I get a chance to see things that are just amazing. I didn't even really understand

the crystals so much until I started being around them. And when I started being around

their energy, I started realizing that they really were very powerful objects and extremely

rare. It's so hard to find these things that are absolutely intact and extricated from the

earth in the manner in which they are.

I do know that people throughout history, humans throughout history, have used

gemstones also as taliman or as healing property in some cases for children, for elderly.

For instance, February is amethyst, and amethyst supposedly helps with

overindulgence or drinking. So no matter what it is, if we feel like it helps that part of us

that we need, I'm all for it. January is one of the toughest months. January is Garnet and

what a lot of people don't realize is that garnet comes in a variety of colors. Most people

think of Garnet as red, but Garnet comes in the most beautiful green you have ever

seen, and it comes in oranges.

Garnet is an amazing gemstone, and there's a variety of families, when you go through

graduate gemologists, it is the absolute killer of all stones. But what is found in Garnet,

in the reds in particular, is that there are blood detoxifiers, restorative and in emotional

healing. I think that also has some import, some of it might be on a physical level, but

also on an emotional level, like your support gemstone, which I, absolutely carry with

me. You can carry something like that with an emotional trigger that makes you feel

grounded and I love that garnet potentially creates stability. So it's a very calming stone.

But again, it comes in all those fabulous colors. So if people say to me I don't really like

red you could have the most vibrant, beautiful green garnet you've ever seen on Earth.

It comes from Kenya, it's absolutely marvelous.Johanna: So going back to Amethyst now, so that's okay. That was Garnet for January,

so Amethyst for February is.

Linda: Amethyst has always been used, and I find this to be interesting too, because it's

like a legend or a story throughout history has always been used as a protector against

overindulgence and in particular a God named Bacchus who was the instigator of

drunkenness. And so a person maybe who needs to moderate their alcohol

consumption would have a piece of amethyst with them to help whatever it took to bring

in all the elements that could potentially protect them from a relapse or something like

that. I find that interesting ' cause that's very Roman. So we start to see when these

effects of the gemstone are seemingly, attached, throughout history. It actually is just

ending up being a fascinating story of gems and humanity.

Johanna: So what's for March now that we're in March?

Linda: I love March because I am born on the moment of spring. It's my favorite thing

ever. It explains everything about me. I was born at 4:47 AM on March 21st, and I will

fully divulge 1956. I love my birthday and I love my birth stone. And I did wanna add that

in some cases people will use the birth stone for strictly the month, or sometimes they'll

use it for the astrological signs. So just saying that certainly March 21st is what they say

on the cusp. But aquamarine is the birthstone for March and it is the most beautiful. The

name translated means Bluegreen Sea, you can't go wrong with that.

Aqua primarily comes from Brazil, there is an incredible aqua mine, a series of them

here in the collegiate mountains in Colorado, in Mount Princeton and I actually have old

miner type friends that go up there and bring this beautiful aquamarine. It's a form a

barrel and it's absolutely gorgeous. And that's the other thing is that these gems form

only where the geological formation embraces it. These things can be very difficult to

get and there's a very limited supply of aquamarine in Colorado, but there is a source

and it's absolutely beautiful material.

Aquamarine is a talisman for facilitating clear breathing. And so I was thinking, so then I

ad lib because I have taught yoga and one thing or another, and I would say, you could

hold this during a piece of aqua during a meditation when you're really trying to focus on

your deep breathing and you have this aqua marine on your person, or you're wearing

aquamarine. I tried to find something different in each one of the gemstones for the

birthstones so that we would, we'd be able to use what we needed for whatever the,

particular occasion called for clear breathing.

Johanna: Clear breathing is for aquamarine primarily. So anyone with asthma, maybe

allergies or with any congestion, colds or potentially maybe a bronchitis, pneumonia,

maybe even smokers or lung, issues, emphysema type thing. Good to know. So April, is

April the diamond?

