Minerology

As you probably already know, Naoko Takeuchi likes using names dirived from mythology or minerals for her characters. In the case of the Dark Kingdom, she used various semi-precious stones. This makes sense, as the Dark Kingdom originated from Earth itself (except for Metallia, of course).

The minerals used for the Shitennou names are also used several times throughout the story. When Beryl brainwashes Kunzite once again, his stone appears in his forehead. When they are sealed away by Metallia, they are turned into the stones after which they were named. These stones appear to be their source of power, something like a sailor crystal only not as strong.

Jadeite - Sodium Aluminum Silicate
There are two minerals known as jade. One of them is jadeite, and the other is Nephrite. Jade has been used in China and Central America for centuries as an ornamental and religious stone. Jadeite is considered the rarer and more precious of the two.

The only known sources of jadeite are river gravels and boulders, making it especially rare. It can only be formed under very high temperatures.

Jadeite's colors include white, pale bluish gray, grayish green, pale purple, or an emerald green that is referred to as "Imperial Jade". Jade is also very tough--stronger than steel. The name originates from the Spanish phrase, piedra de ijada, or "stone of the side", because it was said to heal kidney ailments if applied to the side of the body.

Nephrite - Calcium Magnesium Iron Silicate Hydroxide
Nephrite is the softer version of jade. It is in fact not a mineral, but a variety of the mineral actinolite, which gets its name from the Greek word aktinos, meaning "ray". Other actinolite varieties are actually very different from nephrite. Nephrite can be green or creamy white.

Zoisite - Calcium Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide
Zoisite has been known for nearly two centuries as an ornamental stone. It was first discovered in 1805 in the mountains of Austria, and was at that time called "saualpite". Zoisite was named after the Austrian natural scientist, minerologist, and collector, the baron Sigmund Zois, who was the first to study it and inform European minerologists of its existance. Specifically, Zoisite's stone is blue zoisite, which was discovered in 1967 in the mountains of Tanzania. It's beauty was so evident that it was called the "Gemstone of the 20th Century" when Tiffany's released it. However, some thought that the term "blue zoisite" sounded too much like the word "suicide", so Tiffany's renamed it Tanzanite, after the one place where it can be found. Tanzanite is not very resistant, and must be worn with care.

Zoisite is said to enhance integrity, confidence, optimism, growth, and abundance. Zoisite and ruby together are supposed to be powerful healers.

Kunzite - Lithium Aluminum Silicate
Kunzite is a variety of spodumene, which is derived from the Greek word "spodoumenos", which means "burnt to ash". It is pleochroic, which means that the color appears different depending on which angle you look at it from. The top and bottom have the deepest colors. The colors include pink, violet, and purple. Spodumene is prismatic with a glassy lustre. It is splintery, making it a challenge to cut. It was named after the American gem expert, G.F.Kunz.

For more information about these gemstones, see:
Minerology Database



Home || Back