Goldstone is artificial glass which commonly imitates sunstone and aventurine. The cuprous oxide that fills the glass is reduced to metallic copper during annealing, which is what gives it the appearance of aventurescence.
The Physical Properties of Goldstone
As a human-made material, Goldstone has some intriguing physical properties to observe. The flecks of copper in it give Goldstone its characteristic appearance. Goldstone is a glass supersaturated with iron, or in other cases chromium or copper oxide. Sometimes it's a combination of the oxides. After that, it's melted and cooled. Controlled conditions determine how the excessive oxides are going to crystallize, and they often form plate-like spangles or crystals.
Most often, Goldstone is produced in reddish-brown color, as well as blue, green and purple. It can resemble lapis lazuli when it's blue. With the Mohs hardness of 5.5-6, Goldstone is usually cut en cabochon.
The History of Goldstone
Goldstone named for its appearance, and there are many different sources about its creation. According to urban folklore mythologies, Italian monks accidentally discovered Goldstone. Allegedly, they dropped copper shavings into a batch of molten glass, but that wouldn't have resulted in evenly sized and distributed copper particles in the glass. Most evidence suggests that a Venetian glassmaker Vincenzo Miotti created it in the 17th century and kept it as a secret until his family left the glass-making business.
The Lore of Goldstone
Many things have been said about Goldstone. From being created by a secret monastic order to it being a chance discovery of medieval alchemists looking to produce gold, its lore is rich with different tales of origin and magical properties.
The Metaphysical Properties of Goldstone
Should Goldstone be considered a gem or glass? There has been a lot of discussion about this, as well as whether glass can have healing properties. There are those that call Goldstone the Stone of Ambition and assign many metaphysical benefits to it.
Thanks to containing copper, it can harmonize relationships and attract abundance and creativity. Goldstone can be a great assistance when it comes to attaining goals and fulfilling ambitions. That's because it has the power of keeping emotions calm and stable, which helps build courage and confidence.
Brown Goldstone usually associates with the sacral chakra, which is the energy center of your intuitive insight and creativity. Its protective aura can be powerful medicine, anchoring you securely to the earth's healing vibrations. However, the root chakra and the solar plexus chakra can also benefit from goldstone by protecting the body's energy center.
As for the aspect of physical healing, it is said to be of help when it comes to healing arthritic pain, strengthening the bones and the circulatory system, as well as reducing inflammation.
Goldstone associates with abundance, good luck, and alchemy. It may be human-made, but that doesn't mean it has no interesting properties that would make it a worthy addition to your gemstone collection.
