Crystal and Mineral Information

Please remember that holistic therapies do not replace conventional medical care but can be a valuable accompaniment. Crystal healing can help with a variety of conditions mental, physical, emotional and spiritual we are all different therefore they can have varying effects upon us, the information given here is a guide and drawn from experiences which may resonant within you!

Keeping in balance is something to continually strive for, 'MOT's and serving isn't just for cars!'

What is a 'Crystal'?
To start with, 'what is a mineral?' might be a better question. A mineral is a "naturally occurring homogeneous solid with a definite chemical composition and a highly ordered atomic arrangement" (Encyclopedia Britannica).

Minerals are usually formed from inorganic processes and make up the crystals, rocks and gemstones of the world. There must also be a definite crystalline structure to the atomic arrangement, colour and hardness. However, these can vary greatly, especially in colour, not only from one specimen to another but within the same specimen. Each mineral also has a specific hardness.

A crystal is "a three-dimensional atomic, ionic, or molecular structure consisting of periodically repeated, identically constituted, congruent unit cells" (Readers Digest, Great Illustrated Dictionary).

Silver
Structue - Cubic, Ag

Colour - silver white

Luster - metalic

Density - opaque

Hardness - 2.5

Cleavage - none

Orign - hydrothermal in ore veins and seconday cementation in association with many other minerals

Crystal History
The history

These three dimensional, atomic, ionic, or molecular structures (OK - let's call them crystals!) have been used and revered since the dawn of mankind. The Judaeo - Christian Bible refers to them over 200 times, and crystals and artifacts made from crystals have been found in the ruins of Babylon, the Pyramids of Ancient Egypt, the tombs of Ancient Chinese Emperors and Toltec, Mayan, Aztec and Inca sites in South America and all around the glode in many faiths.

Crystal Healing
How do crystals work?

Crystals have both piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties.

Piezoelectricity is where electricity is produced by pressure. Many early cultures (e.g. Mayan, Aztec, Native American Indian, African and Celtic) used to strike quartz crystals with a wooden mallet, resulting in a flash of light. Imagine the scene around a fire in the darkness of night, the shaman/medicine man calls on the spirits/gods and light flashes around the scene!

Compression releases electrons from their atomic bonding -the flash of light -then they return to the atomic nuclei. These electrons are continuously vibrating and almost any energy source placed near a crystal will cause an increase in this vibration. It is not uncommon for personal crystals to fracture or shatter during use.

Pyroelectricity is produced by temperature. Simply holding a crystal in your hand gives enough heat to generate the pyroelectric effect.

Quartz crystal will focus any type of energy. You can see this for yourself if you hold a quartz crystal over the palm of your hand and rotate it slowly in a clockwise direction. You will see a point of light moving around your hand, under the crystal, as it focuses the light in the room (or sunlight).

Crystals grow (literally) out of a chaotic mineral environment. They bring the environment around them into balance. This is how crystals work in healing. They bring you/your cells to balance. Commonly are two things that can go wrong with the human body. Either something external coming in from the outside such as a bacterium, virus, toxin, allergen etc., or something creating an internal change such as emotions, thought patterns, mental processes etc.

With an external factor, like a bacterial infection, one bacterial cell infects one cell in your body. This process happens hundreds or thousand of times every day. Usually your cell recognizes the invader and destroys it and/or eliminates it from itself. Sometimes the bacterium starts to multiply and begins to take over the functioning of your cell. More and more bacteria are reproduced until your cell is ready to burst. Then there is a change in the electrical potential of the cell membrane and the cell bursts releasing thousands of bacteria to infect other cells in your body.

A crystal (the correct one in each specific instance) may balance the electrical potential of your cell membrane and the cell itself. Your cell will "think" it is normal and act so. Its normal action would be to destroy and eliminate the foreign bacterial cells causing the infection. In the second instance crystals balance the electrical potential of cells governing your emotional and mental processes, bringing these to balance.

Crystals cannot harm (unless dropped from a significant height!) as they simply balance. That is not to say that some people do not feel energy shifts whilst working with crystals.

