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Gem Profile- Eilat Stone

by Judy Ellis
Eilat Stone

In my quest for beautiful and rare stones, I thought we would travel to Israel to learn about a stone that is not only named for a city but is also the national stone of Israel. We will not travel to the Israel of today though, but to the 10th century BCE, the time of Solomon and the kingdom he ruled.
How do we get Eilat Stone?

The kingdom of **Edom**, which extended from the **Dead Sea** to the **Gulf of Aqaba**, contained some of the most extensive copper mines of this period.

The Edomites were largely nomadic people. They lived in tents and mined copper from the **Timna mines**, located near the city of Eilat.

The Edomites frequently conflicted with the Israelites. It's believed that **King Solomon** may have exerted influence or established a trade agreement for the copper from these mines.

Beyond copper, the Timna mines also yielded a beautiful secondary copper mineral. This stone is composed of malachite, azurite, chrysocolla, and turquoise.

This composite stone was named **Eilat Stone** after the closest city, Eilat. This mining area is famously known as **"King Solomon's Mines,"** a name given by American archaeologist Nelson Glueck.

Eilat Stone has been found in tombs and archaeological sites dating back to this same period.
Judy Ellis's Gem Profile- Eilat Stone - , General Education, , Eiliat, Israel map
Pure Eilat Stone:

Eilat Stone, also called "King Solomon's Stone," features beautiful patterns that look like blue, green, and gray paint swirled together.

It is found in the Timna mining district and one other mine along the Red Sea, which is now depleted.

Similar stones exist in Arizona and Africa. However, only the Eilat Stone from Israel contains chrysocolla specific to that region.

For this reason, only the Israeli variety can be called "true" or pure Eilat Stone.

This distinction shouldn't matter to most artists or customers, but it may concern purists: *caveat emptor*.
Judy Ellis's Gem Profile- Eilat Stone - , General Education, , Eilat stone jewel
Judy Ellis's Gem Profile- Eilat Stone - , General Education, , Eilat stone
Israel encompasses much of the former kingdom of Edom. The mines and the city of Eilat are situated at Israel's southern tip.

"King Solomon's Stone" is increasingly difficult to find. This is due to the flooding of the mine at Timna and the designation of the area as a national park and archaeological site.

Since the stone is primarily found only in this single region, supplies are dwindling, causing prices to climb.
Judy Ellis's Gem Profile- Eilat Stone - , General Education, , Eilat harbor
Caring for your Eilat Stone:

Eilat stone is a cousin of turquoise and should be treated and cared for the same way. Be very careful with the stone if there are light or sky-blue inclusions as these tend to be extremely soft and may crumble.
Judy Ellis's Gem Profile- Eilat Stone - , General Education, , Eilat stone earrings
Eilat is usually cut en cabochon or round beads to show the beautiful patterns and swirls of malachite and turquoise in the stone.

Due to the pattern variations, no two stones will look alike which adds to the beauty and uniqueness of Eilat.

Eilat stone pendant. Courtesy of Ophir Jewelry
Judy Ellis's Gem Profile- Eilat Stone - , General Education, , Eilat stone pendant. Courtesy of Ophir Jewelry
Resources:

Eilat stone data

Eilat Stone-Israel's National Gemstone: www.mindat.org

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  • Category: General Education
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