Gems and precious stones are beautiful and valuable, so it is only natural that we would name our children after them. Names based on jewels are found throughout the world. This is just a small sampling!
Jade is a beautiful, dark green stone, very hard and tough, used for carving. The English word comes from the Spanish phrase piedra de ijada, "stone of the side," because jade was once thought to have the power to cure pains in the side of one's body. The name has been used for both girls and boys.
Jawahar is an Arabic name meaning "gem, jewel." The name is found throughout the Islamic world, including Fiji and Malaysia.
Tama is a Japanese name that can be used for either girls or boys, although the kanji used to write the names are different. The word means "dark red gem." Perhaps it refers to a garnet or a ruby.
India has given
us a great many gemstone names. Aruna is of Sanskrit origin, and means
"ruby."
