It is important to note that the ancient Jyotish gem prescription system subscribed to by most reputable Vedic astrologers, should not be confused with the Western planetary gemstone system which has, regrettably, become widely accepted. Its origin is partially attributed to the early Hebrew civilization. That area's limited access to gem varieties, coupled with the lack of remedial gem understanding by its adherents and practitioners, has cast great doubt on its usefulness, particularly by Jyotish scholars. The Western system was essentially incorporated as an exercise in commercial opportunism by the American National Retail Jewelers' Association in 1912, a situation which exists to this day. Usually in Western astrology the cusp of a new sign starts around the 22nd of each month. As the Western system (A.N.R.J.A.) represents the month, and not the sign, it cannot seriously be considered astrologically representative.

Western astrology gains its influences from the classic Greek civilization of less than 3000 years ago. Several scholars have suggested its foundation was gleaned from both the Babylonian and Egyptian cultures. Ancient history, however, goes back even further to suggest that though astronomy and astrological science were changed greatly by time and the cultural boundaries of these later civilizations, originally they were already highly advanced in the civilization along the Indus river 6000 years ago.

Vedic astrology (Jyotish), however, has the unique claim to have been established by illumined sages of self-realization whose intuitive rationale appears to be the oldest record of this cosmic science.

To briefly explain how different the two systems are, the more psychologically leaning Western astrology generally uses the Tropical Zodiac, and the more specifically predictive Vedic astrology uses the Sidereal Zodiac. These zodiacs differ by 23 degrees. Thus a person can have an Aries sun sign in the Western system and a Pisces in the Eastern system. Of course, in both systems one can get useful readings for great benefit, however, only in the Vedic system has there been a 6000 year old respected use of remedial gems for afflicted planets to alleviate the individual's negative karma and thus strengthen their chart as a whole.

According to Vedic astrology, during the different yugas, man's ability to receive sufficient cosmic energy via the planetary and stellar radiations is controlled by the amount and balance being projected during that particular yuga.

One analogy of the way the needed planetary recipe descends upon the earth is to compare the individual planetary rays to the different colors of a rainbow. During the Satya Yuga (golden age), when man's spiritual, mental and physical health should reach its height, it is greatly helped by the fact that the colors are of a rich strong tone, whereas in Kali Yuga (Dark Age), the same rainbow will be much less vibrant and more of a weak pastel nature. During such a cosmic deficiency, fruit will take longer to ripen, plants and animals will grow more slowly, healing will take much longer and misunderstanding and misery will be much more prevalent. And especially in the Kali Yuga, truth in its many forms, if disguised with any subtlety, will be uncomprehended.

At the beginning of every yuga there is a sandhi (mutation period of adjustment) while man sheds the previous yuga's ways of thinking and institutions. Swami Sri Yukteswar wrote that in the Dwapara Yuga the human intellect will be able to comprehend the fine matters, or electricities and their attributes, which are the creating principles of the external world.

Hence, from the point of timing, it is easy to see why a service specializing in the karmically mitigating electro-magnetic radiation of gem bangles has not been able to gain a foothold in the West earlier in this yuga.

In the recent Kali Yuga, because of the weak cosmic radiation having been received by the Earth, the astro-physical influence strongly affected man's lifespan. It was much shorter and his mental virtues (intelligence and pursuit of dharma) were also only one-quarter developed.

Now in the present Dwapara Yuga, man's mental virtue will double and become half complete. His life-span and health will also afford the opportunity to improve dramatically. According to Sri Yukteswars placement of the yugas in his book The Holy Science, he explains clearly that we have been in Dwapara Yuga for 296 years (1996). Hence, as one can see from the great changes in society over the last two hundred years, a very obvious transition in man's consciousness is developing. Naturally the likely impact of any astrological influence can be changed by man, gems and metals being only two of the methods. Best of all procedures is the use of correctly guided will power. However if, as in Vedic philosophy, intelligence is measured by the attainment of permanent bliss, history shows these great souls to be a rarity. And thus the Vedas suggest many practical aids to reach this goal.

Of course, applying the advice of saints, correctly practiced yoga meditation, affirmations, sincere prayer, correctly guided will power, Japa, pujas, suitable diet and judicious fasting are also especially beneficial practices to destroy karma, but these procedures require effort. Therefore many Vedic astrologers also recommend gems and metals as a more passive, but potent way of lessening karmic problems.

An often overlooked fact is that through the change of a person's physical vibrations by absorbing the beneficial and strengthening gem's radiation, their resolve to tread their correctly guided path can be significantly enhanced.

Finding the highest quality, requisitely sized and most affordable astrological quality gems is a vital and no simple matter. Very few jewelers are knowledgeable about Ayurvedic prescriptions. Few are trained in gemology and so know little about the common crystal material-altering practices or gem color-enhancing processes of commercial opportunism so common today. Even fewer understand the importance of the specific quality of the gems required or how they must be set to maximize their effects. Jewelers often have difficulty in following the essential instructions of fashioning a jewelry piece with the gem set to make good skin contact. Synthetic or imitation materials are sometimes mistakenly offered as natural stones without explaining the difference between these and the far different laboratory-grown crystals. For most people unknowledgeable about gems, trade names and claims of quality can be misleading and cause them to purchase lower quality and therefore ineffective materials. In as much as this situation exists, I have made it my priority to provide the highest-quality and lowest-priced astrological gems and metals.

