Bloodstone, also known as Heliotrope has had a long history of use and power. The word Heliotrope is composed of the greek words for sun and turn. One of the ancient uses for the Bloodstone was to alter weather. The idea was to put a bloodstone in water and allow the stone to absorb the rays of the sun which in turn would cause formation of storms. The Middle Ages brought about the belief the red spots on the gemstone were the blood droplets of Jesus.  Christians believed when Jesus was on the cross, his blood fell on the ground at the foot of his cross creating Bloodstone. Early Christians thought the stone held the powers of Jesus, including the ability to make the wearer invisible. Cross jewelry was popularly fashioned with the bloodstone. Because of the stones believed power it was named The Martyr’s Stone. The blood stone was later thought of as a Hero’s Stone and was often placed in armored breast plates and on the hilt of swords for it’s ability to instill courage and strength in dangerous situations. The Bloodstone, also considered to be a very strong healing gemstone, allowed the wearer to remain courageous in battle despite the fall of others around him. Warriors also believed that if carried during battle, the bloodstone would stop bleeding if applied to the skin.

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