As discussed, a gem's type, weight, size, clarity, and manner of contact are among the pertinent factors that affect its ability to mitigate or nullify negative planetary influences. The main consideration for the customer will of course be price.

Over the years I have been trying to offer effective astrological gems for the lowest possible price so that even the small budget can afford the "luxury" of utilizing this blessed system of karmic mitigation. I am happy to report that great success has been attained often by unconventional means.

The hessonite garnet provides an excellent example of the controversy surrounding gem costs and demonstrates how I have been able to keep the cost of navaratnas so manageable. The common hessonite is a roiled (heat waved), dark brandy-colored gem that retails for about $35 a carat. It is the easiest to procure, but seems to have little or no karmic mitigating effects (a recurring observation from my clients). Golden Hessonite, recommended by some very respected Vedic astrologers, is a clear and beautiful stone when not included. This stone, however, is not referred to in the Vedas, as it only began to appear on the market about twenty years ago, having been mined in Sri Lanka and Canada. I believe its similar atomic matrix must be advantageous but when the hessonite is referred to as cinnamon stone in the Vedas, that can only mean one limited range of color. Of the cinnamon stones, the highest-quality hessonite that is not roiled or included, over two carats is rare and costs over $85 a carat. Often it is confused with Almandine (Almandite), Malaia, Spessartite garnets or Brandy topaz (Madeira) and stained quartz. Though a few astrologers may advise substitutes, my studies advise this as a last resort.

Because volume, clarity, and color are the main factors of potency, (as most scholars of Vedic prescriptions believe), I make available high-quality, deep cinnamon colored hessonite for about $10 a carat. The reason for its relative inexpensiveness is its shape. These gems are polished and smooth-edged specimens that do not have the correct dimensions for large-stone conventional faceting. Therefore, they are not as marketable. They do however have excellent astrological strength. I am extremely happy to have located this supply after three years of searching. It is this type of patience, commitment and expertise which allows me to develop financial savings resulting in relatively inexpensive gem bangles - of high quality - for my customers.

Many people still believe that high-quality gems must cost a king's ransom. But in this age of dynamite, excavators, and mechanized mineral processing technology, what once came to rest with wealthy collectors is now much more affordable. Laboratories, using revolutionary techniques to copy Mother Nature's gem growing environment, have greatly expanded the supply of top quality gem material, and thereby reduced its cost.

The ruby illustrates another unorthodox approach that I have developed over the years. Many Vedic astrologers, because they are not trained gemologists, have an erroneous viewpoint about the catagorizing of "synthetic" stones. It is imperative that the reader understand that what I use and recommend are laboratory-grown crystals. These lab-grown gems (also called created gems) are not to be confused with common synthetics. Synthetic stones for the most part, are materials similar in color or chemical composition to the natural, but have no synonymous crystal structure, and by application, no remedial power. Many synthetic gems are often misrepresented as having been grown as crystals in a laboratory. Retailers very commonly appear to not be completely accurate in this regard. A large laboratory-grown crystal can be grown from a smaller natural crystal. Is this any more unnatural than a seed grown in a greenhouse? Though I sell natural (and expensive) rubies and emeralds, my client feedback reveals that much more benefit is gained by those who wear lab-grown gem quality crystal material. The reason being, a deep green laboratory grown emerald is 1/40th the price of natural emeralds and because of budget limitations, clients invariably purchase a much more included and less intensely green natural gem.

The laboratory crystals of today grow using the same laws of nature that are activated when natural crystals are grown in magma or other thermal strata (the way natural gems originate). Actually, gems growing near the magma layers do not usually take hundreds of years to form, contrary to the romanticized view of the jewelry industry which hopes to profit from the supposed rarity of gems. These crystals sometimes grow at the same rate as lab-grown crystal gems (2-12 months).

For any crystal to have the correct geometric resonating signature, it is essential that the billions of atoms that constitute its atomic lattice line up exactly like its natural counterpart. When this occurs, the major difference between the two is that the laboratory crystal, because it was formed in a controlled, non-disturbance prone environment, has fewer inclusions, color zones, pressure fractures or other flaws. Therefore, the gemological crystal structure and atomic matrix of the lab-grown crystals are in much more perfect symmetrical harmony.

