More commonly known as “bloodstone,” heliotrope is a combination of dark green chalcedony
A type of quartz that is usually mostly opaque and has a cryptocrystalline form. This type includes several well-known minerals, such as jasper, agate, chrysoprase, and onyx.
and red jasper–the “blood” part. So what’s chalcedony? It’s a type of quartz that’s “cryptocrystalline For this type of crystallization, we don’t mean “crypt-ocrystalline,” like crystalline things where dead people are kept, but “crypto-crystalline,” like crystals that are a mystery (as in “cryptic”). That’s because the crystals in this case are tiny little grains you can’t see—which makes them mysterious—and they’re packed together very closely. When you look at a cryptocrystalline mineral, you just see a smooth surface, not sharp-edged crystals. Minerals that have this kind of crystallization look like they’re massive. You can’t see a nice crystal shape, they might just be shaped like a plain old rock, and they’re often opaque.
,” as is jasper. When you look at a cryptocrystalline mineral like heliotrope, you just see a smooth surface, not sharp-edged crystals.The jasper is colored red because it has hematite in it, and the chalcedony is colored green by actinolite or chlorite. Along with being an attractive mineral that polishes well, heliotrope has a bit of a mystical aura around it. Ancient Greeks thought it could turn the reflection of the sun red and named it using their words for “sun” and “turn,” early Christians thought the red spots were the blood of Jesus, and there were a whole bunch of other claims about how it could protect you, make you invisible, etc. Nowadays, it just makes nice jewelry.
