Planetary Gemology

The system of gemstones for your birth month, that is so common today, is one that was
created by jewelry manufacturers to sell more jewelry. There is nothing about this system, save
coincidence, that actually connects it to the astrology of your chart and the gems that would be
most appropriate for you to wear. In fact there is an extensive science of planetary gemology that
connects every planet and every sign with a gem and by understanding it you can choose gems
and jewelry that can actually benefit you in many ways. This system comes to us from ancient
India, the Vedic tradition. It is still very much alive and used today all over the world. If you
would like to know more about how to pick gems for your chart, then read on.
The Vedic system of astrology has been around so long that no one really knows when it
began. Ancient translated texts are supposedly hundreds of thousands of year old. Lets just say
it is a very old science and a tradition that is still used today. It is an integral part of the culture in
India. Many of the holidays celebrated there are based purely on astronomical phenomena. For
example, the Puja or worship day, for the Goddess Laksmi (Goddess of Wealth) falls on a
different day each year, that day when the Moon is in the sign of Pisces and makes its closest
pass to the earth. A grand celebration is planned on that day, even though each year that day is a
different date. There are many other such holidays in India that are based on planetary
movements.
Likewise, hundreds of thousands of years ago, planets were ascribed to the various
gemstones, often associated by their appearance. For example, the gems for Mars and the sign of
Aries are orange-red in color such as red coral and certain garnets. The gem for the Moon and
the sign of Cancer is the pearl. These gems and their color, resemble the actual planets
themselves. Every gem possesses magic powers of one sort or the other. All the gems have some
magical powers. For example, it is written about rubies that The potency of a high-quality ruby
is such that even an ignorant person living a sinful life and surrounded by deadly enemies is
saved by wearing such a gem. Anyone wearing such a naturally effulgent ruby would be freed
from diseases caused by any imbalance of the bodily functions. There are two ancient texts that
expound on this science of planetary gemology, the Garuda Purana and the Graha-gocara
Jyautisha. For those wishing to read the actual original texts, these are the books to look for
though they are hard to find.
Before I go into some of the gems and their planetary equivalents, however, I need to point
out some important elements of this system. First of all Vedic astrology is quite different from
the western astrology that most of us are familiar with. Chances are you are a different sign in
that system. As a matter of fact there is a good chance that 70% or more of your planets fall in
different signs in that system. In order to use these gemological connections you will need to
have your Vedic chart done. There are many web sites online where you can get your Vedic
chart, along with some rudimentary explanation of it, for free. But you should also know a bit
about Vedic astrology as well before you go and start prescribing gems for yourself. There are
several web sites now that will actually do your chart and prescribe a gem or gems for you based
upon it. A search for astrological gems should point you in their direction. http://www.p-ga.org is one such site but there are many.
Primarily the Vedic gemstone system uses the rising sign, called the Lagna, as the main
focal point. It is usually safe and recommended to wear gems that are compatible with your
Lagna. If you are Leo rising in the Vedic system, as I am, then rubies and golden sapphires are
both highly recommended as a general rule. However, in Vedic astrology, certain planets are
friendly with each other while others are enemies with each other. It takes some knowledge of

this astrology to make good recommendations for a persons chart but usually a gem for your
Lagna is a safe bet.
Oftentimes people in India, and abroad, will wear gems as remedies to bad planetary
aspects in their natal charts. For example if you had a Moon that was ill disposed in your natal
chart, wearing a pearl would be a recommendation for correctly that. By wearing the gem, we are
literally offering obeisance to the planet it represents, sort of a prayer to help us, not hinder us.
The actual installation of the gem onto your person should be done on the right day, at the right
time and a certain mantra should be repeated so many times to make the installation complete
and proper. For example, I wore a golden sapphire ring for about 15 years. When I installed it, it
was on a Thursday (the day of the week for Jupiter), one hour before sunset and I repeated the
appropriate mantra nineteen times (Aum brim brihaspataye namah). Another factor is that the
piece of jewelry in which the gem is installed should allow either physical contact or a clear
opening between the gem and your skin. So, if the gem were installed in a ring, for example,
there should be an opening so that the rays of the gem, or the light passing through it, should
contact the finger.
One very important consideration is the quality of the gem you wear. In the ancient texts, it
was stressed many times never to wear a gem of inferior quality. Wearing a gem of inferior
quality produces just the opposite of the good effect, and sometimes other negative effects, for
that gem. A gem of poor quality would have occlusions and inclusions, specks inside, color
banding, be dull, have a sandy appearance, have cracks, etc. If you are going to invest the time to
find the perfect gem or gems for you, also invest in a flawless gem. You will not find flawless
gems in your neighborhood jewelry store or at the mall. They are the most expensive of all.
Some gems of a flawless quality are too expensive for the average person. A flawless emerald,
for example, is extremely rare as most emerald material is highly flawed before it is cut. There
are substitutes for some gems that can be used that are a lot less expensive and give the same
result. Instead of an emerald, for example, you can use a green sapphire or a tsavorite garnet.
Many of the web sites mentioned earlier will present you with alternatives to the gems you may
be selecting that are more affordable.
One last thing to mention is about diamonds. First of all, we must realize that most
diamonds worn today are of an inferior quality. According to the texts, just having an inferior
diamond in your home will be a source of misfortune. The more inferior the diamond, the more
misfortune to expect. Secondly, and this is going to possibly upset some ladies, it was written
that diamonds should never be worn by females. Diamonds, they say, have a mystical potency
that causes women to become unhappy. There, I have said it, now you can do with it what you
will.
Having said all that, here is a list of the more prominent gemstones and their mystical
qualities.
Ruby planet is the Sun and sign is Leo
Day of week is Sunday
Effects: strengthens the heart and blood circulation. Makes one bold and courageous. Removes
sadness and sensuality.
Sanskrit names: Padmaraga, ravi-ratna, shona-ratna
Pearl planet is Moon and sign is Cancer
Day of week is Monday (Moon day)
Effects: stengthens the mental faculties. Calms emotions and increases peace of mind.

