Heliotrope

Heliotrope, or BLOODSTONE, a variety of chalcedony or of jasper, of a green colour with red spots. The finest heliotropes consist of chalcedony, and are translucent, at least at the edges; the jasper bloodstones are opaque. Heliotrope is found in many parts of the world, as in Scotland, but the finest specimens of this mineral are brought from the southern parts of Asia. It was well known to the ancients, who obtained it chiefly from Ethiopia and Cyprus. It is much used for boxes, seals, &c.; and those specimens are most valued which possess most translucency, and in which the red spots are bright and well distributed. It was much used in the early ages of the Christian church for the engraving of sacred subjects, the figures being so managed that the red spots should represent drops of blood. The name heliotrope (Gr. hēlios, 'the sun;' tropē, 'a turning') seems to have been given to this mineral because when immersed in water in the face of the sun it was said to make the image of that luminary in it appear of a blood-red colour. The heliotrope, thus described by Pliny, must have shown very large spots or veins of red.