If you’ve ever asked me to sort out the conflicting information you’ve been given about Jyotish gemstones, you’ve likely heard me say the following thing. In fact, I say it so often, and it’s so important, I’m going to put it in really big text today:

If you ask 10 different astrologers what gemstones to wear, you’re going to get 10 different answers about what you should do.

Every astrologer who recommends gemstones has their own theories about what works and what doesn’t. Each theory makes sense in its own right, but unfortunately, it’s often based on little more than theory. Top Vedic astrologers have done thousands of readings and have mastered the craft of accurately assessing Jyotish charts, but they usually haven’t studied the long-term results of extremely powerful gemstones on thousands of people, something very few in the world have had the opportunity to do.

There are loads of Vedic Astrologers out there – a Google search yields 465,000 results for them – but true Vedic Gemologists are a lot harder to come by. There’s only two or three of us in the United States. The term itself only yields 88 search results on Google. We are an extremely rare breed.

Assessing the effects of gems in a myriad of circumstances, in my opinion, is the only way to learn how to recommend them properly. Not only have my own theories been continuously revised over the years based on this research but I’m always open to learning new things, as I feel anyone involved in the spiritual sciences should be. Unfortunately Vedic astrologers rarely offer the option of a follow-up to hear about how it went with the gems they prescribed. This is one of the reasons so many out there don’t always recommend the right ones.

If you got an incredible Jyotish reading that was spot-on in every way but the gemstone recommendation was off for any reason, don’t worry. This is a common occurrence and it does not in any way diminish the quality of the reading you had or the competence of your astrologer. It only means your astrologer has not had access to sufficient Vedic gemological data to study, so they’ve had no way to prove or disprove their theories to date.

So, how should Jyotish gemstones be recommended?

The best gems for every rising sign is a relatively straightforward thing to learn (you can read what works best in most cases here), but there are many subtle variables that should be taken into account as well.

For example, Scorpio ascendants usually don’t do well with red coral despite it being the gemstone for Mars, their ruling planet. It tends to stir up a lot of conflict and discord. I’d say 80% of our Scorpio customers should avoid red coral, and when they buy it despite my warnings, they usually return it.

However, occasionally there are times when a red coral does work for a Scorpio ascendant. If the person is actively involved in physical practices like yoga or martial arts and looking to strengthen their craft, if they’re a successful surgeon looking for more energy and focus in emergency situations, if they’re a lawyer looking to build more confidence and win more court cases, I’ve seen it be really helpful. If Mars is healthy and well-placed in their chart, if they’re not too fiery by nature, if they’re spiritually disciplined and have a lot of emotional awareness, it’s probably okay for them to wear it. A small red coral paired with a large pearl is a good way to keep Mars in balance. Pink coral, a combination of Mars and Moon energy, is also relatively safe. So rather than declaring anything as black and white, I prefer to look at a spectrum of variables and go from there.

I will also adjust my baseline recommendations (such as how big or powerful of a gemstone I prescribe) based on the specific goals someone has or how open to growth they are. I recommend stronger gems for auspicious, well-placed planets and more gentle gems for auspicious but heavily afflicted planets. Strengthening auspicious and healthy planets almost always guarantees straightforward, clear, and beneficial results. Strengthening our positive but afflicted planets is a very profound method of healing, but it can also be an intense journey for some people, so I always do it mindfully.

I do not recommend gems for functional malefics or planets that are causing somebody a lot of trouble. If a person tells me that Saturn is responsible for all of their life’s problems, I’m not going to recommend a Saturn gemstone even if it would technically be safe for them to wear it. I’ve learned that people who blame Saturn instead of working hard to become more coherent and disciplined shouldn’t wear blue sapphires. (I see a lot of interesting patterns as a Vedic Gemologist and this is a common one. Saturn can definitely cause hardships, don’t get me wrong, but it can also be one of the greatest teachers of our lives if we let it be.)

There’s also something called the “free will variable” that I will get into in more depth at another time. I talk to clients about it a lot. It’s the component of Jyotish and gemstone healing that is entirely in our power to control the results of. People who have mastered the “free will variable” have more flexibility with what they can wear and also get the most powerful results with Jyotish gemstones.

Additionally, if you’re the type of person who feels the need to get several gemstone recommendations, as many of you are (and that’s okay, you’re just doing your due diligence!), please always be clear on an astrologer’s reasoning for recommending a gemstone and also have them predict the results of that gem for you as specifically as possible. Everyone should have a very clear idea of what their stone is supposed to be doing. If all you know is that you’re “strengthening Jupiter” with your yellow sapphire, you won’t know how it’s literally affecting your life as the years go on. If you know what to expect, you’ll be more likely to notice the results you’re having and you’ll also be able to work with and maximize the benefits you’ve received.

And finally, if you’ve gotten this far and still don’t know whose opinion to follow, remember that it’s 100% okay to check in with yourself and your intuition about what to do. The art of self-referral is incredibly important, something I encourage my clients to practice regularly. You can read more about that here.

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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 served thousands of people in 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 better serve our paying customers, we are no longer able to respond to all of the requests we receive for gemstone recommendations. For this reason, we have created a Free Gemstone Report for all to use. This can be found at AstrologicalGem.com.