Eilat miracle: Israel's national stone, history and properties of the gem

What is the Eilat stone?

There is still no clarity regarding the mineral, known since biblical times:

• It is confused with malachite, lapis lazuli, and chrysocolla.
• Wikipedia presents the term as an old name for chrysocolla: the raw materials were mined in the vicinity of the Gulf of Eilat (at the same Solomon mines). But he clarifies that the Eilat stone is not chrysocolla as such, but light sandstones with veins of this mineral.
• The concept of “Eilat stone” is more likely applicable to hybrids of chrysocolla with quartz or a combination of “malachite plus turquoise”. They often contain iron, phosphorus, and aluminum compounds as impurities.
• The hardest and most valuable are those with quartz.

We can say that the Eilat stone is an Israeli variety of chrysocolla with unique characteristics.

Areas of application

Jewelers are interested in beautifully painted specimens. Stone cutters can use stone to produce small glyptics.

Collectors will be happy to add a good example of the stone to their collection.

But the bulk of chrysocolla, together with copper ore, is used for copper production .

Origin of the mineral

There are two versions about the origin of the gem:

1. It is a homogenization product of turquoise, malachite and chrysocolla.
2. The mineral was fused azurite and malachite.

Both opinions are supported by facts, but there is no final decision.

Its formation requires the same conditions as chrysocolla, turquoise or azurite: the presence of copper, the movement of magma, constant heat and dryness.

The Eilat Stone is the national stone of Israel, also known as King Solomon's Stone.

The cunning gem is capable of camouflaging itself, forming pseudomorphs: crusts, colloidal fragments, kidney-shaped aggregates. In this way, the Eilat mineral is similar to chrysocolla. But unlike it, it is stronger and does not react to water.

Hand of Tanit

Excavations in the Phoenician cities of Tyre, Byblos, Carthage and the European colonies of the Phoenicians on the coast of Spain have revealed findings that allow us to push the origin of the magical amulet even further back into the millennia. It turned out that exactly the same hand amulet even among the Phoenicians embodied the protection of Tanit, the mighty goddess of the Moon.

On this stone stele from the ruins of Carthage, kept in the British Museum, the winged Tanit turns her palms towards the viewer in a gesture of protection. This detail became the basis of Phoenician amulets four and a half thousand years ago. A very emotional appeal of the Carthaginian princess, begging the almighty Tanit for protection, can be read in Gustave Flaubert’s novel “Salammbô”.

Physicochemical characteristics

According to its chemical composition, Eilat stone is a copper mineral.

Eilat Stone of Israel

Main characteristics:

• color – blue, greenish, green-blue, sometimes black; spotted or streaked;
• gloss – from glassy to matte;
• hardness on the Mohs scale – 4;
• density – 2.150 g/cm3;
• flammable (greenish flame), but does not melt;
• decomposes with acids.

It is fragile and therefore difficult to process.

Hand of Fatima

In the Arab magical tradition, having very ancient roots, blue or green stones accompany a talisman against the evil eye and evil thoughts. It is traditionally made in the form of an open female palm. In the center of the palm is an image of the All-Seeing Eye or simply a blue or green pebble, symbolizing the pupil. Sometimes the entire magical composition of the Hand of Fatima is made of blue chrysocolla, lapis lazuli and metal.

Fatima was the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and was famous for her patience. Many Muslim legends are associated with it. From a chronological point of view, the dedication to Fatima means that the hand amulet is no more than one and a half thousand years old (Muhammad died in 632 in Medina).

How is the stone used?

The only area of ​​application of the Eilat mineral is the sphere of beauty. That is, jewelry and decorative arts:

• Jewelry-quality specimens are used to make brooches, earrings, pendants, beads, rings, and rings. The frame is almost always silver. Gold or other frames are made to order.
• The rest of the material is used for boxes, small plastic items, and other decorative items.
• The cost of an Eilat gem is measured in grams, not carats, like precious minerals. For example, in Israel processed agglomerates cost $2 per gram.
• Silver jewelry sells for $30–130, the price of a necklace or bracelet without metal is $40–120.

Ring with stone from Eilat
The mineral is classified as semi-precious or ornamental, but its rarity makes products made from Eilat stone relatively expensive.

Israeli silver

Post updated: Sep 25, 2020

Israeli silver jewelry is mostly heavy, original rings or large, intricate earrings with large semi-precious and precious stones. One of the favorite stones for decoration in Israel is opal or, as it is also called here, “Eilat stone”.