With a lifelong interest in both geology and gemology, I have earned several certificates in gemology, which is always an ongoing study. With a background as a founder of a mineral exploration company, I have maintained a working gemological laboratory since 1991. Combining my interests in both yoga meditation (20 yrs)and gemology, it is my goal to offer the highest quality affordable astrological jewelry of my own designs (particularly nine-gem bangles) which have been made for the past five years with numerous testimonials about their profound effectiveness. Even in India, very few astrologers have extensive experience with two carat-plus, nine-gem bangles. This is because of the prohibitive cost associated with purchasing several gems, and the expense of high-quality gems in relation to the recent overall weakness of that nation's economy. Over time, little understanding has been retained due to this lack of comprehensive observation of how the appropriately sized gems work synergistically, complementing each other in a holistically strengthening karmic manner. We are moving out of a lower age's influence and my research overwhelmingly suggests that the efficiency of nine-gem bangles should be more deeply explored. From my unique experience, I know the importance to prospective buyers of finding the most affordable and highest-quality gems and metals available.

It is my goal to offer my customers eight-gem bangles (without the diamond) at the widest possible budget range, (starting as low as $1500), using the quality gems available. My unique link-to-link design (as shown on the front page) allows customers to purchase partial bangles, add stones singly or in combination, upgrade the size and quality of their existing stones, or purchase complete navaratnas. As a service to potential customers, I have written this booklet to supply information and to answer the most common questions about obtaining high-quality, effective astrological jewelry.

Before purchasing a bangle or other astrological jewelry, it is important to determine which gems would benefit one the most, the size and quality of the stones, how and where one wants to wear the jewelry, the amount he or she can afford, and how to order.

Which gemstones do you need?

Professional help is of the utmost assistance in this regard. Over the years I have developed a very well-received system of selling, in terms of financial consideration, the less-expensive stones in a good counterbalancing system. Extensive research and experience has earned highly enthusiastic feedback to my lowered initial cost multi-gem approach.

A comprehensive remedial gem-analysis from a qualified Vedic astrologer is strongly recommended. This will place in order of priority the planetary rays most in need of strengthening . This is a unique, customized guideline responding to your individual karmic pattern. Depending on one's budget, one's purchase usually follows this guideline. For the assistance of a qualified astrologer, a charge of $20 is made, which is refundable with any gem or jewelry purchase from Vedic Astrological Jewelry of over $380. If you are interested in a prescriptive Vedic astrological reading, please send with your check or money order, your birth date, including minute, hour, day, month, year, town, state, and country.

You may also want a complete reading from a Vedic astrologer. Each of the practitioners I work with has a unique approach. Because of this their recommendations are not always identical. However their motives are unified and each hopes to assist in the growth of the individual whose chart is being studied. I would be happy to supply you with the names of Vedic astrologers who I believe are competent.

Self-analysis is also a valuable tool in this regard. Since each gem has a corresponding power to offset specific conditions in the body as well as harmonize general planetary energies, you may first want to investigate which problems or conditions seem especially evident in your life and discuss purchasing the stone(s) that seem specifically designed to counteract them.

Sizes and shapes of gems

After determining the gem(s) you need (and I ultimately recommend the full navaratna to maximize the synergistic power of the jewelry) you will need to determine the size of the gem(s) you require.

The size of gemstones is measured in carats. Five carats equal one gram. A carat is a unit of weight, not to be confused with karat, which is a grading measurement for gold purity. Gemstone dimensions are measured in millimeters. Gems may appear larger or smaller, but because of the varied specific gravity characteristics, to the lay person their appearance and physical dimensions do not accurately indicate their weight.

Vedic astrologers usually recommend at least a two to four carat gem, depending on the quality of the material and the degree of planetary affliction on the individual's chart. If lower quality and less expensive substitute material is to be purchased, larger stones are often recommended. I would like to add that though substitutes may give a satisfaction to some people, personally I am dubious that they have the influence to significantly mitigate the negative karma. As can be expected, price is usually determined by carat weight.

Quality of gems

Once you have decided the kind of gems you need and their desirable size, it is important to decide on the quality you want. For remedial astrological purposes, in my experience the weight of the material is far more important than the perfection of the cut. Of course you would like the best-quality stone that you can afford. Quality is determined by color, cut, and clarity. Generally speaking, the closer a stone approaches its specific rainbow color, the color in the spectrum of natural light, the more potent it will be. Color may be more or less intense. Depth of color with clarity is usually more expensive.

After weight the next most important quality is clarity. For a gem to have an uninterrupted electromagnetic resonating signature, the alignment of its atomic structure should be unencumbered by inclusions. Inclusions are tiny disturbances to the growth process of the gem crystal such as growth lines, internal cracks (pressure fractures, healed or not), sub-crystals, foreign matter and other internal disturbance phenomena. These will affect the transparency, dispersion, and brilliance of a gem. The less included, spectrally color-perfect and heavy a gem is, the more expensive it is likely to be per carat.

Of course, the proof of a stone's quality is the effect it has on the wearer. I solicit and highly value the feedback of my clients in regard to the stones I sell. Obtaining the best-quality material is my ongoing concern. As a dedicated buyer, I have traveled to mines in Sri Lanka, Australia, and centers in Thailand and India. I also regularly attend world trade gem shows. Over the years, because of high volume discount purchases from overseas contacts, I can offer my customers the best quality gems available at the lowest prices.