A large, round, white pearl with effulgent luster and with a clean, even hole drilled through its
center, which charms even a person not interested in pearls, should be considered as possessed of
a rare, good quality. The owner of such a pearl will never suffer any form of ill fortune.
Sanskrit names: Jiva-ratna, mukta, sasi-ratna
Note: You may not be aware of it but pearls come from many sources. There are pearls that
come from bamboo stems, snake heads, elephant heads, fish heads, conch shells, wild boar heads
and clouds. Cloud pearls are so rare that they are considered more priceless than the entire earth.
I dont believe one actually exists on the earth at this time.
Yellow Sapphire planet is Jupiter, sign is Sagittarius
Day of the Week is Thursday
Effects: promotes general well being and spirituality. Especially helpful for pregnancy and
childbirth, and marriage. Prevent jaundice and liver diseases.
Sanskrit names: Guru-ratna, pusparaga, pita-mani, puspa-raja
Hessonite Garnet planet is Rahu, sign is Aquarius (Rahu is Vedic for the North Node)
Day of the week is Saturday
Effects: Helps avert disaster, insanity, poision, and evil spirits. Gives genius in sciences.
Improves dealing with low-class people and protects from sudden misfortunes.
A pure Hessonite sparkling with internal fire and set in gold is the ultimate talisment, capable of
increasing the life span, the progeny, and the happiness of its owner. It can also remove evil
thoughts and motives from the owners mind And man or woman possessing such a praiseworthy Hessonite, even if only for ornamental purposes, would surely become wealthy and
famous in this lifetime.
Sanskrit names: rahu-ratna, gomeda, tamo-mani
Emerald planet is Mercury, sign is Virgo and Gemini
Day of week is Wednesday
Effects: Improves psychic powers, sharpens intellect, intuition and memory. Improves learning
ability, communication and clairvoyance. Good for general health, but especially the nervous
system. A remedy for snake bite as well.
Sanskrit names: marakata, budha-ratna, garuna
Diamond planets is Venus and sign is Taurus and Libra
Day of week is Friday
Effects: increases purity and fearlessness. Gives artistic abilities and worldly happiness.
Strengthens bones and is good for sexual disease and disfunctions.
A king wearing a diamond that flashes rays of light like bolts of lightning will surely be able to
conquer other rulers and gain sovereignty over their wealth and followers.
Sanskrit names: Hiraka, vajra, bhargava-priya
Cats Eye Crysoberyl planet is Ketu, sign is Pisces (Ketu is the Moons South Node)
Day of the week is Thursday
Effects: similar to Hessonite, protects from unwanted psychic intrusion, hidden enemies,
mysterious and hidden dangers, drowning and drug problems. Brings misfortune to gamblers.
Sanskrit names: sutra-mani, ketu-ratna, vaidurya
Blue Sapphire planet is Saturn, sign is Capricorn
Day of the week is Saturday

Effects: Counteracts enviousness from others and keeps away the evil eye. Protects from travel
dangers and mental unrest. Alleviates long-term misfortune.
The most rare and valuable of all blue sapphires is the maha-nila, which, when immersed in 100
times its own weight in milk, can tinge the milk blue.
Sanskrit names: sani-ratna, nila-mani, nilam
Coral planet is Mars and sign is Aries and Scorpio
Day of the week is Tuesday
Effects: Removes obstacles and averts warfare. Assists in money making and financial matters.
Purifies the blood and cures boils.
Sanskrit names: Bhauma-ratna, munga, vidruma
Note: Much of the information for this article was obtained from the book, Handbook of
Planetary Gemology by Richard S. Brown.