A unique insert in Israeli silver jewelry that has no analogues in the world is “Roman glass” - this is ancient glass covered with patina from a long stay in the ground, found during archaeological excavations in the territory of the Promised Land.

The production of silver and other jewelry in Israel dates back to ancient times. From century to century, craftsmen have honed their jewelry skills. And now Israeli silver is very popular all over the world for its sophistication and complexity of work. Worldwide collectors are queuing up for another Israeli-made masterpiece, truly unique pieces of silver that cannot be found in any other jewelry house.

Where to buy jewelry?

It is better to buy the national stone of Israel in Israel. Specifically, in Eilat, at the Eilat Stone Factory. This place is three in one: production, museum, store.

Since 1973, a full range of products have been produced here, sold to tourists, and at the same time advertising the stone.

The form is successful: the guides talk about the uniqueness of the gem, the mining process, the processing of raw materials and the production of jewelry. You can admire jewelry masterpieces in the museum, and buy ordinary accessories or other little things right there. By the way, local residents get them at half price.

Brooch with stone

Jewelry made from Eilat stone is also sold in online stores. True, there is a risk of buying ordinary chrysocolla, and not the Eilat mineral. Therefore, you need to request supporting documents.

Hand of the First Magician

In the caves of the primitive Cro-Magnon people, amazing discoveries are sometimes made. The whole world knows the stunningly realistic images of animals, miraculously preserved in the Altamira grottoes in Spain and the Lascaux caves in France, on the rocks of the Sahara Desert, which was once a blooming savannah. Stone Age magic artists created these drawings with paints made from minerals and plant sap about 15 - 30 thousand years ago. In this gallery of symbols of the world's oldest magic there is a sign of protection already familiar to us. The world's first magician simply placed his open palm against the stone wall and outlined it with ocher.

This sacred painting was recently discovered by Australian scientists on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Researchers believe that the author of the drawing lived more than 40,000 years ago.

How to care for a mineral

The low hardness of the stone forces the owner of jewelry to care for it carefully and be careful when using it.

Eilat gem is contraindicated:

• shocks, falls, other mechanical impacts;
• proximity to heat sources or hot objects;
• sudden strong changes in temperature;
• prolonged exposure to the sun;
• exposure to acids or abrasives.

In the jewelry box, a special compartment is allocated; light deposits are removed with a damp soft cloth. Wash with warm soapy water, wiping dry immediately after the procedure.

Earrings with Eilat stone

The most famous brands:

Israeli craftsmen, who truly create unique products from silver and other precious metals, have founded several world-famous companies. The following made a special contribution to the development of jewelry in Israel.

Israeli Deno silver jewelry

DENO company represents the best jewelry on the Israeli jewelry market. Year after year, specialists create elegant silver items that are in demand all over the world.

The exquisite style of silver jewelry carries notes of ethnic ancient culture and centuries-old traditions of Asia and Europe. Elegant products are created not only by production, but also by hand minted and polished, due to which the jewelry acquires a specially rough, unique shape, thanks to which silver rings and bracelets, earrings and chains look like historical artistic value.

The decoration uses very large precious and semi-precious stones of high quality and purity.

Turquoise, garnet, black onyx, pearls, opal, amethyst - inserts of these stones favorably emphasize the nobility of silver of the highest standard, and the high-quality work of the Deno master is immediately visible.

Shablul Israeli silver

Shablool or Shablul (snail translated from Hebrew) is the largest jewelry factory in all of Israel, producing jewelry since 1989. From this factory, Israeli silver is supplied to all countries through the Deno company, whose tag each piece of jewelry receives.

Here at Shablool they mainly work only with sterling silver - pure, of the highest standard.

Israeli Yaffo silver

Silver from the Yaffo company is distinguished by an oriental style of execution, more Mediterranean with notes of ethnicity and medieval Western culture.

The jewelry is handcrafted by master jewelers using an old family technique and therefore has an elaborate vintage finish that indicates the artist's artistic work.

In the Yaffo collection you cannot find two identical products. Bizarre shapes, deliberately created uneven surfaces, gracefully curved lines, rounded squares are unique Yaffo design elements that perfectly replicate natural natural forms. The combination of gold and silver in Jaffa pieces allows both silver and gold lovers to wear jewelry.

The play of colors – yellow gold, white sparkling silver, and black oxidized “aged” silver makes the jewelry unique. Traditional Israeli jewelry is not rhodium plated, but is plated with pure 999 silver and oxidized (blackened). Coating with such silver makes jewelry resistant to air and water, which allows it to serve for a long time without losing its attractiveness.