Incidentally, the viability and power of laboratory-grown crystals was amply demonstrated with the crystal radio when the original natural quartz crystals were replaced by created crystals, vastly improving receptivity and transmission. In the case of rubies, many gemologists simply do not have the education or the very expensive high-tech equipment necessary to evaluate whether or not certain cultures of lab-grown faceted ruby are of natural origin. Very often if the ruby is flawless, the diagnosis by a gemologist is mistaken. Naturally, professional gemologists do not advertise their difficulty in dealing with this, as it undermines their years of dedicated research (and their reputations). Fortunately, this problem does not apply to synthetic rubies grown by the Verneuil, Czochralski, and Scullcap methods. These are easy to recognize with the correct equipment and make up 99.5% of all synthetic gem material manufactured.

Natural and laboratory-grown gems compared

Emerald

This is because created crystals need to maintain extremely high temperatures for months at a time to develop, making the energy costs very high. Interestingly, these high energy costs outweigh the commercial logic of growing the less expensive yellow and blue sapphires. For the purist who cannot be convinced of the lab-grown crystal's similarity, please analyze the scientific analysis comparison charts. With regard to measured variations in the charts, it should be pointed out that nature does exactly the same thing with its emeralds and rubies from different fields around the world.

Ruby

This will occur with chemical composition and subtle variations in other measurable aspects such as refractive index, e.g. rubies from Australia are quite different than those from Burma or Vietnam.

Scrupulously grown laboratory rubies will not only have the same appearance as a flawless natural ruby (with the expected variations that occur in natural rubies from different parts of the world) but, more importantly for our purpose, appear to have the same astrological power to mitigate and nullify planetary influences on our karma - at a decidedly lower price! Natural rubies can be prohibitively expensive, and they are very often color enhanced by being heat-treated to just below melting point. I have laboratory-grown rubies from $25-$195 a carat, depending on quality.

Emeralds are also gems of legendary expense, but fortunately can be grown in the laboratory with great results. Lab-grown emeralds are easy to identify because they are usually flawless and of deep green color. Natural emeralds under the microscope show an extensive "garden" of inclusions. These inclusions can affect the astrological potency of the gem. In the case of emeralds, the depth of green color and uninterrupted amplification of power given off by an unfractured lab-grown crystal is vastly superior to a highly included natural emerald of the same color that would have a carat value (and cost) of at least 40 times the lab-grown crystal. I offer large faceted, deep green lab-grown emeralds for $55 to $75 a carat.

It is worth noting that most good quality emeralds have their fractures vacuum acid-cleaned, after which they are heated and pressure-impregnated with a dyed synthetic resin with the same refractive index as the beryl crystal. This process is designed to enhance their appearance and thereby justify an inflated price. In reality it only disguises the gems' heavily flawed condition (but such are the forces that drive the gem market!). Many people who have had their jewelry cleaned were unaware that the sonic cleaners had eradicated the coloring agents in their emeralds and have then sometimes unfairly accused their jewelers of switching stones!

Rubies, like diamonds, also have a sorry tale of extreme "flaw-fixing" remedies which include color enhancing and glass injection fracture filling, for cosmetic improvement. When mined, a very high proportion of red or pink rubies are "flawed" by color variations such as purple or black spots. By heating the material to just below the melting point adversely affecting the crystal structure, these undesirable qualities can be removed. However, because of the extraordinarily high temperatures and the difficulty in detecting this occurrence, a stronger interest has been generated for the lab-grown crystal material.

Further gem details

Hessonite Garnet

This gem is perhaps the most varied of all the primary Ayurvedic gems. Gemologically, there is more confusion concerning this garnet than any other. Traditionally, it used to be called cinnamon stone in India. There is a very large amount of it on the market that has a visible, roiled appearance, or extensive inclusions. It is one of the hardest to get inclusion-free with the correct color and sufficient weight. The crystal clear variety is the much more valuable. The roiled material sells for around $20 a carat and is not recommended.

The well-cut, totally clear cinnamon brown ultra-clean material goes from $85 a carat up to $160 plus. The jump in price is based on rarity and demand for the much heavier, flawless stones. Astrologically, my research tends to advise the much less expensive, tumble polished material for the budget-conscious. These small, clear, pebble-like stones have the weight and color but not the cosmetic symmetry associated with cost, and sell from $8 to $16 per carat. Again, the price variation is dependent upon the size of the stone, a clean 6-carat, tumble polished hessonite would be $15 per carat. I also have golden hessonite that some customers request. This attractive gem sells from $35 up to $55 a carat.

