But first I would need to learn more about the properties of the different crystals...
Well, as others on this forum have pointed out in the past, you can start by just asking the crystals themselves
In my personal "crystal journey", I found that references such as the Crystal Bible (book) and online descriptions of crystal properties were only moderately useful, as I noticed after a while that many of these characterizations began to blend together and sound the same.
For example, "promotes intuition" seems to be a catchphrase for most crystals!
At first I wondered whether the authors of these descriptions were running out of things to say, or were devoid of imagination (lol), but eventually I realized that it is almost impossible to categorize crystals in this way, because each stone is an individual.
It is much like trying to categorize people based on race/nationality -- of course, there are some predispositions or tendencies (I am Russian; Russians drink vodka; I do drink vodka), but ultimately the individual has their own personality, reality and idiosyncrasies (I also drink Whiskey and Tequila, speak English without a hint of an accent, and very rarely eat Borscht
)
So can a Rose Quartz, known as the stone of loving, gentle energy, inspire great passion at certain times; and I don't see why it couldn't be protective, or aid in dream recall, or be a Tarot buddy, if called upon to do these things.
Also, keep in mind that aside from the crystal's "properties", people do react differently to various stones, depending on their own energy/perspective/goals.
For example, Herkimer Diamonds are known to be "power stones" and good for "the removal of energy blocks or debris."
But on a personal level, the Herkimer Diamond I own makes me feel wiry (like I've had too much coffee), and when I recently took it on a trip to a Government Agency for protection (imagine a fairly small room with low ceilings, full of way too many disgruntled people), I ended having a panic attack for the 1st time in years.
Sorry for the long-winded post, but all of this is to say that, where crystals are concerned, in my experience there aren't really any hard and fast rules that one must "learn" (except, perhaps, learning to listen); for me, working with them has been quite fluid, based on much whimsy and inspiration, just getting to know them and doing whatever feels right at the time.
You will probably just "know" when you come across a stone that you need in your life, or when a crystal "wants" to participate in a particular Tarot Reading!