Numerous individuals wear crystal and gemstone jewelry for spiritual, healing and energetic benefits; however, much confusion surrounds the difference between gems and crystals.

Gemstones are solid materials composed of atoms arranged in an ordered lattice structure. Gemstones can be treated in various ways to alter their color, clarity and properties.

Spiritual Benefits

Crystals and gemstones have long been revered as spiritually beneficial stones that can help balance energy flow within your body, bring peace, clarity and protection.

The soothing hues and distinctive forms of each crystal combine to make jewellery pieces that are both visually entrancing and emotionally therapeutic. From deep purple amethyst to rose quartz’s soothing pinks or moonstone’s mystifying iridescence, there’s sure to be one suitable stone to meet everyone’s needs.

Crystals and gemstones differ because the latter serve specific functions while crystals do not. Crystals tend to be used for scientific or metaphysical applications while gems are most valued for their beauty and may serve a range of functions depending on the type. For instance, tiger’s eye gemstones are associated with solar plexus chakras to promote courage and self-esteem while labradorite activates third eye chakras to increase intuition and psychic abilities.

Healing Benefits

Many crystals are prized for their purported healing properties. According to holistic practitioners, crystals may help promote physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. Many advocates also believe that certain crystals can align and balance energy centers within the body known as chakras.

Some crystals are known for their emotional healing properties. Rose quartz, for example, can help relieve depression, anxiety, grief and sorrow. Amethyst, with its deeply soothing energies that ease stress while inspiring inner peace and spiritual development is another stone known to offer emotional therapeutic properties.

Citrine, a yellow-to-reddish-orange gemstone that stimulates the mind and boosts confidence, is another popular crystal. Clear quartz amplifies intentions while providing mental clarity; green aventurine draws wealth and prosperity while encouraging compassion and harmony.

Energy Alignment

Crystals and gemstones can help your energy become aligned, which means your thoughts, emotions, actions, beliefs and goals work in sync with one another to propel you toward reaching your goals and dreams as well as support attracting love into your life.

Energies can be balanced through various energy healing techniques such as theta healing and soul plan interpretation, meditation and crystal therapy. Furthermore, crystals can help keep you focused on your goals and intentions, clearing away negative energy that’s been building up in your physical, emotional and spiritual bodies.

Gemstones are valuable forms of mineral, often considered precious due to their rarity, durability, and beauty. Gemstones can be found everywhere from jewellery and decorative items to vehicles and even spaceships! Their crystal structure gives each gemstone unique properties which allow for further shaping into shapes that make them suitable for jewelry making or use in decorative accessories.

Cleansing

Over time, gemstone or crystal jewelry absorbs energy from its surroundings – including your emotions and those around you – which may make the pieces heavy or blocked, necessitating frequent cleansing and recharge sessions with palo santo or sage smoke smudging.

Gemstones differ significantly from crystals by possessing an amorphous, more random atomic structure and can exhibit unique phenomena such as refraction, dispersion and piezoelectricity.

Rough stones (except diamond) can be tumbled–placed in a cylindrical bin filled with abrasive grit and rotated–to make them smoother and more polished, or they may be cut en cabochon by skilled lapidaries, or tumbled again for another smoothing treatment. Many gemstones also contain trace amounts of other minerals known as inclusions that give away their source; this allows us to identify them more readily; some inclusions may even prove whether or not a gemstone is natural or synthetic! Some inclusions can even help identify them; many of these inclusions can be harmless while some could prove this fact if consumed accidentally!