For most people who have just discovered crystals, it can be a little overwhelming. How do you figure out what you need, how to use them, and what they are “good for?”
This list will narrow it down to the basics on ten common crystals that are fairly easy to acquire. As far as acquiring quality and affordable crystals, I strongly recommend you buy from a reputable local small business. You may find that crystals from local shops cost more than what you can find on foreign based shopping website. (We won’t mention any names here.) The probability of purchasing a genuine stone from your local dealer is much greater than those sites. Not to mention, supporting local small business is so very important to our economy.
Actual in-person storefronts are not always available in your area. Instead, you will find that many small business owners also have an online store. I invite you to visit my own at nature-cottage.square.site. This way you can add to your ever growing collection from the comfort of home. (And trust me, once you start collecting, it is ever-growing!)
Are you ready? Let’s dive right into the information you came here for today. What I consider to be the top 10 crystals for beginners:
Clear Quartz
Clear Quartz is often called the “master healer” due to its ability to work with anything. This versatile crystal amplifies not only thoughts and intentions and any properties of other crystals around it. Clear Quartz enhances psychic abilities. It aids concentration and unlocks memory. Renowned for its ability to heal any condition, clear quartz provides higher energy levels and improves the immune system. It is believed to attune to your higher self and relieve pain. Many times clear quartz is used in meditation to filter out distractions.
There are many ways to call on the healing powers of Clear Quartz. One of the best ways you can make the most of its energy is to wear it. Having Clear Quartz on the body can ensure that you stay connected to its high vibrations, positive powers, and cleansing energy. You can also place Clear Quartz on any chakra that feels blocked and let it cleanse and clear. Placing it in the home will also bring a lighter, brighter energy to any space.
Rose Quartz
Rose Quartz is most widely known as a stone of love, but this heart healing stone is not just about your relationship with a significant other. This pale pink quartz is all about positive energy, deep compassion, and learning to love yourself. For those interested in balancing chakras, rose quartz provides deep, sweet healing to the heart chakra. Rose Quartz is for those who are ready to restore trust, harmony, and unconditional love back into their inner world. It is one of the best stones to use for healing emotional wounds, cultivating divine love, improving compassion & friendships. To cleanse and recharge rose quartz, it’s recommended to smudge it with sage or place it under the moonlight, ensuring its energies remain potent. Rose quartz is a popular choice for jewelry and beauty tools.
Obsidian
Obsidian is volcanic glass that forms naturally from the rapid cooling of lava. This naturally black stone and has a glassy texture, but there are several shades of Obsidian including rainbow, snowflake, gold, and mahogany. Commonly used for protection and grounding, this stone can also stimulate growth, keep you protected, and connect with the Root Chakra. Physically, obsidian keeps circulation flowing at a healthy rate, helps with digestive issues, and encourages deep tissue healing. Place obsidian near the door to ensure that everyone who enters your home leaves the half-truths behind. Use it in the office or your creative space to help you stay grounded and true to yourself. Wear obsidian jewelry to keep negative energies, thoughts and feelings at bay.
Smoky Quartz
The Smoky Quartz is also called The Stone of Power and has a long and mystical history, often used by Druids as a seer. Smoky Quartz is a light bringer, ever ready to guide us to the places we are meant to be. Smoky Quartz, a variety of quartz with brownish-grey shades that assists with detox and balance. It serves as a powerful grounding stone that connects you to the present moment. This calming stone settles thoughts that lead to anxiety, making it a perfect choice for a worry stone to carry in your pocket. Place clusters of smoky quartz in spaces where calm communication with others is necessary, as it will help balance emotions and clear negative energy. To maintain its potency, Smoky Quartz should be cleansed regularly using water and charged alongside selenite or clear quartz.
Selenite
The spiritually healing crystal of Selenite is named for the Moon Goddess, Selene, as it shines with angelic light. This stone is a form of gypsum that can come in different varieties and shapes such as desert rose and satin spar. It is perfect to set on you desk for protection against EMF smog, as well as a slab or bowl to place other stones on to clear and restore their proper energy. Selenite also connects very strongly to the third eye chakra. It can be used in various ways, such as in meditation to connect with one’s guides, as a wand to clear auric fields, or placed around the home to foster a peaceful atmosphere and protect against negative energy. Wearing jewelry containing Selenite can help us open up to higher frequencies and messages from the universe. Selenite is said to help properly align the spine and to assist in correcting skeletal issues. Selenite is a delicate stone that requires slightly more caution when cleansing.
