Why do Gypsies have Crystal Balls ...
Nothing can be more eyecatching than a shelf of various crystal balls and they are available in almost every colour imaginable. My shelf catches the evening sunshine most of the year, which does show up the dust. I have found that an Ostrich feather is a wonderful implement for dusting around my crystal spheres and eggs, rather than moving every single one, I can get in, around and under them with the feather.
Crystal balls come in all sizes but all the photographs below, with the exception of the lens picture, have been trimmed to the same size so you can see their comparative sizes.
Contents at a Glance
Saturn Stone
Green Dolomite
Dolomite, though it is mainly made up of the mineral dolomite, is a rock rather than a mineral. The French Naturalist, Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu, first described it in 1791.
Green Dolomite is commonly referred to as Saturn stone, though grey to pink is a more usual colour. It is a sedimentary rock, meaning it is laid down in layers, hence the beautiful fine bands of varying shades.
Green Dolomite is commonly referred to as Saturn stone, though grey to pink is a more usual colour. It is a sedimentary rock, meaning it is laid down in layers, hence the beautiful fine bands of varying shades.
Mahogany Obsidian
Mahogany Obsidian
A beautiful rich deep brown, you can easily see where the name derives from. The colour and patterns present within Obsidian can vary considerably and more can be seen on my egg collection lens.
Obsidian is a volcanic glass found in nature and in ancient times was prized for the sharpness of the edge which can be produced.
Obsidian blades can still be found in use in some heart surgeries because it is capable of producing a finer scalpel than steel.
Obsidian is a volcanic glass found in nature and in ancient times was prized for the sharpness of the edge which can be produced.
Obsidian blades can still be found in use in some heart surgeries because it is capable of producing a finer scalpel than steel.
Tiger's Eye
Tiger's Eye
Tiger's Eye is a gemstone rock, a type of quartz, and it has been widely used in jewellery for a very long time.
The bands in Tiger's Eye have a silky sheen which catches the light beautifully. The colour can vary through yellows and browns and there is a rarer blue form which is known as Hawk's Eye.
Below is a larger, more predominantly yellow Tiger's Eye, the areas of sheen in this are less obvious than in the clear colour differences above.
The bands in Tiger's Eye have a silky sheen which catches the light beautifully. The colour can vary through yellows and browns and there is a rarer blue form which is known as Hawk's Eye.
Below is a larger, more predominantly yellow Tiger's Eye, the areas of sheen in this are less obvious than in the clear colour differences above.
Yellow Tiger's Eye
Onyx
Onyx Sphere
The beautiful Onyx ball above shows the typical range of colours in its banding. In Sardonyx the bands are shades of red and there is the jet black variety of Onyx used in jewellery, but the most common form has banding varying through shades of white, tan and brown.
In ancient times, Onyx is known to have been used to make bowls and other household goods, though these would have been high status objects, they were not uncommon. A popular variety of Chalcedony (a type of Quartz), Onyx is still made into decorative items such as the bud vase shown here.
In ancient times, Onyx is known to have been used to make bowls and other household goods, though these would have been high status objects, they were not uncommon. A popular variety of Chalcedony (a type of Quartz), Onyx is still made into decorative items such as the bud vase shown here.
Smoky Quartz
Smoky Quartz Crystal Ball
Quartz is an extremely common mineral, second only to feldspar, and occurs in many varieties. It would be possible to have a collection of only Quartz crystals and fill a shelf nevertheless.
The colours of Quartz vary from the sometimes stunning purples of Amethyst, through beautiful pinks in Rose Quartz, through the Smoky Quartz grey/brown and even the yellows of Citrine, to white and perfectly clear. The Smoky Wuartz ball above has many fractured surfaces inside and also displays evidence of part of an elongated honeycomb shaped structure which would be where the individual crystals were tightly packed as they grew.
You can spend hours looking at a crystal ball like this, not in contemplation of future events, merely watching the way the changing light plays off the interior 'surfaces' created by the crystals' growth.
The colours of Quartz vary from the sometimes stunning purples of Amethyst, through beautiful pinks in Rose Quartz, through the Smoky Quartz grey/brown and even the yellows of Citrine, to white and perfectly clear. The Smoky Wuartz ball above has many fractured surfaces inside and also displays evidence of part of an elongated honeycomb shaped structure which would be where the individual crystals were tightly packed as they grew.
You can spend hours looking at a crystal ball like this, not in contemplation of future events, merely watching the way the changing light plays off the interior 'surfaces' created by the crystals' growth.
Pyrite
Pyrite - Fool's Gold
This brassy looking mineral is still known by its nickname, Fool's Gold and is most often seen around here as small cuboid crystals sticking out of the side of a stone, but it can also be found in fossils, where it would have precipitated out of groundwater, filling any cavities left by the decay of soft matter.
Pyrite has a number of uses in modern industry which don't exactly make it sound attractive but as a small sphere on my shelf it catches the light and glows, refecting the evening sun.
Pyrite has a number of uses in modern industry which don't exactly make it sound attractive but as a small sphere on my shelf it catches the light and glows, refecting the evening sun.
Colour Agate
Agate
Agate, a type of quartz, is reputed to have been named after a river in Ancient Greece, the Achates, where the stone could be found. Its colour can vary through greys, light blue, orange, red and black and it was valued in ancient times.
It is often seen dyed into some quite startling colours for decorative purposes and can be a beautiful talking point in a room. Thinly sliced, it is translucent.