Magic properties

Solomon's Stone is endowed with special magical properties:

• The most valuable quality of a gem is its ability to absorb negative energy. We are talking about unpleasant visitors or fearfulness, jealousy, and other problematic character traits of the owner. Moreover, the mineral, in a way inexplicable to science, transforms these emotions or energy into positive, giving back.

Wearing talismans with the Eilat stone is useful for people who are emotionally unstable or susceptible to the influence of others.

• He gently forces you to see people or events in their true light. Therefore, it is recommended for dreamers, dreamers, and other individuals who constantly have their head in the clouds.
• The national stone of Israel makes the owner lucky and worldly wise.
• It is important as a talisman against unrequited love and unpleasant life situations.
• The Eilat stone was appreciated by fans of yoga and meditation. We found out that it has a positive effect on the parietal chakra. And this is a direct channel of communication between a person and the Higher Mind.

Any decoration or raw mineral becomes a protector, a human helper. The properties of the Eilat stone make the owner a highly spiritual, purposeful, wise person. It is not for nothing that it is called the stone of wisdom.

Ring with Eilat stone

Miriam's hand

Jews call the amulet the Hand of Miriam . Many Israelis wear this amulet, which contains words of prayers from the sacred Jewish books. In the center of the bronze protective palm, a polished piece of Solomon's Stone - blue chrysocolla - is often attached. Miriam was the elder sister of the prophet Moses, who received the tablets with the Ten Commandments from God and led the Exodus of the Jews from Egyptian captivity. She saved her baby brother, who was thrown into the Nile in a papyrus basket. This dramatic episode is reflected in the painting by Paolo Veronese (16th century, Dresden Gallery).

Miriam was also a prophetess; she is mentioned several times in the Bible. The dedication to Miriam makes the tradition of the amulet much older and pushes it back to the 13th century BC, when, according to scholars of Scripture, the Exodus took place.

By the way, biblical historians believe that the path of Moses and his tribe to the Promised Land ran through Eilat. Jews and Arabs also call palm protection Hamsa , which means "Five" (fingers).

Therapeutic effect

The mineral was also used by healers of Ancient Judea. Medicinal properties help with physical and emotional problems:

• Eilat stone treats inflammation of the female reproductive system and helps normalize the cycle.
• Promotes healing of the circulatory system: cleanses, restores, renews tissues, improves composition.
• Relieves fatigue, neutralizes stress, depression. Particularly useful for severe mental shocks.
• A necklace, beads or pendant made of Eilat stone will help eliminate spasms of the bronchi and throat, and ease coughing and breathing.
• Cooled in water, the mineral relieves fever; when heated in hot water, it treats throat, nose and ear diseases.
• A half-hour mineral massage restores strength, vigor, and a positive attitude.

For therapeutic procedures or magical manipulations, pristine, unprocessed Eilat stone is more suitable. Its effect is stronger when held in your hands or worn directly on the body.

History of Israeli Silver

The liquidation of ancient Israel led to the scattering of the population across neighboring states, in particular Africa and the Middle East. Jewelry craftsmen adopted the experience of foreigners in making items from precious metals, and therefore, initially, different directions of jewelry art were mixed in the production of Israeli jewelry - from lush ornate (the style of Eastern countries and Africa) to the strict minimalism of German jewelers.

Israeli jewelry was revived already in the 20th century, after the re-establishment of the modern Israeli state. The Israelis found their unique style, reproducing the art of ancient jewelers, by trying many trends and technologies.

Jewelry art has been cultivated here for a long time. There were a lot of small family production factories on the territory where silver masterpieces were created. Manufacturing technologies were passed down from father to son, kept secret from outsiders and constantly improved. This approach to jewelry production served to create a standard for the beauty of Israeli jewelry, placing this country at the forefront of the sophistication and design of silver products.

Stone and Zodiac

According to the zodiac sign, the Eilat mineral is completely suitable only for Sagittarius and Taurus, especially ladies. The talisman will strengthen the feminine principle in the hostess: it will add softness, wisdom, and help find a soul mate.

(“+++” – fits perfectly, “+” – can be worn, “-” – is strictly contraindicated).

For other signs, it will be suitable for activating and developing intuition, and will help them look at what is happening soberly and objectively.

An amulet with an Eilat stone is a useful attribute of a child’s room or cradle. He will cleanse the energy of the room and put up a shield for negativity so that fears or anxiety leave the child.