Shain Mayer, a gemstone cutter and bread baker from Arizona, recently wrote an interesting response to my labradorite article.  I had posted  a link to the article on a lapidary forum, and there was a discussion whether people believed in the spiritual properties of gemstones.  Here is his story, in his own words (unedited)…

“I believe, based on experience. Here my story, share if you got one.

When I was 14, I worked the weekends with my Dad as a day laborer for his patio business. One Saturday doing a relatively small job. The customer wanted a Gulam beam. It was about 16 feet long. For those who don’t know what a gulam bean is. It is a laminated wood beam, which mimics steal. They last forever when it comes to wood. They also tend to be extremely heavy, even at only 16 feet. This beam weighted in at roughly 3 tons, 6000 pounds.

I’m sure you can see were this is going; yes he dropped this beam on me while we were trying to set it. I took 6000 pounds to my right shoulder and stood my ground. I was always a big kid, and could always take a lot. And we both thought we could set the beam. It only fell arms length, about 2 feet. Hence why I was able to stand my ground and it didn’t crush me.  But it took me out of work for a couple weeks with him.

As a growing young man, I brushed it off. 4 years later as a senior in high school. I began suffering pain in the eyes, and extreme migraines.  Tested through an MIR and found nothing wrong with my brain. Went to a chiropractor and from a basic x-ray, the problem is extremely evident. But because I brushed it off, grew 4 more years I pretty much stuck with a bent spine. Its bends to the right, the direction in which they took the brunt of the fall.  After 2 weeks with this guy, he managed to reverse the curvature of my spine.  I was starting to turn into a hunchback, and was begging to suffer early effects of nerve damage. At 20, I was almost in full hammer hand, and suffer extreme pain in both my arms and hands from the nerve damage. A second chiroprature was two brothers, close to work. Daily adjustments and electrolysis.
Well, that lasted rough 8 months before one of the brothers displaced one of my front ribs. Into my lungs. Was almost a lawsuit, but the other brother took care of me. And after I was able to understand how now I can popped this rib in an out anytime I want now. I decided I was about done with chiropractors.

This is when I started getting into the metaphysics of rocks and gems I was cutting all the time.  Believe it or not, there is a type of Condor agate I call Condor Fire jasper. It’s the type of super rich red and orange jasper type, with almost no translucent or agate layers. I began meditating and putting this certain piece under my pillow when I slept. Within 2 weeks, my hammer hand was beginning to relieve and the general pain from headaches/backaches/arms, and often a heavy blood vessel problem in the pinched area on the spine. All started to subside, but it wasn’t a cure by no means. I then began reading more about energy transference, like Reiki and acupuncture.

I was then moved to a new store at my job, and guess what. Right next door was a chiropractor office. Ahh man, since I was still having adjustments problems from the first two. I figured it was worth investigation this doctor just for the connivance factor of him being right next door. But when I went it, I came to find out he was actually an Acupuncturist first, who also did adjustments for people. I explained my situ to him and what I was doing with the condor agate. He gave me one neck adjustment, then two weeks of Acupuncture to the arms, hands, brow, and neck areas.

He explained to me that the first two guys managed to tear me apart to the point that my bones will always been floating and problematic. Based also on the fact that I allowed myself to grow in the teen’s years at the height of growth. I should have had surgery and one day still might need it.

But he further explained to me that the use of the agate was helping realigned my nervous system that was effected and not properly maintained by the first two groups I went to. My nerves were responsible for telling my muscles to crap up and get claw hand.  And were the only real source of any pain I was now experiencing.  And that over a period time he wouldn’t know, the stone he believed would do what he was able to do in two weeks of acupuncture.  It was some of the most intense pain I’ve ever been trough.  The damaged from the accident was generally fixed before I got to him. But the nerves were still all confused and he had to reset them.  Funny thing is too, this guy was no stereotype of witch doctor. But a Harvard Medical school grad and Jewish. Not that matters, but just so folks reading this understand this is highly accepted form of medical practice. And his comments to the use of my stone was evident when that what he prescribed for me. More meditation with that stone.

I am now 34, have complete use of hands, no hunchback, no nerve damage. The occasional back problem we all suffer with age.  Funny because I was very afraid when I started getting the claw hand. But now, I have cut more rocks, shaped more bread, and still learning claw hammer banjo. My dexterity is a bit off, that’s about it.”

Shain Mayer’s work can be viewed on his blog Freeformcabs by Shain Mayer.  For current cabochons for sale, please visit him here…

Update:  I emailed Shain asking if he had a picture of his condor agate.  His response (unedited):

“I don’t have the stone anymore.  As after I regained the use of my
hands and the pain started going away. I began further exploring the metaphysical information online and became friends with many people through similar forums. I gifted the stone to  a woman whose husband was suffering similar nerve damage.  From my understanding this stone is actually in a third set of hands because of its powerful energies. AS it has help everyone along the way.”

Agates are known as very grounding stones, useful for physical and emotional balance.  Condor agate was discovered on a 7,000 foot plateau in Patagonia, Argentina, and was named after the condor of the Andes.

If you have a story about how gemstones have affected your life that you’d like to share, I’d love to write about it.

Looking for gemstones to enhance your life?  Take a look at my earthegy shop.