William L. Stuart

author of The Gemstone Chronicles Series

Elven Bow

Gemstone Hunting – I’m Ready to Go!!!!

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Gemstone Hunting!

Gemstone Hunting and I’m ready to go!

I admit that I love to go gemstone hunting. I don’t go digging in the mountains (although if I had some land and a Bobcat…), and I don’t like to go to the places that only offer buckets. As many of you know, I prefer to go to Gold ‘n Gems Grubbin’ in Cleveland, GA. I can go plant my chair in the water, put my feet in the creek, and look for gems using dirt dug from the operating gold mine there.

Large Dark Amethyst
Large Dark Amethyst
Dirt Pile at Gold 'n Gems Grubbin'
Dirt Pile at Gold ‘n Gems Grubbin’

Unfortunately, it has been a cold winter here in Georgia. Usually, I can get a few trips sandwiched in between cold snaps, but not this year! I am really getting antsy to get back at it!!

Since I can’t go gemstone hunting, I thought I would post some pictures of some of my favorite stones that I have found on other trips.

Favorite stones:

Gemstone Hunting Peridot Ring
Peridot Ring

The picture above is a peridot ring. My brother John found the peridot during one of our gem hunting trips and he gave it to me. I had it cut and mounted and gave it to my lovely wife for her birthday!

Lana's emerald
Lana’s emerald

On our very first gem hunting trip, I found the emerald rough that was used to fashion the emerald show in the photo. It came in at about 2.5 carats. A beautiful stone!

Rubies, sapphires, and hematite
Rubies, Sapphires, and Hematites

Readers of The Gemstone Chronicles know that the four gemstones stolen from the Elven Bow were the Carnelian, the Amethyst, the Emerald, and The Ruby. You have already seen an emerald and an amethyst. The photo above shows rough rubies and sapphires, along with hematite. In The Gemstone Chronicles Book Three: The Emerald, the dwarves are digging under Seamus O’Keefe’s inn looking for hematite to help the Drow become invincible in battle.

I haven’t found a carnelian yet, so I need to keep looking so I can complete my own Elven Bow gemstone collection, and I need to find a fairy cross. I guess a trip to Fannin County, GA will be in the works!

Do you go gemstone hunting or rock hounding? What are your favorite stones? Leave me a comment and let me know!!

The Elven Bow and Elven Sword Gemstones

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The Elven Bow and Elven Sword gemstones! The front covers of The Gemstone Chronicles books all have the same symbol on them. It is a sword laid across a drawn bow. The sword has four gemstones in the hilt and the bow has places for four gemstones on the upper and lower limbs. The first book The Carnelian, shows only a carnelian and empty spots for the other three missing gemstones. Notice that Book Two: The Amethyst has two spots filled and two unfilled. Do you see a pattern here?

Christmas The Carnelian Cover

Anyway, I thought I would elaborate on all the gems in the Elven Bow and the Elven Sword and what they mean in the books. So, we will start with the Elven Bow and the Carnelian! The Carnelian is the stone of courage in Book One: The Carnelian. Carnelians also have other magical and mystical properties. They have been used to eliminate toxins from the body, fight depression, stop anger, and calm nervousness.

Elven Bow Gemstones:

Carnelian Sword

The Gemstone Chronicles Book Two: The Amethyst features the amethyst as the stone of happiness and joy.  Among its other properties, the amethyst is a stone of peace and has a calming effect. An amethyst beneath your pillow can ward off nightmares and insomnia. Preventing drunkenness is another alleged property. Many believed the stone could detect poisoning and illness. If the wearer was poisoned, the stone lost its brightness. If the wearer were ill, the stone would pale.

Amethyst Sword

The third book of the series is The Gemstone Chronicles Book Three: The Emerald. Currently in the editing and revision stage, I plan to launch the book in June 2013! In The Emerald, the gemstone is the stone of healing. Emeralds restore spiritual balance, bring gamblers luck, and ensure safety to travelers.

emerald sword

Book Four: The Ruby is the final installment of The Gemstone Chronicles series. In the Elven Bow, the ruby represents love. Besides love, the ruby symbolizes royalty and power, dignity, and strength of the heart. Historically, people wore it to provide protection against natural disasters and fight fear.

Ruby

Elven Bow Gemstones:

The Elven Sword gemstones stay with the sword the entire series. Already in the possession of the Dark Elves (or Drow), the Elven Sword gemstones begin to dominate the separated Elven Bow gemstones. Aquamarine is the first of the Elven Sword gemstones. In The Gemstone Chronicles, the Aquamarine is the stone of wisdom. In Book One: The Carnelian, Beebop and Maggie used the stone to help them escape a difficult situation (I can’t tell without spoiling). Sailors carried the stone to prevent seasickness and drowning. It also happens to be my (and Beebop’s) birthstone!

Aquamarine

The second gemstone in the Elven Sword is the topaz. In the books, it’s the stone of truth. Topaz comes in various colors and many people are fond of the blue topaz. I chose the yellow topaz for the book. Believers say topaz reveals lies, deceit, and gives prudence and honesty to its wearers.

Topaz

The third stone of the Elven Sword is the Garnet. The stone of justice in the books, garnet has a long history of magical powers. Once called the Warrior stone, combatants frequently carried it in battle to prevent injury and death. Believed to bring hope and luck to its wearers, the garnet could even help its wearers gain popularity.

Garnet

The Sapphire is the last of the eight stones of the Elven Bow and the Elven Sword. In The Gemstone Chronicles, the Sapphire is the stone of Power. The sapphire is one of the most useful gemstones and has many magical properties attributed to it. Chief among them is protection against envy, authority, victory (for those pure of thought), and awakening a thirst for knowledge. It was thought to attract friends and repel enemies.

Sapphire

What do you think?

So, there you have it. All the gemstones in the Elven Sword and the Elven Bow. Want to know how I used them in the books? No spoilers from me, you’ll have to read them! I welcome your comments about gemstones and which are your favorites and why!