One of my latest projects has been my entry to a local art show, the Ready To Hang show at the Santa Barbara Community Arts Workshop (CAW). This is an annual show that accepts submissions of any medium in a specific size- 12 × 12 inches- and this year’s theme is Harmony!
For my entry, I decided to paint a series of nine gemstones that carry meanings of harmony, using acrylic paint on a wooden panel. I chose a range of stones, some of which I have painted before and some that are new to me!
I believe gemstones are beautiful symbols of harmony because although each stone is made up of different materials and used for different purposes, they are often collected and displayed together. Another important facet of harmony is connection, and gemstones have been used as gifts to create connections throughout history.
In this post, I’ll break down the specific symbolism behind each stone in the collection. If you’d like to see my process of painting all of these stones, you can watch along on my Instagram or TikTok pages!
Azurite: Harmony, Balance, and Justice
Azurite is a rich blue stone that symbolizes harmony, balance, and justice. You can find my Azurite artwork in my gemstone collection.
This new sample of azurite contains pieces of green malachite, which further enhance its meaning of harmony: a balance between the mind and the heart, blending intellectual thought with empathy and compassion.
Tiger’s Eye: Courage and Protection
Tiger’s Eye is a symbol of harmony, courage, and protection. This stone represents the duality of the sun’s vitalizing energy and the earth’s grounding stability.
Tiger’s Eye is known for its golden-brown hues, which appear as bands much like the stripes of a tiger. I have Tiger’s Eye artwork available in my collection.
Jade: Purity, Prosperity, and Serenity
Jade is the name of two slightly different silicate minerals, jadeite and nephrite, and both carry deep historical and cultural meanings like purity, prosperity, serenity, and strength.
Jade carries very important meaning in ancient Chinese philosophy and often represents the balance between Yin, associated with softness and tranquility, and Yang, associated with strength and resilience. It’s also said to bring good luck to those who own or wear jade.
You can find my Jade artwork here.
Quartz: Balance and Connection
Quartz is a mineral built around a balanced and symmetrical crystalline structure. It comes in many colors, and I have artwork featuring Clear Quartz, Rose Quartz, and Smokey Quartz.
Clear quartz contains the full spectrum of light and, in crystal healing traditions, is associated with opening and aligning the seven chakras. These traditions connect the stone with healing and a positive outlook on life.
Clear Quartz Print
$10.00Rose Quartz Print
$10.00Smokey Quartz Print
$10.00
Chrysocolla: Communication and Connection
Chrysocolla is a brightly colored blue-green mineral that is often referred to as the “Stone of Communication.”
This stone is one of three new stones that aren’t included in my collection of gemstone artwork. Symbolic of divine feminine energy and calm strength, Chrysocolla represents the harmony between internal truth and external connection, and the type of communication that bridges the two: emotional reconciliation, peaceful negotiation, and compromise.
A fun fact about Chrysocolla is that it was crushed and used as makeup in ancient Egypt by people like Cleopatra!
Garnet: Passion, Devotion, and Protection
Garnet is a deep red stone named for its resemblance to pomegranate seeds, and it is the birthstone for January- my birthstone!- which is one of the reasons that I chose to include it in this artwork.
Garnet is one of the first gemstones I ever painted when I started my collection, and you can find Garnet artwork here.
Garnet symbolizes passion, devotion, and protection. In crystal healing traditions, it is associated with grounding energy and the root chakra, while also representing a connection between the root and the heart. To me, that represents the powerful energy that love and passion can bring while staying grounded and rooted in who you are.
Dioptase: Healing and Inner Harmony
Dioptase is a rare but dazzling, vibrant green stone also known as the “Stone of the Heart.”
The copper contained in its mineral composition is associated in crystal healing traditions with emotional healing and is sometimes used symbolically in connection with grief, trauma, and betrayal. Dioptase represents harmony within the self and healing the connection between the past, present, and future versions of yourself.
Dioptase is one of the three stones in this piece that is new to me and is not currently included in my collection.
Ametrine: The Harmony of Amethyst and Citrine
One of the best examples of harmony in gemstones is Ametrine! This stone is a mixture of Amethyst and Citrine, two stones that are made of the same chemical compounds but show up as two different colors because of the different temperatures at which they form.
Ametrine is a rare case where both colors are found within the same stone because it forms in a temperature gradient. Most natural Ametrine comes from one mine in Bolivia, but it can also be created in a lab by scientists.
You can find my Ametrine artwork here.
Larimar: Peace, Clarity, and Harmony
Larimar is a breathtaking gemstone that resembles the color and texture of the ocean.
Larimar is one of the three stones in this piece that I hadn’t painted before! This beautiful stone symbolizes clarity, peace, and harmony between fire and water. Larimar is formed by volcanic fire, but its appearance is that of a calm and tranquil ocean.
It reminds us to maintain a cool temper even amidst chaotic and fiery conditions.
The Harmony Stones Artwork
I hope you liked learning about these Harmony Stones as much as I loved painting them!
The finished artwork will be on display at the CAW during the Ready To Hang show and will be for sale on Saturday, November 21st, from 4 to 9 PM. Thirty percent of the sale will go to supporting the work of the Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative.
If you enjoy gemstone art, you can also explore my full gemstone artwork collection to see the stones I’ve painted throughout my ongoing series.