The point of balance must first be found and like a scale finding its balance point some up and down movements are often experienced prior to equilibrium.

Crystals amplify, focus, store, transmit, transmute (change from one type to another), hold and channel energy. Energy is a universal force which cannot be created or destroyed and is not inherently either positive or negative, good or evil or anything else. Energy is simply energy or the Universal Life Force. It may change, or be changed, from one type to another, for example, electrical to light.

Crystals can be carried or worn. They may be placed in your surroundings, in homes, offices, workplaces, recreational areas and goldfish bowls. They have been known to reduce the harmful effects of radiation from microwaves, mobile telephones, television and computer screens. They can calm the energies in a room making your environment feel more relaxed, or energised. They can increase your focus and boost creativity. In fact, there is probably nothing that crystals cannot help with.

Cleansing Your Crystals
Here at Earthly Gems we do cleanse all our stones regularly but once they arrive at their intended home, it's always a good idea to cleanse them yourselves, it'll help with attuning them to you and it's something that should be performed on a regular basis. You'll get to know when it feels time!

Here are some ways to cleanse your stones:

Using water - cold tap water would be adequate however a clear stream would be excellent and would have the advantage of charging your crystal as well, place the crystal in the flow of water for a few minutes, holding the thought of the crystal being cleansed, if the crystal requires a particularly strong cleanse fill a bowl with saltwater (seasalt) be careful that its not a crystal that reacts with saltwater ( such as moldavite or calcite) and leave for a few hours.

You can then remove the crystal from the solution and leave it in view of the sun and moon for at least one cycle.

A favourite way is to have white sage incense and hold the crystal in the smoke or waft over the crystal - this is an easy and efficient method it has the added bonus of helping to cleanse the room as well.

A bowl with sage, lavender, copal and other herb mixes has been known to work well.

You can bury the crystal in the garden for at least 24hrs - this is good to cleanse and recharge with a strong earth connection.

Alternatively if you've no garden get a bucket with sandy soil and some small fragments of crystal if possible and bury the crystals in there for 24hrs or longer kept in view of the sun and moon.

For a lighter and regular cleanse, acquire a largish amethyst (clear quartz will suffice) cluster and place the crystal on that for 24hrs or longer preferably in view of the sun and moon.

Using sounds - You can use tingsha cymbals or a bell, Tibetan bowl etc. ensure the crystal is within the vibrations of the sound source.

You can dedicate the crystals using reiki or programming symbols to communicate with the crystal essence(deva) informing it of your wishes.

For a quick clean using a smudge spray is idea!

If you're ever unsure use smudge, incense or sound then investigate whether the crystal you have is ok with the other methods.

Some Stones affected by prolonged exposure to sunlight: Aventurine, Amethyst, Apatite, Aquamarine, Beryl, Celestite, Citrine, Fluorite, Smokey Quartz, Kunzite, Sapphire

Crystal Grids in Therapy Rooms
Crystal Grids & Therapy Rooms.

We're all aware of the importance of making sure our clients feel comfortable, safe & at ease when visiting us, with that in mind I'd like to suggest perhaps using crystals in a more structured way.

There are many different methods for the use of crystals and of course more importantly you should follow your own feelings. You may already have crystals in your therapy room, but my suggestion is to create a grid using inexpensive mainly natural pieces.

To awaken a crystal it is important to cleanse and inform the crystal energy or deva of the purpose you wish to use it for. There are many ways of cleansing crystals unless I have access to a natural 'babbling brook' I find a light sea-salt solution in water idea for the quartz family, running water for more delicate crystals(eg calcite family) also smudging & incense or a large amethyst/quartz cluster.

To inform or dedicate the crystals purpose hold the crystal in your right hand and either speak or hold the thought/intent of how you would like the crystal to help. Using the words healing, protection etc. Again there are many ways to perform this dedication some more ritually based, using Reiki symbols or more ancient Atlantean techniques.

Now you can place the crystals around the room. I find a very simple but effective grid is to place natural quartz pts. in the corners of the room pointing inwards. Obviously we don't all having rectangular rooms so place the points as close to a room corner as you can if you have an area which appears to be outside of the grid place a small quartz cluster there to maintain the energy flow. The points don't have to be in view at all.