Red Jasper
This “stone of endurance and nurturing,” as Red Jasper is often called, is a vital stimulator of chi, or life force energy. A member of the Chalcedony class of minerals, this opaque red stone is commonly used for grounding, passion, and protection. Jasper can be found in a variety of shades and patterns, but Red Jasper obtains its fiery hue from the iron it contains, which aids to its grounding qualities. It’s a stone that brings balance, stamina, courage, and the inner strength of a warrior. Red Jasper aids in detoxifying the circulatory system, blood, and liver. It can help in reactivating a sluggish or weak libido. Red Jasper can reignite the spark in your life and gift you with emotional stability. Wear this stone for strength and protection, display it in the bedroom to amp up your sexual relationship, or carry it in your pocket for a boost of self esteem.
Carnelian
Named the “Sunset Stone” by ancient Egyptians, Carnelian is believed to stimulate the metabolism, aid in fertility issues and menopause, and enhance the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Warriors would wear strings of carnelian around their neck for courage in battle. Also nicknamed the “artist’s stone”, Carnelian enhances creativity and can improve concentration keeping you feeling motivated and confident. It’s a favorite for balancing the sacral chakra. Carnelian was also thought to help protect the dead on their journey in the afterlife, hence it helps remove the fear of death. Those who suffer from low back problems or rheumatism will also find relief from the healing properties of Carnelian. Bring Carnelian into your home and boost the harmony and balance that can be found in the center. If you want to invite abundance in, then turn instead to place your crystal in a spot on the south side of the house. If you are looking to kickstart your creative heart then find a place facing west for your Carnelian, and for those seeking the healing glow of self-worth, the stone sits in the south-east.
Sodalite
Improve your communication skills, speak your truth, and let logic and inner peace come to the forefront of your existence with the aid of sodalite. Due to its dark blue coloring, Sodalite is often mistaken for Lapis Lazuli, but upon closer examination you will find the distinguishing white veins running through sodalite that are reminiscent of stormy ocean waves. Sodalite’s energy reminds you to tap into your instincts and strike a balance between the head and heart so you can always live a life that is in alignment with your truest self. Best used for courage, wisdom, and harmonious relationships with loved ones, sodalite can be worn as jewelry to constantly absorb its energy, placed under the pillow to aid with insomnia, or used in Feng Shui to bring emotional balance and enhance communication in home and office spaces.
Amethyst
Amethyst is a variety of quartz that often shows up in shades of violet and purple. It is a stone of spiritual healing, calmness and wisdom that has been loved by many cultures since 25,000 BC. This beautiful crystal gives your immune system a boost, balances hormones and helps obtain a restful night’s sleep. Amethyst has been used by many as an aid in elimination of migraines and is also known as the stone of sobriety, due to its ability to help people curb addictions. Amethyst balances the emotions and helps with decision making, calms nerves, and dispels negative energy. You can wear this stone during meditation, as it improves intuition and spiritual connections. Place the stone in your home or office where you need a calm atmosphere.
Citrine
Often called the “Merchant’s Stone,” citrine brings positivity and bright, warm energy to your environment with its essence of summer and sunshine. This yellow colored quartz gets its warm tone from traces of iron, which is why it can vary from shades of pale almost translucent yellow to deep amber or even almost brown. It is known for its ability to awaken dormant dreams, bring an extra dose of success, and let golden confidence rain down upon your soul. Citrine promotes self healing and cleanses the chakras, particularly the sacral and solar plexus. It helps keep the thyroid and digestive systems working properly. Ancient Greek and Roman jewelers would choose citrine to adorn rings. Not only does citrine make beautiful jewelry pieces, but you may choose to place it in your home or workplace or use it in meditation to attract abundance and personal empowerment.
Care: We will go more in-depth in a later post about care of your crystals, but for now, just know that for most crystals, it should be cleansed and recharged when first obtained and then on a regular basis, which can safely be done by smudging with sage, bathing it in sunlight or moonlight, or placing it on a selenite charging plate.