Types of astrological jewelry

The next consideration after exploring type, size, and quality, is how best to wear your gems. By far the most convenient and effective way is with an arm bangle. My design concept maximizes uniform and continual contact with the skin and provides room for a comprehensive array of stones. In essence, a bangle is similar to a shield, constantly defending the wearer from portions of his or her own negative karma. In addition to allowing for the wearing of the widest possible combination of Vedic gems, another advantage of the link-to-link bangle (refer to front page artwork) is its ability to be upgraded or adjusted. Many people cannot afford complete nine-gem bangles initially. This is because they understand that the stones must be over two carats and of good quality or they are of very little benefit. Fortunately there are certain stones that can be acquired very inexpensively. These less-expensive stones - coral, pearl, hessonite garnet, and laboratory-grown-crystal ruby and emerald - have the benefit of immediately providing a good balance. If the Vedic astrologer's analysis is favorable, the gems can form a beneficial foundation for the complete navaratna as time and budget permits. Bangles may also be lent to friends and loved ones during periods of particular difficulty, a wonderful and helpful gesture.

Pendants set with gems are not highly recommended because they have a tendency to bounce around, and do not maintain the continual and well-grounded skin contact so essential for astrological jewelry to maximize its effects. On short chains, the pendants have better skin contact but are often uncomfortable to sleep in. I highly recommend coral and pearl necklaces for their respective healing and calming effects. Many testimonials I've received have been remarkable. One would do well to have one of each in the first-aid cabinet, to be used as therapeutic aids.

Rings have been a popular type of astrological jewelry because they are small and are designed to hold a single gem. In the past Vedic astrologers, mindful of the low availability and high cost of precious stones, (once prohibitive to the average person) often recommended obtaining only the most afflicted planet's corresponding Ayurvedic gem. The logic being that it was best to spend one's gem budget to defend oneself against the most malefic planetary influence. Unfortunately, in our horoscopes planets move in and out of benevolent and malefic positions. These planetary positions are constantly changing. Since there are main and sub periods and sub-sub periods, etc., we are always reaping karma via the planets on some level. Therefore it is most helpful to wear the complete set of Vedic gems. One gem cannot offer maximum defense against afflictions that occur during these cycles. The practice of using only one or two stones has continued not only out of economics, but also because of habit, custom and lack of empirical observation to the benefit of multi-gem bangles. When the adhesive power of the body cells becomes lax with the advance of old age, the planetary pull becomes stronger, causing more laxity of the body cells. This invites disease and mental disturbance. Gems and certain pure metals counteract negative planetary vibrations and enhance strong ones. After five years of intensive observation, research and experimentation with five to nine-gem bangles, I have developed an appreciation for their power and value and have distilled a clear viewpoint out of much seemingly contradictory material. As yet, I have not met anyone with as much experience in nine-gem bangles (navaratnas).

Of course, if one desires several rings, wearing an assortment of astrological gem rings is a stronger partial remedial solution, but one may tendto look like a museum piece! Other problems with rings are myriad. Rings may not be in character or style with the person wearing them, and are not always conducive to one's occupation, sports participation, or social setting. Also, the softer stones in rings often get scratched, and rings or their stones are more prone to loss than are larger jewelry items such as bangles. In addition, the ring setting can add considerable expense per gem without offering any additional planetary protection (money that could be better spent on additional or better gems). Finally, astrological gem rings, with their formidable power, cannot be readily shared with others, unless of course friends have the same ring sizes (an unusual occurrence). Rings are, therefore, seen as very helpful, but with limitations not shared by bangles.

As with any quality jewelry, some attention must be paid to aesthetics, but I try to change the paradigm that many of my clients have concerning Vedic astrological jewelry. As an instrument for negative karmic mitigation and nullification, astrological jewelry needs to be designed to maximize comfortable, continuous skin contact and be durable to wear and tear. It must be crafted to last, and therefore, I make my jewelry with the intent that it will be in great condition to pass on to a loved one when it is time to leave your mortal frame. Of course this doesn't mean I completely ignore creating attractive jewelry. It would be foolish to do so as a bangle is a lifelong investment and should be a thing of pride and artistry. Over the past five years I have made great progress in design and improvement in material, settings, links, size and comfort. I find working with gold (for those who can afford it) creates a thing of beauty by its sheer color, so naturally I offer items in various metals and grades. After gems are purchased, customers have the option to personalize their own jewelry by working directly with my jewelers.

Cost of gems

As discussed, a gem's type, weight, size, clarity, and manner of contact are among the pertinent factors that affect its ability to mitigate or nullify negative planetary influences. The main consideration for the customer will of course be price.

Over the years I have been trying to offer effective astrological gems for the lowest possible price so that even the small budget can afford the "luxury" of utilizing this blessed system of karmic mitigation. I am happy to report that great success has been attained often by unconventional means.

The hessonite garnet provides an excellent example of the controversy surrounding gem costs and demonstrates how I have been able to keep the cost of navaratnas so manageable. The common hessonite is a roiled (heat waved), dark brandy-colored gem that retails for about $35 a carat. It is the easiest to procure, but seems to have little or no karmic mitigating effects (a recurring observation from my clients). Golden Hessonite, recommended by some very respected Vedic astrologers, is a clear and beautiful stone when not included. This stone, however, is not referred to in the Vedas, as it only began to appear on the market about twenty years ago, having been mined in Sri Lanka and Canada. I believe its similar atomic matrix must be advantageous but when the hessonite is referred to as cinnamon stone in the Vedas, that can only mean one limited range of color. Of the cinnamon stones, the highest-quality hessonite that is not roiled or included, over two carats is rare and costs over $85 a carat. Often it is confused with Almandine (Almandite), Malaia, Spessartite garnets or Brandy topaz (Madeira) and stained quartz. Though a few astrologers may advise substitutes, my studies advise this as a last resort.

