Ja'al Stones

Ja'al stones are gems/jewels created from the sap of various trees, similar to amber, frankincense, myrrh, dragon's blood, etc.
Made from the sap of the huraneel treetree, Ja'al are initially colorless. The Ja'al imprint or bond with the owner over time through direct skin contact as oils are absorbed. Fur, hair, clothing, etc all interfere with this bond. For this reason, the contact point is usually made permanently bare, by plucking out hair, feathers, or fur. Favorite places tend to be the forehead (in a periapt), necklaces, rings, armbands, and bracelets.  
As one might imagine, Ja'al are almost universally styled as cabochons, allowing for maximum skin contact. It is possible to create faceted stones, but for the most part, this technique has been lost to the ages since once the stone is imprinted, it cannot be cut or shaped. Because the huraneel tree is rare and harvesting raw Ja'al is challenging, to say the least, shaping a smooth domed cabochon is the path of least resistance. 
These challenges include the raw resin being poisonous; in addition, any skin contact can begin the imprint, especially if/when strong emotions are in play, among other factors), shaping a smooth dome is the path of least danger. See huraneel tree for more detail on the challenge involved in obtaining Ja'al stones.
Ja'al can be given to direct descendants who have a sufficiently close body chemistry/DNA. Most frequent is mother/daughter, although other combinations are possible. When a Ja'al is transferred or inherited, the intensity of the color will dim significantly until a new bond is created, at which point the light begins intensifying again.
Colors vary by sebb, and the intensity of that color increases with the length of ownership. This intensity is referred to as the stone's 'light', since there is a biochemical interaction that creates a bioluminescent effect. 
They are thought to have significant magical properties. These magical properties vary between anSebban and are also thought to have powers directly proportional to the intensity of the light. It should be noted that most scholars believe this to be primarily a placebo effect, even though "magic" is known to exist. 
Should a Ja'al be lost, stolen, or otherwise no longer be in the imprinter's possession, it will lose both color and light. It is not clearly documented as to whether this Dark Stone can be reimprinted or if it is forever lost. Because of the priceless nature of the stones, none are willing to experiment. 
The personalized nature of Ja'al, bonding with a specific individual (or lineage, for ancestral Ja'al) means that few stones are actually stolen by persons outside the immediate lineage cannot wear them. However, while it is most common for Ja'al to be passed from one generation to the next as an almost literal passing of the torch or ancestral blessing to the line's heir apparent, theft by siblings has been creditably documented. These persons look to literally steal the familial blessing.
Most families, however, recognize this potential, and the line head will often obtain and create additional Ja'al for the subordinate houses. In time, these subordinate House Stones may develop their own histories and lineages, just as the Branch Houses do.
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Properties

Material Characteristics

Ja'al are usually a smooth domed cabochon although the most ancient examples are faceted.  The raw resin is pliable, having a whitish color and rubbery feel.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Primarily used for decoration, especially heirlooms such as periapts, necklaces, rings.  Some believe the stones contain magic or enhance magical abilities.

Origin & Source

Derived from the sap of the huraneel tree.

Type

Organic

Odor

Raw resin smells slightly sweet. Imprinted stones have no discernable odor.

Taste

There are reports of the Ja'al resin tasting initially slightly sweet but unbonded resin will almost immediately being burning the mouth parts with a poisonous acid.

Color

Ja'al gem color varies by species. The resin is whitish.

Common State

Ja'al resin is the sap of the huraneel tree. It is a whitish rubbery gum in raw form. When formed as a gem and properly imprinted, it hardens similar to amber, franken since, myrrh, or dragon's blood.