Having a natural quartz cluster in the centre of the room will aid the energy circulation as will a crystal sphere - this piece maybe placed under your therapy table or placed there when the room is not in use.

A welcome addition to the quartz points would be to place small natural pieces of rose quartz behind the points to fill the room with the caring, safe feeling rose quartz promotes. You can also add other crystals here to share their properties eg lepidolite which is known as the stone of 'transition' perhaps an appropriate stone!

If you sense a build up of negative energy released from your clients during the day one on-going method of clearing this is to place amethyst points in the corner of you room pointing outwards. The placing of crystal points in rooms, house, buildings is a very ancient technique, there's much more help they can offer eg. facilitation of healing, meditation even balancing & bending of negative leylines.

In our therapy rooms I have placed a set of tumble stones which relate to the different chakra centres within the body they are dedicated to aid the client in balancing their chakras, held in place by tape so they can be removed if the client wishes.

The following is a list of possible chakra stones you could use :- crown - clear quartz, brow - amethyst, throat - blue lace agate, heart - aventurine, solar plexus - citrine, sacral - carnelian, root - hematite. Alternatively perhaps for your more spiritually aware clients a set of higher vibrational stones such as :- danburite, Sugilite, aquamarine, malachite, natural citrine, carnelian & garnet could be used.

Now you have to consider what stones to wear/use to aid and help protect you during the session.

Aegerine
Aegerine or Aegirine named after a norse god Aegir

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Avalonite
A created name trademarked for a Zosite family variation found in the USA

Copper healing properties
Copper

Has been known to give a boost,

overcoming apathy helping with

muscular and joint problems, very

good conductor for healing

frequencies.

Eudialite in Nepheline
From Russia (Khibiny massif Kola Penonsular Na4(Ca,Fe,Ce,Mn)2ZrSi6O18(OH,Cl)

Elixers
Solutions made from immersing stones in water to take on the crystal vibrational and consumed.

Unless you are experienced in this practice it is always advisable to use a barrier method where the crystal is placed within a glass beaker within the water so any toxic substances within the mineral do not dissolve in the water directly.

Feldspar with Smokey Quartz
Feldspar with Smoky Quartz

Helps you to move closer to

achieving your ambitions using

methods not necessarily

commonplace. Smokey quartz add a

stabilising effect.

Goldstone
Another manufactured stone created from copper shards and resin, it glitters wonderfully in light and is very visually attractive.

Gypsum
satin spar parallel fibrous variation

selenite clear crystaline variation

gypsum massive and alabaster variations.

Hemimorphrite crystal healing properties
Hemimorphite

This mineral can help you to become your own person, centred and balanced accepting the responsibility for being.

Hiddenite
green form of the Spodumene mineral family

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Howlite
Normally howlite is white with marble like patches, it is often dyed, again it's properties will then have an added colour vibration, unfortunately it is often passed on as turquoise.

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Jasper crystal healing properties
Jasper is a dense microcrystaline form of quartz, usually darker reds & browns rarer forms are green and poppy jasper, iron oxides colour this stone. There are many varieties.

A sacred & magical stone, helping us to share with others and knowledge that we are not alone. Aids stamina and enables us to endure energy draing situations. Promotes general health. Worn by healers in ancient times. Good for digestive system and stimulating the circulation.

Jade crystal healing properties
A stone used by the Mayans for ritual, a dreamstone enabling the manifestation of the dream into reality. Protecting and good for balanced growth. Helps with connecting to the inner child.

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Crackle Quartz
Crackle quartz is the name given to heat treated and dyed quartz.

Larimar crystal healing properties
Only found in the Dominican republic, resonates with the throat chakra, helps with understanding if experiencing challenging times. Also known as pectolite

Helps the wearer to become more open and relaxed.

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Malachite crystal healing properties
Helpful with recapitulation of one’s life and clearing all the chakras, resonates with the heart, empowering the self to be responsible for their actions. Gives your life a boost promoting imagination and decision making abilites.

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Merlinite
The commercial name given to examples of psilomelane, dendritic agate and opal and sometimes other combinations!

