Crystals for Beginners

ChelseaWaters

1. Do you think it's better to get many different types of tumbled stones (like one or two for every chakra) or to get a decent sized of say raw/spheres/palmstones/etc of a very few types of stones?

This is what I have on my basket so far, for example:

Tumblestones:
- quartz crystal
- green aventurine
- blue lace agate
- rhodocrosite
- red jasper
- ametrine
- sodalite
- snowflake obsidian
- smoky quartz
- rainbow moonstone

They're all tiny, about 1-3 cm each.

There's also blue calcite, 2 amethyst clusters (one small and the other slightly bigger), black tourmaline, small raw rose quartz.

I'm also planning to get herkimer diamond and tibetan crystal.

What do you think of these/do you have other stones you can recommend?

I will be making my first purchase online and have it sent to a very dear friend of mine in the UK since I really can't find any legit crystal/spiritual stores that sell them if any where I am so it will be quite a while until I can get more of them after this.

2. If you're in the UK, do you know of any good crystal online stores? So far I've only been looking into crystalage.com.

3. Great crystal to gift to someone who's not spiritual at all, rather mindless, but carries a great burden on her shoulder and has always been under constant stress due to financial problems and worries.

Also, another crystal for someone whose spirit has been... Rather beaten down by life if you will. I guess an empowering and life-giving stone that has a masculine energy. Both are in their 50s.

Thank you!

Padma

ChelseaWaters said:
1. Do you think it's better to get many different types of tumbled stones (like one or two for every chakra) or to get a decent sized of say raw/spheres/palmstones/etc of a very few types of stones?

It depends what you want to use them for. If you are using them for chakra healing, laid out on the body, I would just get one crystal per chakra, and make it a decent size. (as in, at least 1 to 2 inches). If it is for meditation or scrying purposes, or to heal one or two specific areas of concern, I would go for specific larger chunks or spheres.

ChelseaWaters said:
This is what I have on my basket so far, for example:

Tumblestones:
- quartz crystal
- green aventurine
- blue lace agate
- rhodocrosite
- red jasper
- ametrine
- sodalite
- snowflake obsidian
- smoky quartz
- rainbow moonstone

They're all tiny, about 1-3 cm each.

There's also blue calcite, 2 amethyst clusters (one small and the other slightly bigger), black tourmaline, small raw rose quartz.

I'm also planning to get herkimer diamond and tibetan crystal.

That is a decent selection

good crystal choices. But again, hard to recommend anything else, without knowing what the specific use will be for.

ChelseaWaters said:
What do you think of these/do you have other stones you can recommend?

Rose quartz would go nicely with your green adventurine for work involving the upper and lower heart chakras.

ChelseaWaters said:
I will be making my first purchase online and have it sent to a very dear friend of mine in the UK since I really can't find any legit crystal/spiritual stores that sell them if any where I am so it will be quite a while until I can get more of them after this.

2. If you're in the UK, do you know of any good crystal online stores? So far I've only been looking into crystalage.com.

I believe forumite MandMaud created a thread about a crystal shop in the UK she likes (in this sub-forum) - and others seconded her choice. Maybe have a look for her thread? Or perhaps PM her to ask which one it was?

ChelseaWaters said:
3. Great crystal to gift to someone who's not spiritual at all, rather mindless, but carries a great burden on her shoulder and has always been under constant stress due to financial problems and worries.

Tiger's eye, or citrine, + black tourmaline or smoky quartz would be my choice. Both tiger's eye and citrine have soothing and uplifting energies, and are usueful for attracting material means, and black tourmaline and smoky quartz both have grounding qualities, as well as the capability to transmute or deflect negative energies.

Alternatively, Labradorite is lovely to look at and very soothing to the emotional body, as well as protective to the wearer.

ChelseaWaters said:
Also, another crystal for someone whose spirit has been... Rather beaten down by life if you will. I guess an empowering and life-giving stone that has a masculine energy. Both are in their 50s.

Thank you!

I'd defs go for ruby or garnet.

Here are some online crystal guides (all on one site) that may help you and inform you:

http://www.crystalvaults.com/guides-crystals/

Type in "meaning of ______" (whatever crystal you are interested in) in their search bar, to search more quickly for the healing properties of that crystal. Hope that helps! Enjoy your crystal work! They are lovely companions to have on the road of life.

ChelseaWaters

Padma,

Thank you so much for your help! My obsession with crystals is pretty new and I'm rather clueless about them. I guess I want them for all the metaphysical benefits they could bring in different areas, although there is of course pretty much a crystal just for about everything and I can get overwhelmed about which I really need most. Thank you so much again! That was very helpful!

Padma

Crystals tend to choose us, not the other way around - the one you really need is the one you will keep going back to look at, the one you can't take your eyes off of...

When choosing in person at a store, the crystal you truly need will be the one you pick up, and can't seem to put down again. Or, you pick it up and it may make your hand buzz a little, or make your heart beat a bit faster or slower than normal.

The other thing is, crystals are like windows when it comes to size - the bigger they are, the more light they let in

Have fun with them!

Padma

I asked fellow forumite MandMaud for crystal shops in the UK, here is the one she loved:

http://spiritwalkercrystalshop.co.uk/

Also she suggests Glastonbury UK, which is chock full of new age stores, apparently

MandMaud

I made it to this thread at last! It depends whereabouts in the UK you are - Indonesia isn't much of a clue.

I was in a really nice shop in Cirencester yesterday that I'd forgotten was there. I know of shops in Gloucester and a really good one used to be in Bourton-on-the-Water, as well as Spirit Walker (that Padma linked to) which is near Princes Risborough. I'm not hugely into crystals but have ordered online from Spirit Walker a few times and their things arrived with palpably lovely energy.

I've also bought on eBay, listening hard to my intuition, and sometimes needing to cleanse if the stones felt energetically that they needed it.

I didn't know about Crystal Age, and their website looks great (and Watford is en route to my aunt's), so thanks for that pointer!

For the oomph purpose you mention, the masculine feeling, I was looking for something to support the second chakra when I was in Spirit Walker (the only visit I've managed to make to the shop itself, so far) and surprised myself by being drawn to red jasper - which I'd associate more with the first chakra, but it was definitely the only stone I wanted to take away with me.

My favourite book for now (and I'm refusing to spend on a crystal book, as I'm "not into crystals" :laugh:

) is Michael Gienger's 'Healing Crystals: the A-Z guide to 555 gemstones'. It's a tiny little book, a dictionary really, but so well designed that there's a decent amount of "starter" information on each crystal and even a photo of each. Jasper, for instance, has thirteen entries for different types, and this is the entry for red jasper:

Mineralogy: jasper containing hematite (quartz, trig., sec.)
Indications: (SP) willpower (S) makes courageous, dynamic; gives energy and enhances warrior-nature (M) gives courage for unpleasant tasks and makes spiritually alert (B) warms and enlivens; enhances blood flow, stimulates blood circulation and has a fever-enhancing effect.
Bib. 1-6 | 8 | 9 | 11-14 | 16 | 17 | 19
Rarity: common

(There's also a tickbox to keep track of which ones you own. SP, S, M and B stand for spirit, soul/subconscious, mind and body.)

Can you tell I like this book?

It cost very little and is more portable than a tarot deck!