Because volume, clarity, and color are the main factors of potency, (as most scholars of Vedic prescriptions believe), I make available high-quality, deep cinnamon colored hessonite for about $10 a carat. The reason for its relative inexpensiveness is its shape. These gems are polished and smooth-edged specimens that do not have the correct dimensions for large-stone conventional faceting. Therefore, they are not as marketable. They do however have excellent astrological strength. I am extremely happy to have located this supply after three years of searching. It is this type of patience, commitment and expertise which allows me to develop financial savings resulting in relatively inexpensive gem bangles - of high quality - for my customers.

Many people still believe that high-quality gems must cost a king's ransom. But in this age of dynamite, excavators, and mechanized mineral processing technology, what once came to rest with wealthy collectors is now much more affordable. Laboratories, using revolutionary techniques to copy Mother Nature's gem growing environment, have greatly expanded the supply of top quality gem material, and thereby reduced its cost.

The ruby illustrates another unorthodox approach that I have developed over the years. Many Vedic astrologers, because they are not trained gemologists, have an erroneous viewpoint about the catagorizing of "synthetic" stones. It is imperative that the reader understand that what I use and recommend are laboratory-grown crystals. These lab-grown gems (also called created gems) are not to be confused with common synthetics. Synthetic stones for the most part, are materials similar in color or chemical composition to the natural, but have no synonymous crystal structure, and by application, no remedial power. Many synthetic gems are often misrepresented as having been grown as crystals in a laboratory. Retailers very commonly appear to not be completely accurate in this regard. A large laboratory-grown crystal can be grown from a smaller natural crystal. Is this any more unnatural than a seed grown in a greenhouse? Though I sell natural (and expensive) rubies and emeralds, my client feedback reveals that much more benefit is gained by those who wear lab-grown gem quality crystal material. The reason being, a deep green laboratory grown emerald is 1/40th the price of natural emeralds and because of budget limitations, clients invariably purchase a much more included and less intensely green natural gem.

The laboratory crystals of today grow using the same laws of nature that are activated when natural crystals are grown in magma or other thermal strata (the way natural gems originate). Actually, gems growing near the magma layers do not usually take hundreds of years to form, contrary to the romanticized view of the jewelry industry which hopes to profit from the supposed rarity of gems. These crystals sometimes grow at the same rate as lab-grown crystal gems (2-12 months).

For any crystal to have the correct geometric resonating signature, it is essential that the billions of atoms that constitute its atomic lattice line up exactly like its natural counterpart. When this occurs, the major difference between the two is that the laboratory crystal, because it was formed in a controlled, non-disturbance prone environment, has fewer inclusions, color zones, pressure fractures or other flaws. Therefore, the gemological crystal structure and atomic matrix of the lab-grown crystals are in much more perfect symmetrical harmony.

Incidentally, the viability and power of laboratory-grown crystals was amply demonstrated with the crystal radio when the original natural quartz crystals were replaced by created crystals, vastly improving receptivity and transmission. In the case of rubies, many gemologists simply do not have the education or the very expensive high-tech equipment necessary to evaluate whether or not certain cultures of lab-grown faceted ruby are of natural origin. Very often if the ruby is flawless, the diagnosis by a gemologist is mistaken. Naturally, professional gemologists do not advertise their difficulty in dealing with this, as it undermines their years of dedicated research (and their reputations). Fortunately, this problem does not apply to synthetic rubies grown by the Verneuil, Czochralski, and Scullcap methods. These are easy to recognize with the correct equipment and make up 99.5% of all synthetic gem material manufactured.

Natural and laboratory-grown gems compared

Emerald

This is because created crystals need to maintain extremely high temperatures for months at a time to develop, making the energy costs very high. Interestingly, these high energy costs outweigh the commercial logic of growing the less expensive yellow and blue sapphires. For the purist who cannot be convinced of the lab-grown crystal's similarity, please analyze the scientific analysis comparison charts. With regard to measured variations in the charts, it should be pointed out that nature does exactly the same thing with its emeralds and rubies from different fields around the world.

Ruby

This will occur with chemical composition and subtle variations in other measurable aspects such as refractive index, e.g. rubies from Australia are quite different than those from Burma or Vietnam.

Scrupulously grown laboratory rubies will not only have the same appearance as a flawless natural ruby (with the expected variations that occur in natural rubies from different parts of the world) but, more importantly for our purpose, appear to have the same astrological power to mitigate and nullify planetary influences on our karma - at a decidedly lower price! Natural rubies can be prohibitively expensive, and they are very often color enhanced by being heat-treated to just below melting point. I have laboratory-grown rubies from $25-$195 a carat, depending on quality.

Emeralds are also gems of legendary expense, but fortunately can be grown in the laboratory with great results. Lab-grown emeralds are easy to identify because they are usually flawless and of deep green color. Natural emeralds under the microscope show an extensive "garden" of inclusions. These inclusions can affect the astrological potency of the gem. In the case of emeralds, the depth of green color and uninterrupted amplification of power given off by an unfractured lab-grown crystal is vastly superior to a highly included natural emerald of the same color that would have a carat value (and cost) of at least 40 times the lab-grown crystal. I offer large faceted, deep green lab-grown emeralds for $55 to $75 a carat.