Linda: April is the diamond. When I ask people, I say, what's your birth stone? And they

say, April. I'm like, I'm sorry, I didn't do it. Diamond I found in Hindu mythology is it woulddrive away depression. So sparkle is a very weird thing. Now, I've heard this and I I've

heard this to be true and I've heard this to be dispelled. So this is what I've learned

about sparkle. But the way that we feel that little rush, when you see something sparkly,

whoa, what's that? Like a magpie or something was actually a cortex response to

seeing the sun or light on water. It meant water.

As a mother creature walking across the terrain with your children, this was a survival.

So it was like water. And so sparkle has this strange effect in the brain, and I think most

of the people that I know would say the same thing, and it just makes you happy. So for

me, when I started reading that it was an antidepressant, I was like yeah, you see

something sparkly and you just have to smile. It's just, oh, that's lovely.

Johanna: I agree, diamonds definitely have a specific sparkle to it. And even when I am

with friends or even just out and about, and when you see somebody's ring just sparkle

in such a very unique way and how it just grabs onto the light or the lighting that's in the

room. It does make you turn, it does catch your attention.

Linda: I love that, I just attended a seminar, you're so on the beam. We are talking

literally about things I've just been learning about. I can't believe you would say that. In

the Victorian times, they would rose, cut the diamonds not for sparkle during daylight,

but to glow in candlelight and they were all cut specifically to show up in candlelight.

How cool is that? Isn't that just beautiful? And so the diamonds are actually cut to create

specific effects, and the development of the diamond being cut over history is a lengthy

one. A lot of people have worked on trying to make it more sparkly, more yellow, more

colored.

But also I read that it offered anti-aging energy and I was taken back to that diamond

marketing campaign when I was growing up: A diamond is forever, and I thought that's

how you could apply because diamond does have this affinity to remind you of

longevity. And you see all these memes, like it took a long time to make this diamond

kind of thing, a lump of carbon into diamond. And it's a reminder, it's a bit of an

inspiration that no matter how long it takes, you could still get there, you can still be that

shining diamond.

Johanna: That's great. So in terms of the diamond, what properties besides longevity,

anti-aging, does it help us to, capture or to improve on?

Linda: Because it's generally a clear stone and it's based on its clarity. I also read that it

promoted clear thinking that most of the really clear gemstones had those properties of

also enhancing clear thinking with the owner or the wearer. So Diamond, also had that.

Johanna: So I guess my next question would be, for me personally I already know the

answer, but let's see from your expertise. If the diamond or the stone is not a real

diamond, meaning it's not from the earth and it's lab grown or made in China essentially.

Is this something that would still pertain or have the energy that we're looking for or not?Are we only searching and talking about real stones from real earth, not lab made, not,

grown in a container type thing?

Linda: This is a really good, discussion at this particular time because it is a very hot

topic and I am a custom designer, so it's my job to hear what the customer wants and

get them that which is in their price range. Having lab grown diamonds on the market

has rocked the natural diamond world a little bit. Honestly, it's solidified it as well. The

lab grown diamonds give people the opportunity of having a monstrously beautiful

diamond on their hand and being able to afford it. Things that people couldn't afford. I

really am here to hear what the client wants and what they expect and what I can get for

them for the absolute best price.

Being a gemologist, I spend a lot of time under a microscope. They've done a good job

recreating a natural entity. This has always been the case throughout my particular art

history in my life as a photographer, is digital acceptable? Is it gotta be old time film?

And there's a huge hoopla over that as well. My response was: I use digital photography

for when that is appropriate and I use film photography when that is appropriate. Each

has its own realm. So I give space for the lab grown diamond and that you can always

upgrade.

Johanna: In terms of the energy though behind it, would you say that it's a little more

lackluster if it's lab grown, crystal or diamond versus the natural energetic composition

from the earth?

