Sulfur is a bright, sunny yellow stone, ranging from lemon or butter yellow to honey gold. Sulfur crystals are lovely, but fragile. They are such poor conductors of heat that even the warmth of a hand can cause them to crack and crumble. The foul smell of sulfur is caused by its natural oxidization as it emits small quantities of sulfur dioxide gas. When burned, the amount of gas given off by sulfur can be deadly.
Despite its evil connotations, elemental Sulfur was burned for centuries as fuel and to purify sickrooms, hospitals, charnel houses, and plague areas. Homer’s term for sulfur was “dispeller of plagues.” Lore of the times stated that foul smelling things would repel evil spirits, and you can’t get much worse than burning sulfur. Even into the twentieth century, country lore stated a lump of sulfur in a red bag around the neck would ward off illness (perhaps by keeping everyone away).
The Greeks called Sulfur Theion, “Athene-given,” and the word brimstone also came from one of her names, Brimo. The medieval symbol for sulfur is the same as her sign. When alchemists would combine sulfur and mercury, this was called the marriage of Hermes and Athene. By the beginning of the Christian era, the idea of sulfur and evil spirits had been corrupted to the Christian ideas about Hell, making a place of fire and burning brimstone. Instead of being repelled by the stench (which wouldn’t have made Hell a very popular place with its demonic inhabitants), the demons preferred it.
Modern gem mystics state that sulfur dispels all kinds of negativity. Distracting intellectual thoughts and emotions and negative stubbornness are repelled. It will also increase inspirational energies and devotion toward the perfection of self, melting away any energy blockages. The stone has a tradition of use by South American and Central American natives as a healing stone. Some sources say it brings together the four directions, Mother Earth, and Father Sky. Crushed, it was scattered in the four directions to dispel darkness and corruption in an effort to cleanse the earth.