It is worth noting that most good quality emeralds have their fractures vacuum acid-cleaned, after which they are heated and pressure-impregnated with a dyed synthetic resin with the same refractive index as the beryl crystal. This process is designed to enhance their appearance and thereby justify an inflated price. In reality it only disguises the gems' heavily flawed condition (but such are the forces that drive the gem market!). Many people who have had their jewelry cleaned were unaware that the sonic cleaners had eradicated the coloring agents in their emeralds and have then sometimes unfairly accused their jewelers of switching stones!

Rubies, like diamonds, also have a sorry tale of extreme "flaw-fixing" remedies which include color enhancing and glass injection fracture filling, for cosmetic improvement. When mined, a very high proportion of red or pink rubies are "flawed" by color variations such as purple or black spots. By heating the material to just below the melting point adversely affecting the crystal structure, these undesirable qualities can be removed. However, because of the extraordinarily high temperatures and the difficulty in detecting this occurrence, a stronger interest has been generated for the lab-grown crystal material.

Further gem details

Hessonite Garnet

This gem is perhaps the most varied of all the primary Ayurvedic gems. Gemologically, there is more confusion concerning this garnet than any other. Traditionally, it used to be called cinnamon stone in India. There is a very large amount of it on the market that has a visible, roiled appearance, or extensive inclusions. It is one of the hardest to get inclusion-free with the correct color and sufficient weight. The crystal clear variety is the much more valuable. The roiled material sells for around $20 a carat and is not recommended.

The well-cut, totally clear cinnamon brown ultra-clean material goes from $85 a carat up to $160 plus. The jump in price is based on rarity and demand for the much heavier, flawless stones. Astrologically, my research tends to advise the much less expensive, tumble polished material for the budget-conscious. These small, clear, pebble-like stones have the weight and color but not the cosmetic symmetry associated with cost, and sell from $8 to $16 per carat. Again, the price variation is dependent upon the size of the stone, a clean 6-carat, tumble polished hessonite would be $15 per carat. I also have golden hessonite that some customers request. This attractive gem sells from $35 up to $55 a carat.

Flattened laboratory-grown ruby crystals which are clear, irregularly edged gems, perfect for bangle settings, normally sell for $25 per carat.

Equal quality laboratory-grown ruby crystal, but faceted, will sell from $140 to $195 per carat depending upon depth of color and size.

Ruby

Good quality natural ruby can go from $550 per carat upwards. Depth of color, size, and clarity can multiply the price by five-fold very quickly. And even with gemological analysis laboratory reports, I am not always completely satisfied with declarations that the stones haven't been tampered with (super -fried ). Some of the crystal growing laboratories do just too good a job of growing the rubies for the gem testing labs to detect whether they are natural or not.

Pearl

Price depends on luster, shape, symmetry, and lack of nacre blemishes. A smooth, undrilled, non-bleached, tissue grown, fresh water round pearl will sell by the piece from $75 up to $140.

These are not the bead or seeded cultured variety. Other irregularly shaped large pearls will generally sell from $40 each and more.

Naturally occurring salt water pearls are exceptionally rare and have to be special ordered from Australia and will sell from $700 upwards for one that is over five carats of high quality.

Red Coral

Red coral - or rather orange red coral as it should be called, as this is the material most commonly used - is generally $20 dollars plus per carat for higher quality material. Large, round, undrilled beads (9mm) due to scarcity can skyrocket up to $80 per carat. Shape and size has a lot to do with rarity. Its not unusual to see a large bead (11 mm) red coral necklace sell for $35,000, though I have 80 carat large rice grain bead necklaces for $58. There is a tremendous amount of imitation material on the market including white coral and bone which is dyed red, ceramic and glass beads.

Emerald

In my experience, emerald is one of the most over valued gems on the market, one of the most misrepresented and fraudulently priced. I have little difficulty selling the laboratory-grown emerald crystal cut gem stones to clients when they see the crystals in the raw form and they compare the price against the heavily included and extremely expensive natural gem quality emerald which starts at $190 a carat. And the price keeps going up. Most clients settle for material priced around $650 a carat in the higher quality range.

The lab-grown material, which has the perfect deep green color and is clear of cracks and foreign matter inclusions, sells from $55 up to $75 a carat and much less for non-symmetrical cuts. Please remember most emerald on the market is fracture filled with a plastic resin or green oil with the same refractive index.

Blue saphire 

Blue sapphire doesn't seem to have a lot of price variety unless of course one compromises price by acquiring a heat-treated stone. These can sell from $70 a carat and up. The more expensive unheated blues will go from $190 a carat and up, depending on the intensity of the natural blue. $290 plus is common for a good blue. The intense, unheated or non-irradiated natural blue can go for over $900 a carat. Beware of the blue sapphires in the local jewelry store. Any honest Bangkok gem dealer will let you know that 97% of blue sapphires are generally heated to a little below melting point in order to deepen the color.

Diamond

For all my phone work, door knocking, faxing, and plane travel over the years, still the elusive price break on high quality, large diamonds hasn't occurred. I do not favor the Russian laboratory grown diamonds. They simply do not have all the characteristics the natural diamond has. It is astrologically important that the gem has no black carbon inclusions, and is very clean. I often purchase VVSI or IF diamonds in the light cape color range over two carts for around $3,000 per carat.

I can explain the purchasing procedure over the phone to interested parties. I generally suggest to clients that unless Venus is seriously afflicted in their horoscopes, it is better to concentrate on acquiring the eight other stones in the best possible size and quality. They should wait to add a diamond until they have been wearing the other stones for awhile and can attest to their effectiveness.

At the lower end of the price scale I sell high quality, uncut, natural, clean diamond crystals - when I can get them at the right price - for $350 per carat.

