Every gemstone page on this site ends with a short "how to wear it" note, and the notes all follow the same rules. This article sets those rules out in one place, so that whichever stone you have been recommended, you know what the astrologer means by the finger, the metal, the day and the first wearing.
1. Get the right stone
A remedial stone is chosen from the birth chart, not from the sun sign alone. The sun sign is a good first guide, and the zodiac pages on this site pair each sign with a stone, but a proper prescription looks at the Moon, the ascendant and the planet that needs help. Buy natural stone, ask for a laboratory report for anything costly, and read the "real or fake" section on the stone's page before you pay.
2. The finger
Each finger belongs to a planet, and the stone goes on its planet's finger so that it sits over that planet's mount in the palm.
- Index finger (Jupiter): yellow sapphire, citrine, feroza, lapis lazuli.
- Middle finger (Saturn, Rahu, Ketu): blue sapphire, amethyst, purple sapphire, hessonite, cat's eye, blue topaz.
- Ring finger (Sun, and often Venus and Mars): ruby, garnet, red coral, bloodstone, opal, diamond, tiger eye.
- Little finger (Mercury, and often the Moon): emerald, peridot, aqeeq, pearl, moonstone, chalcedony.
Wear the ring on your working hand, the right for most people. Pendants are an accepted alternative for the Moon and Venus stones, and for any stone the wearer cannot keep on a finger at work.
3. The metal
Gold carries the warm planets: the Sun, Jupiter and Mars. Silver carries the cool ones: the Moon, Venus, Mercury and Saturn. Rahu and Ketu stones go in silver or in panchdhatu, the five-metal alloy. Copper is used for Mars and sometimes the Sun. Many people wear everything in gold for durability, and most astrologers accept that, but the traditional pairing is the one above. Whatever the metal, the setting must be open at the back so that the stone touches the skin.
4. The weight
Tradition asks for a stone large enough to have an effect, and the usual minimums are two to three carats for the small-finger stones and three to five for the rest. A common rule of thumb in the subcontinent scales the stone to body weight, roughly one ratti (about 0.12 grams) for every ten to twelve kilograms. A very small stone is not harmful; it is simply thought to do less.
5. The day and the hour
Each planet has a day, and the stone is first worn on that day, during the planet's hour if possible, which for most planets is the first hour after sunrise on its day.
- Sunday - Sun (ruby)
- Monday - Moon (pearl, moonstone)
- Tuesday - Mars (coral, bloodstone) and Ketu (cat's eye)
- Wednesday - Mercury (emerald, peridot, aqeeq)
- Thursday - Jupiter (yellow sapphire, citrine, feroza)
- Friday - Venus (diamond, opal, kunzite)
- Saturday - Saturn (blue sapphire, amethyst) and Rahu (hessonite)
Saturn's stones are the exception to the morning rule and are put on in the evening.
6. The first wearing
The night before, or on the morning itself, the ring is placed in a small bowl of raw milk, or milk and honey, with clean water, for some minutes to an hour, then rinsed. Some traditions add Ganges water or rose water. The wearer sits facing east, says whatever prayer or intention belongs to their faith, and puts the ring on. That is the whole ritual; the elaborate versions sold with expensive stones are not necessary.
7. The trial period
Stones of the hard planets, blue sapphire above all, but also cat's eye and hessonite, are worn for three days before the decision is final. If the days go badly, with accidents, bad news or unease, the stone is taken off and returned. Stones of the benefic planets need no trial.
8. What not to combine
The planets have enemies, and so do their stones. Do not wear ruby with blue sapphire or diamond; pearl with emerald, diamond or blue sapphire; yellow sapphire with blue sapphire, emerald or diamond; or cat's eye and hessonite with ruby, pearl or coral, unless an astrologer has looked at the chart and approved the pair. The nine gems article lists the friendships in full.
9. Care
Take the ring off for heavy work, swimming and cleaning. Wash it in plain water now and then. If a stone cracks or falls out, tradition says it has done its work or absorbed something meant for you; replace it rather than wearing it broken. And read the care notes on its page: pearl, opal, malachite and amber all need gentler handling than the sapphires.