Crystals are healing stones with frequencies that can have positive impacts on the mind, body and soul. Ranging from precious gems like amethyst to rough or raw stones suitable for meditation practice, these gemstones each bring something positive into your life.

Crystals and gemstones are both solid substances formed from minerals. However, crystals differ in that their lattice structures are highly ordered while stones have more random arrangements.

Origins

Natural crystals and gemstones can be found worldwide, becoming particularly popular during the 19th century in Western culture as a symbol of wealth, power, spiritual healing, or both.

Crystals form when pure substances arrange themselves into ordered patterns called crystal structures, creating orderly arrangements of atoms in their structure. Although any substance can form crystals, most minerals form crystal structures on Earth’s crust such as quartz, feldspar, mica and talc. Depending on their impurity level and how light interacts with its constituent atoms in its crystalline form they can either be colorless or colored; color occurs as light interacts with them.

Ancient Greek and Roman mythology associated crystals like amethyst with divinity and enlightenment. In fact, the term ‘crystal’ comes from Greek word krystallos (meaning “ice”) because clear quartz looks and behaves similarly when in its pure state, which makes it suitable for vision quests and shamanic practices to connect to Earth’s spiritual energy.

Meanings

Since ancient times, various crystals have been associated with various powers and charms associated with them. Each stone possesses its own special powers ranging from relaxing and centering energies to stimulating and energizing ones. Gemstones are believed to support physical, mental, emotional health by healing ailments like insomnia, headaches and arthritis as well as improving fertility, memory retention and intuition.

Crystals display similar symmetrical patterns found on butterfly wings, sunflower whorls or spider legs – these structures contain basic building blocks which result in these distinct designs.

Quartz is a powerful stone known to protect against negative energy and boost immunity, while at the same time offering great calming qualities and encouraging self-love and trust. Furthermore, quartz can help remove limiting beliefs or behavior patterns, helping resolve relationship issues more peacefully while adding love into one’s life.

Benefits

Gemstones are prized not only for their beauty, but they have numerous practical uses as well. Since ancient times they have been worn in jewelry, amulets and other ornaments. Some stones like lapis lazuli have long been associated with mental clarity and wisdom while moonstone has emotional healing properties. Other crystals like black tourmaline can offer protection from negative energies or psychic attacks.

Rough or raw crystals such as amethyst and rose quartz are often utilized for their energetic healing properties, while mala beads made of crystal can also help encourage hope, courage, and peace during meditation. Furthermore, mala beads can also be used to count repetitions of mantras or sacred chants.

Some crystal practitioners claim that specific gemstones have healing properties; however, scientific proof for this claim remains scarce. When seeking advice for health related concerns or symptoms from crystal therapy alone it’s always wise to seek professional medical advice first before considering alternatives like crystals as therapy options to feel your best.

Care

Gemstones and crystals require special care in order to preserve their beauty and healing powers, or else they could easily become damaged from improper cleaning, storage and handling practices.

Crystals are pure elements arranged molecularly into geometric patterns, while gemstones consist of rare, precious, semiprecious minerals or organic bases like amber.

Crystals that are soft and more porous, such as calcite, fluorite and gypsum should be stored separately from harder stones such as quartz. Cramming them together could result in damaging scratches to each other or scratched surfaces from being jammed together.

Tanzanite is highly sensitive to heat and vibration, so take every possible measure to protect it. Clean with only damp cloths when cleaning it, avoiding hairspray and perfume as these may dull its surface. Scapolite, white sapphire and lattice diffusion treated sapphire can all be safely cleaned with damp cloths but without submersion in water; an ultrasonic cleaner may be beneficial in treating untreated and heat-treated sapphire as well.