I love the deep green colour of the Agate ball above, though this is not a natural colour, a more usual colour for Agate can be seen here.
It is often seen dyed into some quite startling colours for decorative purposes and can be a beautiful talking point in a room. Thinly sliced, it is translucent.
I love the deep green colour of the Agate ball above, though this is not a natural colour, a more usual colour for Agate can be seen here.
Banded Jasper
Jasper
The name 'Jasper' means spotted or speckled stone and its colour can vary considerably as does the patterning on the stone. Some of the varieties can be seen here.
Jasper was valued in ancient times, carved seals having been found from the second millenium BCE associated with ancient mediterranean cultures.
Jasper was valued in ancient times, carved seals having been found from the second millenium BCE associated with ancient mediterranean cultures.
A Captured Universe
Goldstone - Stellaria - Sunstone
A most attractive object which does look exactly as if some miniature Universe has been trapped inside a bubble. I guess that's what appeals to me most about this particular object, a Goldstone or Stellaria sphere.
There is a natural Feldspar or Quartz with inclusions giving a sparkling effect, called Aventurine, which is referred to at times as Goldstone or Sunstone but most often, the name Goldstone is applied to a type of glass, first made in 17th century Italy.
The most often seen Goldstone is the red form, of which I have a pyramid, but the deep blue sphere is of a type sometimes also called Stellaria because of its night sky appearance. These can also be referred to as Monk's Gold or Monkstone so any of these terms might be used in descriptions on the internet if you are looking for one of your own.
There is a natural Feldspar or Quartz with inclusions giving a sparkling effect, called Aventurine, which is referred to at times as Goldstone or Sunstone but most often, the name Goldstone is applied to a type of glass, first made in 17th century Italy.
The most often seen Goldstone is the red form, of which I have a pyramid, but the deep blue sphere is of a type sometimes also called Stellaria because of its night sky appearance. These can also be referred to as Monk's Gold or Monkstone so any of these terms might be used in descriptions on the internet if you are looking for one of your own.
Selenite
Selenite - Angel Stone
Sometimes referred to as Angel Stone, this is one of my larger spheres and unfortunately, no photograph could ever do it justice as the camera fails miserably when it comes to showing the internal planes in this crystal ball. These planes refract the light in all manner of interesting ways, making this another ball you could study for hours in the changing light of a sunny afternoon.
Transparent, colourless Selenite is a form of gypsum and the effects seen in this ball will be the result of impurites. There are four crystal varieties of Gypsum, Selenite, Satin Spar, Desert Rose, and Gypsum Flower, all are warmer to the touch than you would expect of a stone.
Transparent, colourless Selenite is a form of gypsum and the effects seen in this ball will be the result of impurites. There are four crystal varieties of Gypsum, Selenite, Satin Spar, Desert Rose, and Gypsum Flower, all are warmer to the touch than you would expect of a stone.
The lens picture
Crystal Ball
This is my own crystal ball, 310mm in diameter, this is really quite heavy but it's also quite a beauty.
I don't keep my crystal ball out on display, it is always wrapped in a thick dark blue velvet cloth. There is nothing spooky about this, although it is a 'tradition', it has a purely practical reasoning behind it. A lead crystal ball can focus the sun's rays like the lens of a spyglass, and can set fire to soft furnishings. It may look pretty with the sunlight playing off it, but it can be highly dangerous.
Of course, this is a man made lead crystal ball, specifically designed for use in focussing on future events. You don't look into a crystal ball, you look through it. It is a focus for your abilities.
... I nearly forgot, I posed a question right back at the beginning, why do gypsies have crystal balls? Well, if you don't already know the punchline to that corny old joke, I'm certainly not going to repeat such thinly disguised inuendo here.
I don't keep my crystal ball out on display, it is always wrapped in a thick dark blue velvet cloth. There is nothing spooky about this, although it is a 'tradition', it has a purely practical reasoning behind it. A lead crystal ball can focus the sun's rays like the lens of a spyglass, and can set fire to soft furnishings. It may look pretty with the sunlight playing off it, but it can be highly dangerous.
Of course, this is a man made lead crystal ball, specifically designed for use in focussing on future events. You don't look into a crystal ball, you look through it. It is a focus for your abilities.
... I nearly forgot, I posed a question right back at the beginning, why do gypsies have crystal balls? Well, if you don't already know the punchline to that corny old joke, I'm certainly not going to repeat such thinly disguised inuendo here.
This lens belongs to ...
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0ctavia's Natural World
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I am passionately in love with the Natural World, it's a beautiful and amazing place and we really do treat it badly and take for granted all it gives us. I've been in love with it all my life, from the smallest tadpole to the largest mount...
Do you have crystal balls?
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- MeltedRachel MeltedRachel Sep 25, 2009 @ 11:49 am
- Beautiful!! Good tip about the lead crystal ball - I saw a TV programme once where someone's house caught on fire because they had a crystal hanging in the window - yikes! I love the smoky quartz ball!
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Reply
- Laniann Laniann Jun 6, 2009 @ 5:51 pm
- No, I don't have a crystal ball. Your crystal ball is beautiful. It looks magical. 5*s
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Reply
- drifter0658 drifter0658 Jun 5, 2009 @ 7:36 pm
- LOL...no, I don't. What a great lens. I had no idea that you looked through a crystal ball. The fact about obsidian scalpels was cool.
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