Moonstone crystal healing properties
A very empowering feminine energy can be promoted using this stone, allows you to tune in and be receptive to your intuition and emotions, helps with regulating hormonal cycles.

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Nebula Stone crystal healing properties
A mineral claimed to have been more recently discovered, but none the less heavily commercially promoted, comprising of quartz, anorthoclase, riebeckite and aegirine. In appearance black with green spots.

Properties promoted as increasing energy, grounding, stabilising the emotional body and opening to ancestrial spirtual roots.

NuummIte
A combination of Anthophyllite, Gedrite

Thought to be approximately 3.8 billion years old, Greenland region.

For technical and mineralogical information clcik here

Obsidian crystal healing properties
Resulting from volcanic activity, a mix of silica minerals suspended in a glass like substance cooled rapidly.

A volcanic glass, used for grounding and protection but can also be used to stimulate your inner vision.

Can help with shock and energy blockages.

Apache Tear Obsidian

Said to be the tears of women folk crying into a stream to mourn the loss of warriors in battle. Helps with grief and letting go of negative emotions towards others.

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Blue Obsidian
As we all may know 'Obsidian' is a form of volcanic glass, predominately black but fairly common is gold sheen and raibow obsidian, the latter displaying green or pink hues reflecting in the light.

We don't discount the possibility of a natural blue obsidian however most of the blue obsidian available is manufactured glass, it has a clarity and nice blue shade but it is a created stone.

Onyx crystal healing properties
Most common is black onyx, gives strength to those following their path, increases your sense of self and responsibility, helps to centre & relieve grief, useful for problems relating to the feet.

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Opalite
Currently a recent wave of jewellery and carved angels made from a frosted glass or more technically 'Synthetic opalized glass' is readily available. Having a very visually pleasing appeal although definitely not a naturally occurring mineral.

Orthoclase
member of the feldspar family

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Caramel Opal crystal healing properties
Helps the removal of negativity from the chakras also stimulating the lower chakras. Reminds us that we’re not limited.

Prasiolite
heat enhanced or natural heat effect on amethyst originating from Brasil, giving a sage green colour,

Pyrite crystal healing properties
A golden metallic stone helping to protect against negative energy and assists us with our earth

connection. Can help to find the 'answers' during conflict.

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Rose Quartz
A rose pink colour of natural quartz, the colour created by tiny fibrous inclusions

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Smokey Quartz
or Smoky Quartz a radiation stained variaty of quartz, can be artifically coloured

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Quartz crystal healing properties
natural form of silicon dioxide

The most common mineral found where we all live!

It varies with colour and shape/size, incorporating the 'chalcendony' fanily and 'agates'.

It has many industrial applications including be an ore for silicon, computer chips etc... Mmmm programming quartz, ancient wisdom, crystal skulls - perhaps a 'co-incidence'?

Helps to dispel static electricity, strengthens our auric field, used extensively by ancient

civilizations for general health & development. Has a strengthing and enhancing effect for us eg. perception, memory, claivoyance, confidence...

Used often to enhance the effect of other crystal and in setting up energy grids.

Quartz Clusters

Cluster are formed when the quartz has cooled rapidly resulting in a number of points facing all directions. Energy is reflected between them creating a strong healing and cleansing vibrational field. They can be used to balance and cleanse energies within a room and as a method of cleansing other crystals, by placing them on top.

Rose Quartz

Helps to create a calm and safe environment, promotes unconditional love, eases

emotional issues & heals at a heart level.

Smokey Quartz

Whilst having properties of the quartz family it is also used for relaxation, tension release, grounding and to transmute negative energy.

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Rhodocrosite crystal healing properties
Or rhodochrosite is a heart centred stone helping with balance of the heart and emotions strongly promoting love in every thing we do both emotionally and physically. Can make you feel 'upbeat'

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Rhodonite crystal healing properties
Stimulates the heart chakra promoting unconditional love and a potential to achieve in our given exploits. Healing wounds helping us understand and forgive.

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Ruby crystal healing properties
Corundum famil;y of minerals with Chromium

A protective regal stone, providing a shield against non-physical attack, a vivid light to strengthen & focus spiritual your spiritual path.