Yellow Sapphire

Very pale yellows start from $90 a carat and work themselves up to $300 a carat for a good color, unheated stone. Most yellow sapphires on the market are heated and virtually all the golden sapphires are also. Heat treated yellows often color fade within a year or two. Some astrologers often advise golden topaz as a substitute not realizing that citrine is often sold by the same name.

Chrysoberyl Catseye

Here is another complexly priced stone with many variations.There are many different catseyes on the market. True chrysoberyl is among the most rare and expensive. There are opaque and transparent catseyes. Prices will travel between $90 a carat (which will not be totally flawless) up to $600 a carat or more.

I commonly sell between the $275 to $380 per carat range

Pure metal Bangles

I also make pure metal bangles with fine silver and copper. Again the required weight is essential. Inquiries welcome. Discounts are given with large orders and with simple requests not requiring too much time for processing. I always prefer the customer to travel to Encinitas when possible for larger orders. But I sympathize that this cannot always be practical. Navaratna clients generally get priority when the service department is too stretched.

A consideration when buying

A clear perspective to have regarding the amount of money you spend on Ayurvedic jewelry is to consider your purchase a lifetime investment. A navaratna of link-to-link design is durable enough to be worn for the entirety of one's life, and so dividing its cost by one's remaining life span provides a much more realistic viewpoint as to its worth. If you wear your navaratna for 40 years - how much will it actually cost per month? Very little. Consider also the logical beneficial karmic return from passing it on to a loved one upon death. Also to the fortunate hundreds of thousands who have experienced this science, there is a consensus that they have been protected in terms of unforeseen expenses, illnesses, accidents, business and relationship difficulties, and other unattractive afflictions that attack the human condition. Even someone with an excellent horoscope will be enhanced by the judicious use of appropriate gems, especially since we are presently in a lower age and are thus prey to all manner of celestial mischief.

It should be noted that the link-to-link design of my bangle permits a client to buy one gem at a time to test the effectiveness of remedial gems. More stones can be added as the budget allows. Often I have had customers, once having grown quite fond of their bangles, regret not having purchased better stones initially. This is understandable in light of the good results they have received. I am happy to upgrade gem purchases, change links and serve my clients in ways that will promote their greatest well-being.

For those interested in learning more about Ayurvedic gems, there are about forty books on the market. I find many of these books to be either contradictory or to have a basic foundation of supposition and untested hypothesis. The best book reference (though not intended to go into great length on the subject of Ayurvedic gems) is chapter 16 - "Outwitting the Stars" - in Paramahansa Yogananda's brilliantly written, entertaining, educational, and best-selling classic Autobiography of a Yogi.

Two other valuable books on the same subject are:

• Gem Therapy by Dr. Benoytosh Bhattacharyya, Ph.D. Firma KLM pty, Ltd. - Calcutta, Bengal
• Astrological Healing Gems by Shivaji Bhattacharjee, Passage Press, Morson Publishing, PO Box 21713 Salt Lake City, Utah 84121-0713

Frequently Asked Questions

My Vedic astrologer suggested I get a substitute gem instead of the more expensive one. What do you think of this?

Vedic astrologers have extensive skills in analyzing the planetary deficiencies that need strengthening in the chart. They have for the most part selected their substitute system based on the less expensive and far more readily available gems. As yet, I have not read what I consider an authoritative source for deciding what the substitutes are and how well they work. I am satisfied that the primary gems came from the rishis, but who decided upon the substitutes? Edgar Cayce recommended gems and stones to individuals but his non Ayurvedic gems were never specifically prescribed for a single planetary focus. I have a deep respect for his legacy. But, unfortunately, though I have read his pioneering work many times, his reference to substitutes is not covered. I have had my chart done many times and when it has come to the area of substitute gems the advice has been very wide and varied. Though astrologers can differ widely on which stone to recommend as a substitute, this is not to say that the stones are not highly beneficial. My first Vedic astrologer strongly recommended that I get a blue topaz. As a gemologist I already knew that natural blue topaz is so rare it is virtually non existent on the market. What he didn't know was that he was advising that I wear a topaz that had been nuclear irradiated with gamma rays which had changed its electron structure in such a way that it will trap the blue rays of light in the spectrum. Neutron or electron bombardment is also common to change Topaz color. The U.S. Customs has often in past years turned back blue topaz coming from Brazil because it had a too high radioactive reading with their Geiger counters! As I had this reading in India, and having traveled that land widely, I have never seen a blue topaz there that has not been enhanced by radiation.

Citrine is often advised instead of yellow sapphire. Very few realize that most citrine is smoky quartz or low quality amethyst that has been heat treated in a Brazilian kiln to turn it yellow. Golden topaz often shares the same procedure. Many times I have seen people wearing laboratory grown amethyst or quartz thinking it naturally occurring. Goldstone has been recommended as a substitute, being a misnomer it is in fact always glass with copper filings in it and does not exist naturally. A diamond is 140 times harder than its next hardest neighbor, a white sapphire, yet some recommend it as a diamond substitute. Doesn't it make sense that it would be closer to the influence of a light yellow sapphire? So you see there is a definite need to clarify the knowledge influencing these substitute recommendations. When time allows, I look forward to doing a research project using some very high-tech computers and biofeedback machines to help indicate substitutes. But time as always waits for no one.

