From established rock emporiums to small Etsy sellers, high-quality crystals are everywhere. When searching for crystals of any quality, look for shops that track their supply chains and support local economies or reforestation projects.

House of Intuition offers an impressive variety of gemstones, from raw quartz and geode bookends to kid-safe magnetic hematite. Their California store provides comprehensive sourcing information as well as metaphysical insight.

Gem-grade or jewel-quality crystals

Gemstones can be divided into various categories according to their clarity. AAA grade crystals feature minimal inclusions and excellent transparency, while B and C grades contain visible inclusions; nonetheless they remain desirable, but don’t offer as much brilliance.

Clarity of gemstones is one of the primary factors in determining their value, with higher-grade stones costing more. When purchasing one, it is vital to inspect it under magnification before buying; look out for pits, scratches or dull areas which indicate poor polish. Also inspect it closely for any rounded facet junctions which don’t meet up correctly.

Color is also an essential factor when determining a gem’s value; even minor differences in hue can have a dramatic impact on its appearance and emotional appeal. When selecting your gem, ensure it fits both your personal style and budget requirements.

Optically-pure crystals

Crystal quality can have a substantial effect on the performance of an electronic device, including operating frequency, load capacitance variation and tuning sensitivity. Therefore, you should select one with exceptional properties that fits all of your specific requirements.

Optic purity plays an essential role in minimizing distortion of light passing through crystals, so the higher their optical purity is, the better its performance will be in devices like smartphones.

To create optically pure crystals, it is necessary to add chiral additives during the cooling process in order to form the enantiomer of your choice into crystalline structures. While this process can be extremely laborious, its worth it as it will increase performance while also improving reliability of devices.

Sharply faceted crystals

Crystals can enhance meditation and help you feel more grounded, but be wary not to replace medical treatment for mental health conditions with crystals alone. Keep in mind that crystals may only have a placebo effect and when combined with other wellness practices may make a real difference.

Gemology defines four C’s as color, clarity, cut and carat weight – qualities essential to the value of gemstones. Clarity refers to how much light passes through a stone; for optimal clarity without cloudiness or milkiness a good crystal should have as little light refracting through it as possible.

Lapidaries specialize in cutting gemstones into various shapes, such as brilliant and cabochon cuts. Additionally, they polish stones to reveal their beauty and luster. Facet cuts are most frequently employed with translucent gemstones and precious stones because light refracts off of small surface areas of faceted stones, giving them that distinctive sparkle like diamonds. Lapidaries may form soft gem species too soft for faceting into cabochons to better showcase visual effects such as play of color, cat’s eye effect or asterism effects.

Highly-polished crystals

Crystals come in all sorts of shapes and colors, each offering different healing properties. When adding new crystals to your collection – be they raw or tumbled – be mindful of what purpose they will serve for you.

Raw crystals tend to have more rustic aesthetics, with rough surfaces and sharp edges. Many believe these unaltered or polished crystals offer more intense energy.

Polished crystals are stones that have been ground, crushed or tumbled with other rocks or metals to round and smoothen them, eliminating their rough textures while also absorbing energy from you. Tumbled crystals are easy to transport and can be used for various purposes like balancing emotions or strengthening aura. Tumbled spheres (great for fertility rituals) or harmonizers such as Selenite in cylindrical form emit soothing energy and help promote balance across mind, body and spirit.