Linda: I see it in two different dimensions, and when I put a perfect lab, grown diamond

ring on a woman or man's hand and everything is absolutely breathtaking. That's my

job, that's what I do. I'm okay with it. It does have energy, maybe that's where the

energy comes in, because just like the shank of grandma's ring, it might not have that

great of value to a lot of people, but it has value to that person, and they bring that

inherent value to that object.

Johanna: My stance is if it's not real, then the energy isn't there. To me I see things as

they are very discerning. So it's very different to say you have an organic apple, from an

organic tree versus a GMO apple or something that has pesticides. Like to me, I see a

big difference and it's black and white.

Linda: I could be convinced, but except that as a custom designer, I am very much

obligated to what that person wants, but not always is it about energy for them, it's

about design or look.

Johanna: True, but right now, since we're talking about healing properties, I wanna be

linear and really focused on the healing properties. So it, in the same token. When you

start thinking of water too has energetic properties, and you can have spring natural

water from the mountains and that has a bunch of minerals and a bunch of, natural

things like potassium and hydrogen and whatnot, all encapsulated in this mountain,

spring water. But then you also have the recycled stuff from the sewage from your citywater, that's dead water. It's got no life to it, but it's still water. And so I separate things in

my head mentally. And so I guess my stance is, from a consumer aspect, I always try to

go to the more natural, right? I prefer the organic versus the non-organic in every

aspect, including my crystals.

Linda: Taking away artisanal mining is devastating to communities. This is in many ways

the only income they have. I could have an issue with that. And that it may not be as

ecologically, aligned as we might hope.

Johanna: Or even eco-friendly.

Linda: There's definite problems on both sides. The diamond industry has a very

difficult history.

Johanna: Yeah. I remember seeing maybe a decade ago blood diamond with Leonardo

DiCaprio, is it? That was a fascinating insight, and I'm sure some aspects are true,

some aspects are a little, aggrandized ever so slightly for the drama of the movie. But it

definitely gave you a great insight into what this industry looks like, where it started, the

roots, how it affects people at every level, who benefits, who doesn't benefit.

Even having lived an hour and a half, two hours from Antwerp, which I don't know if

anyone knows except maybe you, on this call, but, to my listeners who don't know,

Antwerp is like the headquarters of the diamond world and the diamond industry. This is

Antwerp, Belgium. And having lived in the Netherlands, I was only an hour and a half, 2

hours, by train to Antwerp and Antwerp's a lovely city. I absolutely love it. . It's probably

my favorite city in all of Belgium. Okay, so going back we're diverging, which I tend to do

May.

Linda: Oh, may is so yum. May is emerald. And I really do love emeralds. Emeralds are

a form of barrel, so they're just exactly the same identical composition as the

aquamarine, except it has a different chemical that makes it green over blue and they're

much harder to find. Primarily they come or they used to be found in Cartagena in

Colombia. Truthfully, right now, the premier material, and it is the most vibrant, beautiful,

exquisite material is from Russia, and it is untreated. That is unheard of for Emerald. So

I also went along with color, like color light therapy. And the color green has always

been associated with good luck. And that if you wore an emerald, it could possibly

relieve stress. And I also this one, is that it had the ability to increase your intuition.

And there's always a mystery about an emerald, there's always a story about an

emerald. Somebody so and so had an emerald and it got lost and it was in a crown, and

then they found it in a museum 200 years later. There's always some kind of crazy story,

mysterious story about emeralds and they're beautiful, but they are fussy. Breaking one

is every jeweler's nightmare, and they have a propensity for being fractured or fracture

filled, 99% of them, and having them break can happen on the bench or otherwise.

That's why huge, beautiful, clear, large sized emeralds are so phenomenally expensive.

They're extremely hard to find and they're extremely beautiful, I love Emerald.Johanna: Any other properties that you can share with us for the emerald?