Many people disagree with my stand concerning the laboratory-grown crystal emerald and ruby, and instead promote their dubious and not universally accepted substitutes. There is an immediate reaction that these gems are man-made. But this is not the case. The laboratory is the environment that allows the gem crystals to grow using Divine Mother Nature's laws of creation to develop. Is there really that much difference between a wild-grown vegetable and one grown in a laboratory greenhouse? I try to bring my detractors to analyze the scientifically measurable similarities that one can refer to on the charts. If you try to compare the substitutes tourmaline or peridot to an emerald using the same scientifically measurable characteristics on these charts, you will find that these stones have few similarities. They do have a green color range. And of course color is important. But of far more importance is the crystal habit. The difference of the crystal is as pronounced as the pyramid is to the cube. And that is how I relate to the differences in substitutes. This is not to say the tourmaline or the peridot are not wonderful gems to wear, but I question whether they actually come close to harmonizing with the planetary radiations they are supposed to replace.

What I try to do when a client wants the gem but can not afford the high price is get the same stone with a good weight and clarity, but tumble polished.True, it certainly doesn't look as attractive, but primarily we are aiming at an instrument of karmic mitigation, not just cosmetic appeal. I sell substitute gems but feel happier when the client has both sides of the story.

Do you sell stones smaller than two carats?

I do, but my goal is not to compromise too much and therefore lessen the focus of the remedial gems I am trying to offer. I deeply advise further reading of "Autobiography of a Yogi," by Paramahansa Yogananda. He wrote that unless the required weight is secured, the remedial influence is not attained.

Can I still get the same benefits by spending less on the gems?

With some gems you can. Very often it is the cut that makes a gem expensive. When stones are faceted there is an enormous amount of wastage, sometimes as much as 80%. You, the end user, pay for this . Consequently the important priorities are the weight, clarity and color. This is why I sell uncut high quality crystal material with polished or smooth sides, when available. Sometimes an inclusion that is barely visible to the naked eye will also tumble the price down.

Will I feel the difference when I put on the bangle?

Most people do, some don't. It will depend on your sensitivity. If the majority of people didn't, I'm sure I would not still be in business. I certainly felt the difference, and many clients say it is extraordinary how much the bangle does for them. I noticed a definite boost in my concentration and vitality. And I took on much less stress from pressures and irritations of life. The responses I have received cover such a wide spectrum of experience, it is difficult to briefly pass on the endorsements. Just as copper is reputed to lessen the pain and tendency for arthritis, so the nine different Vedic gems counteract a far greater range of mental, physical, environmental and spiritual adversities. I take a great interest in my feedback and have gleaned a unique fund of experience to go by when I advise gem selection.

Why are Uranus, Neptune and Pluto not considered to be primary influences by most Vedic astrologers?

Simply put, these planets, though significant are not considered to have strong enough radiations. For balance and simplicity, to understand the complex system of Vedic astrology they are, by comparison to the other primary planets, considered to be a much lesser influence.

I notice from your drawings that the gems are set with the flat side touching the skin I would prefer the gems to be facing outside so that the jewelry looks more beautiful. Why do you do it this way?

There is no doubt the jewelry is more appealing with the gems touching from the pointed side. There are many things that I do that are not the best from an aesthetic standpoint. Primarily the reason is that again and again my feedback from clients is that they feel more well being from the bangle when the gems are set with the greatest available skin contact. Those that have tried the gems both ways generally express increased well-being when the gems have the table side down. From a crystal point of view there isn't a top or bottom to most faceted gems. Naturally if a client specifically wants the gems set face side out, I will do it. As long as they at least know what my feedback is. Again I would like to stress that my main focus is on an instrument of negative karmic mitigation as well as enhancing positive karmic tendencies. It's not just jewelry. It is because of this that I have not got side tracked by making bangles with the smaller gems that ones sees so often in India.That by comparison I feel do very little.

Is bigger better?

Not necessarily, Gems are recognized as having varying degrees of strength relating to their color, tone and clarity. The weight can be more for certain gems like pearl, coral, emerald, hessonite garnet, diamond and yellow sapphire. But blue sapphire, ruby, and chrysoberyl catseye should generally not be as large. In my experience if they are well balanced by another gem with an opposite quality (hot, cold or neutral) an even stronger improvement is forthcoming.

I have read the claims promoted from Jyotish do you really believe them?

Just as great Saints have often said "Thoughts are things," I like to stress this further by adding that things are thoughts. Matter is a manifestation of Gods consciousness that reflects His/Her various thought forms. Gems however have an unusually strong potency to transmit this consciousness. Every substance and thought has a magnetism that attracts or repels. It is difficult for many to do a paradigm shift and think of themselves as swimming in a complex matrix of magnetism attracting or repelling multitudinous variations of pleasant or painful karmic experience. Gems merely dilute the harmful lower vibrations we have set up in the past. And I would like to stress I don't do regular jewelry I only sell Ayurvedic Astrological Jewelry because of my passion from seeing how much good it can do. Here's a short personal story to help answer this question.

The Red Coral Necklace

Years ago I had a motorbike accident. Actually it was more of a tumble, the bike just slipped over and sat on me. This didn't really matter except the kick stand was where it was supposed to be and my leg wasn't. This conflict in the status quo involved the kick stand cutting into my leg.

Three days later, after surgery, I had a whole lot more respect for motorbikes. I lay in bed and was coming to the realization that my normally fiery constitutional resilience to injury just wasn't strutting its stuff and that this injury could take more than quite a while to heal. Like most of us, I had things to do that required voluntary leg movement.

Having severed several nerves, the deep wound was definitely cold, and very little electrical healing energy seemed to be circulating in its immediate area. Obviously for tissue repair to occur, strong forces of renewal needed to be activated.

