Quick answer: the navaratna (“nine gems” in Sanskrit) is a traditional set of nine stones, each linked to one of the nine celestial bodies (grahas) of Vedic astrology: ruby, pearl, red coral, emerald, yellow sapphire, diamond, blue sapphire, hessonite garnet, and cat’s-eye chrysoberyl. In tradition, gems of planets considered enemies are kept apart, with ruby and blue sapphire the pairing most often warned against. Inside a navaratna ring, all nine are arranged together in a set pattern meant to keep them in balance.
The nine gems and their planets
- Ruby, for the Sun (Surya). Red corundum.
- Pearl, for the Moon (Chandra). Organic, made by mollusks.
- Red coral, for Mars (Mangala). Organic, the skeleton of marine animals.
- Emerald, for Mercury (Budha). Green beryl colored by chromium or vanadium.
- Yellow sapphire, for Jupiter (Brihaspati). Yellow corundum.
- Diamond, for Venus (Shukra). Pure carbon.
- Blue sapphire, for Saturn (Shani). Blue corundum.
- Hessonite, for Rahu, the ascending lunar node. An orange-brown grossular garnet.
- Cat’s-eye chrysoberyl, for Ketu, the descending lunar node. Chrysoberyl with a sharp band of light across it.
Rahu and Ketu are not physical planets at all. They are the two points where the Moon’s orbit crosses the Sun’s apparent path, the points where eclipses happen.
How a navaratna ring is arranged
In a traditional navaratna setting, ruby (the Sun) sits in the center. The other eight surround it in a fixed order, which varies slightly by region and lineage. The arrangement mirrors the idea that the Sun is at the center of the system, and that all nine forces are present at once and in balance.
Which two gemstones should not be worn together?
This is one of the most-searched questions about the navaratna. In Vedic astrology, some planets are considered friends and others enemies. Wearing gems of enemy planets on their own, outside the balanced navaratna arrangement, is traditionally discouraged. The most commonly cited pair is ruby (Sun) and blue sapphire (Saturn), because Saturn is regarded as the Sun’s adversary. Lists of other incompatible pairs vary between astrologers, so there is no single authoritative chart.
Whatever your view of astrology, the mineralogy makes a neat point here: ruby, blue sapphire, and yellow sapphire are all the same mineral, corundum, colored differently by trace elements. Chromium makes ruby red; iron and titanium make sapphire blue. Three of the nine gems are chemically siblings. Read more in trace elements: the impurities that give crystals their color.
Beyond India: the nine gems around Asia
The navaratna spread well beyond India. In Thailand, the nine gems are a royal emblem, and one of the kingdom’s highest honors is the Ancient and Auspicious Order of the Nine Gems. The word also took on a metaphorical meaning: the Mughal emperor Akbar’s nine most celebrated courtiers were known as his navaratnas, his “nine jewels.”
The geology inside a navaratna
Look at the set as a mineral collector would and it is a remarkably complete tour of how gems form:
- Metamorphic rocks (marble and gneiss) host many of the world’s rubies and sapphires.
- Volcanic pipes bring diamond up from more than 150 kilometers down. See kimberlite pipes.
- Pegmatites and hydrothermal veins produce emerald and chrysoberyl.
- Living things make pearl and coral, which are not minerals at all in the strict sense.
Cat’s-eye chrysoberyl is a particularly good example of mineral optics. Its “eye” comes from thousands of tiny parallel needle-like inclusions or channels that scatter light into a single bright line. It is the same effect, called chatoyancy, that gives tiger’s eye its shimmer. Our Pietersite Cabochon — Pear Shape shows a wilder, swirling version of it, and the physics is in Chatoyancy and Asterism.
A note on buying
Traditional navaratna buyers often look for natural, untreated stones of a certain minimum size, and many gem markets sell certified “planetary gems.” Treatment disclosure matters here more than almost anywhere else, since heated, filled, and glass-filled rubies are common. Our guide to dyed, heated, and coated stones covers what to ask.