Being brave and courageous!

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Rutile Crystal
Rarer as a crystal form often seen as silve or golden hairs within other minerals especially quartz, it is a form of titanium oxide

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Sapphire
Corundum famil;y of minerals

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Selenite healing properties
Selenite

A variation of the gypsum family

with satin spar, an excellent

mineral for cleansing and clearing

your auric field. An uplifting

mineral to work with.

Named from the moon goddess.

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Septarian
Formation or concretions of various minerals together creating holes, cracks or cavities where over time other minerals have crystalised, most commonly golden calcite is present in the more available pieces.

Seraphinite
see Clinochlore

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Serpentine crystal healing properties
Kaolinite-Serpentine Group of minerals

Aids the unfolding of spiritual energy(kundalini) from the root chakra up through the higher

chakras. Promotes self determination.

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Shiva lingam properties
Shiva Lingam

Great for a healing room,

represents the male and feminine

aspect and a facet of the divine.

Prominent in Hindu philosophy.

Sphalerite crystal healing properties
Useful for helping to keep one’s balance between the masculine & feminine. Allows ones psychic abilities to develop. But also eases us through big changes and transformations.

For technical and mineralogical information click

Sodalite crystal healing properties
Very useful to assist with mental activity helping one to think clearly and process information accurately and finding the truth. Also aids communication on this level.

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Staurolite
Unusual cross fromation, named from the Greek 'stauros' or cross, often show in the formations.

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Sugilite crystal healing properties
A stone of spirit, opens one spiritual connection. Used to ease physical pain. Very powerful.

Is found with Adamite, Bustamite, Richterite, Chalcedony, Manganese

Gives us the strength to resoles issues unbendingly.

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Sunstone
From the Oligoclase Feldspar family, orange brown colour with tiny hematite crystals that sparkle, can be mistaken with manufactured material containing copper called goldstone

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Tektite
The result of a meteorite impacting the earth and melting the surrounding rock creating a natural glass.

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Topaz crystal healing properties
This stone promotes individuality & creativity, it helps one stand back and understand the whole picture. Aids communication and self confidence.

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Tanzanite crystal healing properties
Stimulating the throat enabling the communication of visions and messages from spirit. Overcoming fear and coming to terms with who you really are!

member of the zoisite family

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Tiger Eye crystal healing properties
Helps to enhance psychic ability, but can also resonant with those having an earthy connection.

Helps us combat the stresses of life and external influences, quickening our mind.

A combination of blue and golden/brown tiger eye is commonly known as 'hawks eye'

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Red Tiger Eye
Red Tiger eye is tiger eye that has been dyed red, we think a valid stone because the crystal has not be damaged and will now hold a colour vibration with it's crystal energy.

Verdite
Verdite is the trade or commercial name for a variety of green stone originally found in South Africa it actually is a variation of Fuchsite mica with a varying prescence of other minerals.

For technical and mineralogical information click here

Witches Fingers
Another name for rough low quality quartz points/lasers with various inclusions.

Platonic Solids
5 shapes that share properties - each face is the same shape, all edges are alike and every corner the same.

Tetrahedron - 4 faces, 6 edges.

Octahedron 8 faces, 12 edges

Icosahedron 2- faces, 30 edges

Cube or Hexahedron 6 faces, 12 edges

Dodecahedron 12 faces, 30 edges

Graphite
Structue - Hexagonal, C

Colour - black to steel gray

Luster - metalic, dull earthy

Density - opaque

Hardness - 1-2

Cleavage - perfect

Origin - metamorphic, from metamorphism of a sedimentary material with Carbon content, also primary magmatic.pegmatites, greisens & hydrothermal in ore veins

Bismuth
Structue - Trigonal, Bi

Colour - silver white

Luster - metalic

Density - opaque

Hardness - 2-2.5

Cleavage - perfect

Origin - pegmatites, greisens & hydrothermal in ore veins

Platinum
Structue - Cubic, Pt

Colour - steel-gray to dark gray

Luster - metalic

Density - opaque

Hardness - 4-4.5