Visualization would have helped, but the area was already feeling pretty dead, and my consequent negative mindset would have had to be overcome.

I lay in bed for quite some time evaluating my body's resources. With this accident, its recuperating resources didn't seem to be anything close to my younger days, when a deep wound was just a scratch.

Because of my studies and interest in gems, I hobbled out of bed and reached for a red coral necklace to see if it would be of help. Strangely enough, at the time I didn't feel that it would help much, except on a subtle level.

The next few minutes were genuinely a big shock to my understanding.

The previous hour my wound had had a distinctly cold clammy feel to it. A sense pervaded that nothing was happening in the metabolic arena and recovery was going to take ages. Upon putting on the red coral, almost immediately I could feel a comfortable surge of warmth and circulation of energy surrounding and intelligently permeating the wounded area. I was stunned to be witnessing something so tangible. I was dimly aware that I had read that red coral was good for wounds or internal bleeding. It was this profound experience, and many other testimonials that was to inspire me to promote and advertise the wonderful power of Ayurvedic gems to anyone who would listen in later years.

I kept the necklace on until the healing was over. Coral seemed perfect as it gave a needed boost to my traumatized metabolic rate.

These days, if I put on red coral while I'm in a fine fettle, I may, within a day or so, start feeling too warm in the area of the necklace.

Red coral represents Mars in Vedic astrology and, hence, is hot to warming in influence. Too much heat will imbalance me, but for a person with more cold influences in their horoscope, a red coral necklace could be much more comfortable to wear for longer periods. Rarely would I recommend that it be worn constantly. If the wearer is old and living in a very cold climate, more extensive use could be helpful.

From extensive feedback over the years, red coral appears to help boost the energy of people who are run down. A person living in a cold climate will be more receptive to its heating benefits than the same person dwelling in a tropical climate.

Many friends have been amazed by red coral's effect on their colds, coughs and flus. Often I have recommended it to people having surgery and have had them thank me profusely for what they perceive to be its speeding up of their healing processes. Surprising as it may seem, I used to keep a red coral necklace beside the bed in winter, and if I got too cold, I would throw on red coral instead of another blanket. I generally always take one when I leave sunny California for colder climes.

There are many coral imitations on the market, especially in necklace form, mostly from China and India. These include ceramic glass, white coral or horn dyed red and plastic. Observation indicates that for short-term remedial benefits of specific problems, a coral necklace of over 80 carats is best (it is this much because each bead is so small). I often recommend keeping one in the medicine cabinet.

The design I favor has beads the size and shape of cooked grains of rice. The price is around $58 for a necklace that will slip over the head.

I would like to stress that this summary of red coral has nothing to do with the claims of other authors,but in many ways it reinforces what some of them them have written. However it is my platform to express only from actual experience and not solely from academic agreement.

How else do you think that gems help?

Thought is a vibration of consciousness. Matter is a less rarefied condensed vibration of God's electro-magnetic consciousness. High quality gem materials can be atomically geometric transmitters of beneficial thought forms when touching the skin. Thought to a large degree attracts and repels our karmic tendencies. Transfer of high vibrations or thought forms can occur by humble appreciation of absorbing the vibrations of holy places of pilgrimage, communing with Divine Mother Nature in her gardens or anywhere and contemplating the words or photograph of a true saint. These are some of the ways that help move the mind towards joyward union with the soul. Gems are but another tool in the quest.

Eventually all this heavily summarized information will be compiled into an extensive book.

Ordering your Ayurvedic gems and jewelry

My company, Vedic Astrological Jewelry, offers an extensive selection of Vedic gemstones in various sizes. Let me help you with your gemstone and custom jewelry needs. I take great care to offer the purest stones possible (untreated, unheated, undyed, unbleached, non-irradiated), giving you the best quality for your money, satisfaction guaranteed! If I don't have your request in stock, a little patience can allow me to locate the best-priced materials. Feel welcome to call or write to discuss your needs. I will tell you which gems I currently stock and will send you jewelry designs for your selection, based on your style and price preferences. I always guarantee the gems I sell.

For added convenience, if you wish to visit my workshop/office, it is located near Swami's Beach and the beautiful Self-Realization Fellowship gardens overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Encinitas, California. I have developed a fast-track system which allows you to select and wear your bangle - the same day! This is made possible by having over 300 bezel set gem links to choose from. Your selection is then assembled on site, with my exceptionally comfortable patented expandable silver spring links which "custom fit" your particular upper arm-size. Most clients enjoy wearing their gem bangle above the bicep.

Approval of gems before final purchase

I will happily ship gems for your approval. I require a deposit of the total cost of the gems before shipment. The deposit should be made in the form of a cashier's check, or money order. Otherwise I will ship the gems when your personal check has cleared the bank. All gems I ship are "subject to your approval." If I do not hear from you within ten days of shipment, I consider the transaction satisfactory and the sale final. Any return of gems should be insured for full value and shipped by registered mail or UPS.

Shipping

My minimum and normal shipping charge is $6.00 plus insurance costs. If you desire overnight service, shipping can become quite expensive. Because my prices are low, I do not absorb shipping charges. I can ship by UPS (fastest) in which case a street address should be included in your order, or by registered mail to post office boxes. On occasion I ship via Federal Express (especially outside the US). My mailing & UPS shipping address is:

Nick Hodgson, A.A.J.   Phone: (760) 753-6071

1106 Second Street         Fax: (760) 753-3355

Suite #101

Encinitas, CA 92024