Mala for the Healing of the Planet

I have created several malas this week using a beautiful jade green serpentine with turquoise on silk cord. I have charged these malas with the intention of healing for our planet.

Serpentine was chosen for these malas due to its gentle energies and ability to aid one in their meditation efforts. Serpentine also helps in finding inner peace and balance encouraging the resolution of problems via peaceful means. Turquoise was chosen for the guru bead because it is found on every continent and is one of the oldest protection stones known. Turquoise has been used to protect from negative energies and harm. Being one of the oldest stones known turquoise carries great wisdom and truth. Turquoise has a history of use going back 6 thousand years.

My hope is the wearer of this mala uses it to remind ones self that we are all one, each a light on a giant web of perfection, we are all a part of the Net of Life. From here we can affect the healing and mind shift that is so necessary these days.

One of these mala can be purchased from my web shop Quiet Mind.

The Jade, Nephrite, Serpentine and Aventurine Confusion

I get a lot of questions regarding these stones. Rightfully so, there is much confusion due to marketing names, misrepresentations and misunderstandings. To begin with and hopefully not add too much to the confusion, there are two types of jade. Nephrite and jadeite, for centuries jadeite and nephrite were considered the same stones. With more modern techniques of identification differences between the two stones were found. Thus splitting the stones into the two categories. Both stones are available in a wide range of similar colors, off or grayish white to grey greens to green, browns and red browns. Jadeite jade is also found in emerald green (imperial jade) and pale purples. These last two colors considered more desirable and more expensive. In general the stronger and richer colors of these stones are found in jadeite form and creamier tones in the nephrite form. Only jadite is found in precious gem stone quality. The two photos below are carved jadite showing the variation in colors from nearly white to deep emerald green.

Telling the difference between the two stones is difficult. Jadeite is slightly harder than nephrite. This cannot be determined by looking or touching. A gemstone-testing device can be helpful, however if this is not available to you, knowing the stones origin can be a clue. Jadeite has been found in Burma, Canada, China, Japan, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Siberia and the United States. Nephrite has been found in Australia, China, Brazil, Canada, Zimbabwe, Alaska and Poland. Below is a photo of Canadian nephrite below that Chinese nephrite.

Some marketing names I have encountered around the use of the name jade are:

· New Jade – a yellow translucent stone, this is serpentine

· Indian Jade – a green translucent to opaque stone, this is aventurine

· Wyoming Jade – nephrite

· Canadian Jade – nephrite

· African Jade - jasper

Below are photos of some of these stones. Top New Jade, 2nd down Aventurine, below that are two examples of serpentine and the bottom photo is African Jade.