Amongst the ancients, the wearing of gems as an amulet or talisman was much in vogue. The pearl is unique amongst stones and gems in that it is not mined from the earth. It is prised from the shell of a breathing creature, sometimes from fresh-water mussels at other times from the oyster. These, of course, are the only genuine pearls, known to the healers of antiquity, and valued  too, for their mystical and occult virtue, as well as their great beauty. Black pearls are very costly, and the occult sense greatly prized as talisman of enormous power. There is another school of thought on the subject. Being formed by damage to the shell fish, as has been known from ancient times, pearls have been thought to signify sorrow. In a mystical sense, it had a reputation for protecting against evil and especially powers of evil, or evil creatures belonging to that element which has its natural - home sea, or the water 

The typical sapphire is a beautiful blue stone of high value. The finest are of a deep azure blue and very hard. There are also colourless, transparent or so called white sapphire. As a matter of fact the typical or true sapphire is a form of corundum and the typical ruby, the oriental emerald and the king of oriental topaz, are all forms of corundum and hence chemically alike, except  their colouring matter. Sapphire was dedicated to the sky-god Indra in India. In astrology ,it was ruled by the planet Jupiter and symbolised wisdom. The sapphire, according to medieval lore exists in two varieties. The male shows the blue of the sky; the female, the blue of the mediteranean sea. The former is stronger for healing, resembling the colour of the forament, of which it was said to be a condensation. The sapphire is noted as a regal gem, that kings wore is about their necks as a poweful defence from harm. The stone preserved the wearer from envy and attracted divine favour. Wearing sapphire prevents fear. The sapphire was like the pure sky, and mighty nature had endowed it with so great a power that might be called sacred and gem of gems. fraud was banished from its presence and necro-mancers honoured it more than any other stone, for it enabled them to hear and to understand the obscurest oracles. 

It consists of bandhs of red or chocolate alternating with .white, showing with a certain transperency and purity of colour of human nail. Nail coloured sardonyx denoted the strength of spiritual life. Sardonyx is figured the humality of the saints inspite of their virtues.

It is believed that pebbles of green serpentine afford/protection from the bites of venomous creatures. These stones are usually green with streaks or veins of white, and the name was derived from their fancied resemblance to a serpent's skin. If anyone has been bitten by such a creature, the stone, when applied to the wound, is supposed to draw out the poison

Generally go a dull colour, exhibit an appearance of six ray star, like star-sapphire. The effect is due to included matter; but the appearance is beautiful. Star-ruby conduces favour with powers of authorities. In Burma, from the earliest times, the star-ruby has been regarded as sacred. It makes for success in controversies, disputes and is thus dedicated to all war-gods, and the planet Mars. 

The star-sapphire is that variety of sapphire in which when the stone is cut and rounded off horizontal with some of the crystal, the light is condensed across the three lines of crystalline inference. Three cross lines produce a star which moves as a source of light, or as it is moved from the source of light . star-sapphire very rarely possesses the deep blue colour of the fine  blue sapphire, generally the colour is somewhat impure, or of a milky blue, or else a blue-grey, grey and white stones frequently show a much more distinct star, possibly from the fact that there are more inclusions between the layers of the crystals than the darker blue stones, as it is the set of intereference bands that produce the peculiar light. These stones are called asteria-sapphires or star-sapphires, and are highly prized. The same formula is also met with in other precious stones. The moving star is believed to serve as a protection and a guard against witchcraft of all kinds. Such a stone was called "Victory Stone" among the German.