How a gemstone is chosen — and when not to wear one

A stone is chosen for a planet, not for a wish. Which planet, why, how heavy, and the cases where the honest answer is "no stone at all".

A gemstone is worn for a planet. Each stone is held to carry the quality of one graha — ruby for the Sun, pearl for the Moon, red coral for Mars, emerald for Mercury, yellow sapphire for Jupiter, diamond for Venus, blue sapphire for Saturn, hessonite for Rahu and cat's eye for Ketu. So the first question is never "which stone will bring me money", it is "which planet in this chart should be strengthened".

The three stones

Most traditions name three: the life stone (for the Lagna lord, worn lifelong), the lucky stone (for the 5th or 9th lord) and the bhagya stone (for the lord of the period you are running). A good astrologer will tell you which of the three they are recommending and why.

Which planet should not be strengthened

A planet that rules the 6th, 8th or 12th house of your chart is usually left alone; making it stronger strengthens what it rules. This is why a blue sapphire that helped a friend may do nothing for you — Saturn rules different houses in different charts.

Weight and metal

Weight is traditionally reckoned from body weight: about one ratti of stone for every ten kilograms, within the range the stone allows. The metal and the finger follow the planet — gold for Jupiter, silver for the Moon and Venus, and so on — and the stone must touch the skin.

When to wear it

A stone is put on in the planet's own weekday, in its hora, and with the Moon in a friendly star, avoiding Rahu Kaal, Yamaganda and Gulika. Our Kundli page works out the next four such windows for your own place.

When the answer is no stone

If the planet is already strong, if it rules a difficult house, if you cannot afford a natural untreated stone, or if you are wearing a stone on somebody's word without knowing which planet it is for — the honest answer is to wait. A mantra, a fast or charity for that planet costs nothing and is what the texts recommend first anyway.

See the suitability percentage for each stone in your own chart on kundli.ratnayog.com; every point behind the number is shown.