Linda: Just that it promoted, it had an air of mystique. I found that to be just an

interesting attribute. Not something that I would think I. But it had a mysterious, sort of

quality about it, as if you were to wear an emerald and there was a mystery about you

or there's always a mystery about the, about where that emerald came from or what

family it was from. So it has what I consider to be very creative, properties. Greens,

yellow greens, blue greens are generally thought of as being extremely creative colors

and energetic properties.

Johanna: Alright, so what about June?

Linda: June has got a couple of things going on, and I think of the Gemini in the June.

June is actually, it can be alexandrite or natural pearl, we'll talk for fun purposes

alexandrite the really fun stone right now, Alexandria is off the chart once again.

Russian alexandrite is simply one of the most prized gemstones on earth, but

alexandrite has something called pleochroism. It has two colors at once. It's one of the

strongest or possibly the strongest two colored stone out there. This takes a lot of work.

You have to find the stone, it has to be cut a specific way.

Johanna: What color is alexandrite?

Linda: It goes from this incredible dusty green to a magenta purple. It's completely 180

degrees across the spectrum, one from one another, and as you rock it in different light

sources. For instance, if you have daylight source or incandescent or tungsten, it'll take

your breath away. You just can't even believe anything. A really good alexandrite is

extremely hard to find. And the material that comes from Russia's is simply off the

charts. But I found it an interesting relative to June, since June hosts the Gemini sign

because it's two and it's two things completely different and yet together in one piece.

Johanna: And what does the Pearl do for, in terms of like healing properties and

helping us be better?

Linda: Pearl is unbelievable, actually. I ran a tahitian pearl company in the early 2000s

and what I found out about pearls is that it is also actually an analgesic because it's a

calciferous material formed inside a shell. And so what they will do is any of the pearls

that are not market worthy, look beautiful, that are around the neck or something that

you wanna string up, they crush and it is actually put like baking soda. I don't know if

you ever did that when your tummy hurt and you would take a little bit of bacon, soda

and water and it would instantly neutralize the acid in your stomach and pearl actually

does that.

Johanna: So now we're into July.Linda: I love July too. Ruby has such a history. Ruby is a political gemstone of the most

gorgeous nature. There's a reason why it is so prized. Ruby might be the number #1

gemstone in the world, just bar none.

Johanna: Oh, I didn't know that. So what are the healing properties with it?

Linda: For many years, and when I talk about many years, I'm talking about, like

Victorian 150-200 years. We know that, because I work with estates and antiques, I see

this all the time. Sometimes the design would mimic or support the healing property of

the stone. There was a lot of mourning, jewelry, jewelry for people who had passed,

Ruby because of its brilliant, beautiful red, and it's called, very slightly purplish red in the

gemology world. It increases positivity and it's also a gemstone that helps to regulate

the menstrual cycle, which I thought was interesting.

But once again, the systematic function of the blood. And so it seems simplified enough

that a red gemstone would be a blood, anti, toxin or something like that. But that does

seem to be a current theme. One of the most prized gemstones in the world and, there

is a very limited amount of ruby remaining in the world. There's just not enough

geological formation to actually host this phenomenon that occurs. It's volcanic, and

generally Ruby is hosted by marble. It was also recognized as a status symbol. So if

you wore Ruby, it meant you, you were elevated somehow.

Johanna: Okay. So do you think that Ruby would also be helpful for women in

menopause?

Linda: I think so. I do because anything that, helps to regulate. There's still rhythms in

menopause that are very much, parallel to menstrual cycles. And fun fact about me, I

developed a timepiece for women to track their periods, and that's another

conversation. But I happened to know a lot about this subject and I was amazed at its

regularity, under purported circumstances of having obstacles or difficulties. I think that

what I learned was that it was a lifelong process from premenstrual menstrual and

menopausal post, perimenopause and menopause. It's the same, but now it is

manifested differently throughout, throughout our lives or my life.

Johanna: Okay, so now we have August. What's August?

