In ayurveda , jewela are called ratnas. Apart from costly stones, ratnas include some animal products and minerals. On the basis of their therapeutic properties, these ratnas are divided into the following two groups:
Maharatnas or major jewels :
1.Hiraka(diamond)
2.Maikya(ruby)
3.Mukta(pearl)
4.Pusparaga(topaz)
5.Nilam(sapphire)
6.Tarksa(emerald)
7.Vaidurya(cat’s eye)
8.Gomeda
9.Vidruma(coral)
Uparatna or minor jewels:
1.Vaikrants(turmulin)
2.Surya-kanta(sun-stone)
3.Candrakanta(moon stone)
4.Rajavarta (lapis lazuli)
5.Peroja(turquoise)
6.Sphatika
For therapeutic use of jewel, these jewels, and such others animal products and minerals are required to be made into fine powder after following the procedure prescribed in ayurvedic texts. They are boiled and triturated with juice of certain plants and animal products with a view to neutralize their adverse effects, and also to make them palatable and to increase their potency.
Some of these jewels are extremely hard to be made into fine powder. With the view to reduce their hardness, they are repeatedly heated and immersed in selected liquids.
The important therapeutic use of jewel is illustrated below:
Diamond:
Diamond is a cardiac tonic, enhances the therapeutic effect of other medicines. It is the best of the elixirs, and it cures tuberculosis, urinary disease like prameha, serious types of anemia, edema, ascites, and impotency; also an excellent aphrodisiac; promotes longevity, strength, complexion, intellect and eyesight and also possesses anti-cancerous property.
Ruby
It promotes intellect, virility, longevity and cures various disease caused by vitiation of vata, pitta and kapha.
Pearl
Peral promotes longevity, virility, digestion, eyesight, and complexion. Pearl has a cooling effect on the body and it cures burning sensation, chronic fever, heart disease, obstinate urinary disease and disease of children during their toothing time; corrects impaired growth of bones and teeth; promotes strength, intellect and works as an antidote for all types of toxins.
Topaz
Topaz has cooling and carminative effect. It promotes digestion and cures obstinate skin disease including leprosy, serious types of vomiting, burning sensation and other diseases caused by vitiated Kapha and vata. It promotes intellect, corpulence and longevity.
Sapphire
It promotes virility, digestion and complexion. It cures fistula and piles, skin diseases, leprosy, asthma, bronchitis and diseases caused by the vitiation of the dosas.
Emerald
It promotes strength, digestion, virility, immunity against attack of diseases. It cures anaemia, oedema, asthma, vomiting, piles, fistula and disease caused by vitiation of vata, pitta and kapha.
Cat’s eye
Also known as Vaidurya, Cat’s eye is cooling and laxative. It promotes digestion, intellect, longevity, strength, eye sight and corpulence. It cures hemorrhage and disease caused by vitiation of pitta.
Gomeda
Gomeda is carminative and cures anorexia, indigestion, skin disease, anemia and consumption. It also promotes strength.
Coral
Coral is alkaline, light, cooling and carminative. Also promotes digestion, virility, complexion, eyesight and strength, cures bronchitis, hemorrhage and disease cause by vitiation of all the three dosas, prevents excessive sweating, especially night sweating, so helpful for the treatment of tuberculosis. It is an anti-toxic.
Turmulin
Turmulin cures tuberculosis, diabetes, leprosy, fever, anemia, asthma, bronchitis, piles, edema, ascites and sprue.
Sun stroke
It promotes intellect and it cures disease caused by kapha and vata. It has heating effect.
Moon stone
Moon stone has cooling effect, and it cures hemorrhage, burning sensation and other disease caused by the vitiation of pitta.
Lapis lazuli
Lapis lazuli is cooling, carminative and elixier. It promotes digestion and corpulence. It cures anemia, diabetes, vomiting and hiccup.
Turquoise
It promotes digestion and cures colic pain. It has anti toxic effect.
Sphatika
It is cooling and astrignant. It cures hemorrhage, fever and burning sensation.
