(Note: This article is about testing gemstones for personal compatibility. Laboratory testing is a discussion we’ll save for another day.)
We offer everyone in the United States the option to evaluate a gemstone (or two) in person before they make a purchase. This allows our customers to be certain they love the gem before committing to the investment.
People often ask us how to go about “testing” gems during this period. The truth is that there is no right or wrong way to test a gemstone, and there’s also no right or wrong experience to have while trying one out. Some people immediately fall in love with their gem or have auspicious experiences right away.
Other people don’t really notice anything at all, which is also perfectly okay. As long as the stone is properly prescribed, and there’s not an internal feeling of resistance about buying it, it’s likely going to produce positive results over time.
We advise you to pay attention to your instincts and inner feelings as much as you can, to be mindful where you put the stone so you don’t accidentally lose it, and to do your best to connect with and enjoy the gem while you have the opportunity to do so. These are rare and exquisite creations of nature, it should be a fun and interesting experience for you to spend a bit of time with them!
Below are some suggestions you can use while testing a gemstone for suitability.
1.) Meditate with the gem
This is the testing method I recommend the most frequently. Meditating is a simple way to silence the mind so that a clear channel of connection can be made with the stone. Meditation activates alpha and theta brainwaves, making it easier to become aware of subtle influences being introduced to the physiology.
If you don’t have a regular meditation technique that you use, that’s perfectly okay. There are guided meditation and relaxation practices on YouTube you can play for guidance. You can also simply sit with your eyes closed, focusing on your breath, holding the gemstone in your hand for a few minutes to see how you feel with it once your mind and body settle down.
You can also put the gemstone over the center of your chest (heart chakra), on your forehead (third eye), or on its correlated planetary finger while you meditate.
2.) Sleep with the gemstone under your pillow
This is the technique that Jay, owner of Astrological Gem, intuitively used the first time he tested a Jyotish gemstone back in the early ’80s (before he was even in the astrological gemstone business at all). The experience he had in his dream state, with a white sapphire tucked inside of his pillowcase, was so uniquely profound that he woke up an instant believer in the power of Vedic Gemology. Jay has a strong ability to connect with gemstones in his dreams and has used this as his primary testing method ever since.
I personally don’t notice much of a difference in my sleep state when I test a gemstone – some people do and some people don’t – but I once tested a white sapphire on my boyfriend at the time, a Capricorn who needed a bit of a Venus boost, and sleeping next to him that night my dreams were flooded with the glowing radiance of Venus energy swirling all around him. I woke up in awe. He woke up and said he didn’t feel any different. Again, there’s no right or wrong experience to have. Some people are sensitive to the energy of gemstones and some people aren’t.
3.) Ask friends and family to observe you
Sometimes those around us can notice a shift in our behavior better than we can while we’re testing out a gemstone. Have people around you make note of your sense of clarity, communication ability, reactivity, emotional balance, mood, and overall energy while you have the gem.
4.) Muscle test it!
If you have a chiropractor, healer, or friend who can “muscle test” a gemstone for you, it’s a fun experiment to try.
Muscle testing, or kinesiology, is a good way to get a “yes” or “no” answer on one’s physiological compatibility with an object or product. The simplest method is to have someone apply pressure to an extended hand to see how the body responds to whatever is being held in the other hand.
Studies have been done on kinesiology concluding that it’s relatively effective (about an 80% accuracy rate) if done properly, so it’s worth trying if you have the opportunity to do so. (You can calibrate your body by muscle testing your own name. If you weaken when asked if your name is the wrong name, and stay strong when asked if your name is the right name, you are likely a good candidate for kinesiology.)
5.) Wrap the gemstone with medical tape
Wrapping a gemstone onto a finger with medical tape was the most common testing method we used before discovering silver tester lockets. Many people have left our office with bandaged fingers over the years.
You can also tape a gemstone to your chest if you don’t want people asking what on earth you did to injure your finger. We recommend avoiding showering or getting the tape wet while it’s being worn. Band-aids also work if you use enough of them to keep the stone secure.
6.) Keep the stone in your wallet
This is another simple way to keep a gemstone around you for a few days. (Keep it in a small bag inside your wallet so that you can find it easily.) Even if a gemstone isn’t touching your skin, simply keeping it in and around your energy field can have a significant impact.
One of our suppliers is an investor living in New Orleans who isn’t particularly interested in Jyotish but loves to collect premium untreated stones. We checked his chart a few years ago and insisted that he test a top 10ct yellow sapphire and 2ct Burmese ruby that he already owned. (These powerful Jyotish gemstones were just sitting around in his safe appreciating in value, we figured we might as well give them a job to do.) He wasn’t comfortable with the idea of wearing them in jewelry but agreed to keep the unset gems in his wallet for a while to see what would happen.
Weeks turned into months and months turned into years. To this day he still keeps these two gemstones in his wallet. (They’re fully insured in case you were wondering.)
We reviewed the original list of predicted results of him wearing these gemstones just last week. While still somewhat skeptical about the power of astrology as a whole, he confirmed that all of the results we predicted came true since carrying the gems. Maybe one of these days he will bite the bullet and have them set into jewelry.
7.) Do a heart check, then a gut check
People usually know if they like a gemstone after spending a bit of time with it, but some people get really “in their heads” about the testing process and can’t decide what they want to do after the trial period is over. If this happens, try to quiet your analytical mind ask your heart to make a decision.
Do you feel attracted to this gemstone when you look at it? Does your heart warm up when you give it attention and appreciation? A positive heart response is usually a sign of suitability.
If there’s no interest or attraction to the gemstone whatsoever, if there’s a sense of internal resistance (often felt in the abdomen), or if the idea of buying the gemstone feels stressful or dreadful, then by all means listen to that! That’s a valid “gut check” response to have and we will never advise you to ignore it.
Buying a Jyotish gemstone is kind of like adopting a beloved pet. This is a lifelong investment that, if it’s a good match, will feel like a sweet and rewarding experience as you’re considering it. Follow the sense of sweetness and it will lead you to the gem that’s right for you.
—-
Tiffany April Raines is the Head of Sales at Astrological Gem International. Trained at the American College of Vedic Astrology and certified as a gemstone advisor through the Planetary Gemologists Association, she has been serving the Vedic Astrology community with research-based gemstone insight and advice for over 10 years. She can be contacted at tiffany@astrologicalgem.com.
Please note: In order to provide the most time and best service possible for our paying customers, we are no longer able to respond to all of the requests we receive for gemstone recommendations. We welcome you instead to try our Free Gem Report if you are still in the learning and research phase of your Jyotish gemstone journey. This can be found at AstrologicalGem.com.