Linda: August is peridot. You're either a peridot person or you're not. A lot of people for

some reason do not like peridot and I think it's because it's a lime green. Limey green

seems to have a little bit of a, a cast. Around it. But my daughter in particular, she's born

in August. But it says, and this might go along with the theory of Leo ruling the heart, is

that it opens the heart chakra and so I thought to myself maybe that's why no one likes

it.

Johanna: And so the healing properties to peridot are?They say if you would like more positive relationships, wear peridot. So it helps and this

is good for me to hear too right now. I'm the mother of 4 and I'm raising it. And I'm

helping raise some grandchildren. But, it opens up your relationships with people and

creates more positivity, and I think we all need that. I think that's a wonderful thing. The

other thing is parado is actually comes from something called the pegmatite dyke, and it

rolls down the hill, it's alluvial and it becomes this beautiful rock. It's really tactile. It's like

a wory stone or something.

So that's August, and now we are in September.

Linda: How I love the sapphire. Not everyone knows that sapphire comes in a spectrum

of colors, from the beautiful blues that we expect all the way to pinks, yellows, mint

greens, dark greens. The colored sapphires are just now coming into their own. And, I

think possibly of all the gemstones, I may love the sapphire the most, but I keep

wavering between favorites. And they do come with either natural or unhea treated.

Now, sapphires are used in Ayurvedic therapies, and I don't know a lot about Ayurveda

necessarily, but I know that in the alternative healing world, Sapphire has a, what they

call a double terminated crystal. And people love that for energetic therapy for healing.

And so a natural stone is generally preferable versus a heated stone. They're both

completely acceptable. But if you're going to use a sapphire for an Ayurvedic healing

therapy, it is best to use one that is unheated. And it says to help with migraines. So I

haven't really quite made a direct connection between a sapphire in migraines, like a lot

of them make perfect sense. The red controlling the blood or helping with the blood and

digestion and things like that. But the blue, I haven't made a definitive connection

between the sapphire and getting rid of migraines. But they also talk about it helps to

facilitate the function of the thyroid and cell regeneration. It is a very distinctive crystal

shape.

Johanna: So that is September. So now we're in October. What do you have for

October?

Linda: October is a wonderful gemstone. It's a little bit soft, but it's interestingly made.

Opal is a fiery gemstone made from silica under high heat, so it fills in organic materials

where you might find petrified wood or bone. It's actually fascinating. The look of the

opal is if you were looking into a million soap bubbles in the sun in your sink, because

the silicate forms in the sphere like that. It's primarily found in Australia. Opal can be

found in other places, but mostly there's some Peruvian blue, there's some pink in Peru

that's almost all mined out. But the multicolor opal that we're used to seeing either the

boulder opal or the Australian type opal where it's just filled with color is made in this

way, by filling, a very soft material and hardening over time.

Opal can be very expensive, but it is very soft because of the what they call the play of

colors. I thought this was really fun. It said Opal can possibly help overcome an artist or

writers block. I think that play can actually be a factor or a component of healing and

therapy. But also just understanding that everything is comprised of so many atoms, somany molecules, so many electrons that we have to, I think I have to recognize that for

myself. That's where the actual connection for me is on a very fundamental scientific

level. And this is a great example of that. Opal is very special gem.

November is topaz or citrine. Topaz is also an unsung heroine. Topaz can be a variety of

colors golden browns, but also you can find topaz in clearer and what they call a Swiss

blue heat treated in London blue. The original concept of topaz was like a champagne

color, but topaz can actually be a beautiful reddish orange. Many of these gems come in

a variety of colors and not what maybe I would expect when going to research them.

And it says that Topaz offers self-confidence.

Maybe you wanna really apologize to somebody and you give them a topaz or a citrine.

Right there, isn't that just beautiful? It's just absolutely, it comes full circle round. It

becomes a very whole experience. I love that idea.

Johanna: I don't know too many women who would say no to jewelry.

Linda: Absolutely none that I know of. Every once in a while I meet somebody, but that

isn't very often myself included.