Flattened laboratory-grown ruby crystals which are clear, irregularly edged gems, perfect for bangle settings, normally sell for $25 per carat.

Equal quality laboratory-grown ruby crystal, but faceted, will sell from $140 to $195 per carat depending upon depth of color and size.

Ruby

Good quality natural ruby can go from $550 per carat upwards. Depth of color, size, and clarity can multiply the price by five-fold very quickly. And even with gemological analysis laboratory reports, I am not always completely satisfied with declarations that the stones haven't been tampered with (super -fried ). Some of the crystal growing laboratories do just too good a job of growing the rubies for the gem testing labs to detect whether they are natural or not.

Pearl

Price depends on luster, shape, symmetry, and lack of nacre blemishes. A smooth, undrilled, non-bleached, tissue grown, fresh water round pearl will sell by the piece from $75 up to $140.

These are not the bead or seeded cultured variety. Other irregularly shaped large pearls will generally sell from $40 each and more.

Naturally occurring salt water pearls are exceptionally rare and have to be special ordered from Australia and will sell from $700 upwards for one that is over five carats of high quality.

Red Coral

Red coral - or rather orange red coral as it should be called, as this is the material most commonly used - is generally $20 dollars plus per carat for higher quality material. Large, round, undrilled beads (9mm) due to scarcity can skyrocket up to $80 per carat. Shape and size has a lot to do with rarity. Its not unusual to see a large bead (11 mm) red coral necklace sell for $35,000, though I have 80 carat large rice grain bead necklaces for $58. There is a tremendous amount of imitation material on the market including white coral and bone which is dyed red, ceramic and glass beads.

Emerald

In my experience, emerald is one of the most over valued gems on the market, one of the most misrepresented and fraudulently priced. I have little difficulty selling the laboratory-grown emerald crystal cut gem stones to clients when they see the crystals in the raw form and they compare the price against the heavily included and extremely expensive natural gem quality emerald which starts at $190 a carat. And the price keeps going up. Most clients settle for material priced around $650 a carat in the higher quality range.

The lab-grown material, which has the perfect deep green color and is clear of cracks and foreign matter inclusions, sells from $55 up to $75 a carat and much less for non-symmetrical cuts. Please remember most emerald on the market is fracture filled with a plastic resin or green oil with the same refractive index.

Blue sapphire 

Blue sapphire doesn't seem to have a lot of price variety unless of course one compromises price by acquiring a heat-treated stone. These can sell from $70 a carat and up. The more expensive unheated blues will go from $190 a carat and up, depending on the intensity of the natural blue. $290 plus is common for a good blue. The intense, unheated or non-irradiated natural blue can go for over $900 a carat. Beware of the blue sapphires in the local jewelry store. Any honest Bangkok gem dealer will let you know that 97% of blue sapphires are generally heated to a little below melting point in order to deepen the color.

Diamond

For all my phone work, door knocking, faxing, and plane travel over the years, still the elusive price break on high quality, large diamonds hasn't occurred. I do not favor the Russian laboratory grown diamonds. They simply do not have all the characteristics the natural diamond has. It is astrologically important that the gem has no black carbon inclusions, and is very clean. I often purchase VVSI or IF diamonds in the light cape color range over two carts for around $3,000 per carat.

I can explain the purchasing procedure over the phone to interested parties. I generally suggest to clients that unless Venus is seriously afflicted in their horoscopes, it is better to concentrate on acquiring the eight other stones in the best possible size and quality. They should wait to add a diamond until they have been wearing the other stones for awhile and can attest to their effectiveness.

At the lower end of the price scale I sell high quality, uncut, natural, clean diamond crystals - when I can get them at the right price - for $350 per carat.

Yellow Sapphire

Very pale yellows start from $90 a carat and work themselves up to $300 a carat for a good color, unheated stone. Most yellow sapphires on the market are heated and virtually all the golden sapphires are also. Heat treated yellows often color fade within a year or two. Some astrologers often advise golden topaz as a substitute not realizing that citrine is often sold by the same name.

Chrysoberyl Catseye

Here is another complexly priced stone with many variations.There are many different catseyes on the market. True chrysoberyl is among the most rare and expensive. There are opaque and transparent catseyes. Prices will travel between $90 a carat (which will not be totally flawless) up to $600 a carat or more.

I commonly sell between the $275 to $380 per carat range