Johanna: And then citrine, why is it that November has both citrine and topaz?

Linda: That's a good question. My theory on it was, is a lot of people in the 70s, for

instance, didn't like anything gold colored, like the association with harvest gold from the

60s. Seriously, trend colors actually dictate how gemstones appear on the market. And

so Topaz being a champagney golden color was very out at the time. And Topaz could

be irradiated to a beautiful, bright blue and very reasonably priced. So I think that it

could have been financially driven as well as, color driven trends. Because there's not

really a lot of difference between a beautiful citrine and a beautiful topaz. They are

different chemical, they are different compositions completely, but in terms of color and

what can be done with them, and particularly with clarity, they're quite similar.

Johanna: What are some of the healing properties to citrine.

Linda: Citrine and topaz when I researched them, both had similar properties. I don't

know if it was considered color or whether it is actually the material that is made of, if

there is similarity. But again, I found that citrine was also referenced forgiveness. What

a lovely thing.

Johanna: So what do you say for December

Linda: Zircon or turquoise Zircon is another unsung heroine. That's unfortunate

because zircon is really beautiful. It can come in a beautiful red zircons are

phenomenal. A lot of people do not understand what zircon is. And zircon can be used

merely like a diamond, it comes in a gillion colors. It sparkles like madness. Strangely

enough it just doesn't ever get the footing in the market that I think it truly deserves.Zircons are gonna get more and more, rare as time goes on. They're getting consumed

on the market. Someday a really nice purple zircon will be hard to get.

Johanna: What healing properties does turquoise have?

Linda: Wow, what healing properties doesn't turquoise have? First of all, I think I

mentioned earlier that one of the things that fascinated me is what was put into a burial.

The Egyptians in particular had a fascination with turquoise and lapis. Turquoise was a

stone that carried you through the underworld and was always in everything the

Egyptians did. It's also a stone that's soft enough that can inlay, so it can really enhance

the design, like pharaohs crowns and things like that. And so the first thing about

turquoise is it's a guide. It will guide you. And so you'll see it a lot in tombs.

And zircon, is very misunderstood and has a lot of work to do. So I said the gem, the

zircon has a lot of work to do as it's said, to induce sleep and heal madness. Now that's

a big ticket item, which I assume is no small feat. And the other thing is people say

zircon can be radioactive. I haven't really researched that. I don't think there's enough

there to actually be harmful, but anything radioactive could be problematic. So turquoise

is a transformative stone, zircon is one that calms you down. Those two were

completely different.

Johanna: Fantastic, are there any other stones that you wanted to touch upon that

have other healing properties that are outside of the 12 month calendar year?

Linda: There's always the alternative birthstone, but I didn't think we'd wanna get into

that today. But I know that when you go to a crystal store, people are always looking for

something for the property, the healing property. For instance, rose quartz heals the

heart. So people that have pain in their heart, who doesn't, can benefit, from rose

quartz, actual crystal quartz is extremely helpful with magical ceremonies, power, being

able to be clairvoyant, to see things intuitively. If you need something, you know there

are crystals out there that can help you with them.

Johanna: Very true. I appreciate your knowledge and your expertise. Thank you so

much for coming to the show and showcasing your wisdom. Is there anything else that

you'd like to let our listeners know about you, how they can find you? Maybe some last

tips or tricks and any other thoughts that you'd like to share?

Linda: Thank you so much. I have a beautiful studio in Boulder, Colorado. My handle

for Instagram is @christinemarguerite and my website is christinemarguerite.com. I'm

also an author of a book: Women of Jewelry.

I think that as an end user, when I custom design for somebody, I'm trying to bring all

this in, trying to get a sense of who that person is and really apply the gemstone and the

design to their needs, custom to their needs on levels that might not be immediately

perceived, but can be inherently perceived.Johanna: Thank you. Thank you so much.

Linda: You're welcome.

Johanna: I appreciate.

Linda: Thanks.