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Crystals and gemstones have always held a fascination for man. They are formed by inorganic processes of nature which produce creations of enormous beauty which we are all inextricably drawn to. Crystals are conceived below the Earth’s surface; originating in its crust or mantle. It’s not until these treasures are finally unearthed and brought to the Earth’s surface to glitter in sunlight that we are seduced by their magic. Scientists estimate that crystals can be anything from 50 to 500 million years old – true Ambassadors of Eternity.
What attracts us to Crystals?
Ancient man saw life in everything – for him lakes, trees, animals and rocks all had souls and were to be respected and revered. Modern science has taught us that the soul in nature is an illusion thus contemporary man has forgotten and ignored the ‘being’ of nature and has disconnected from these energies – becoming cold and clinical. However, there is now a great movement towards rediscovering spirituality and the metaphysical, as modern man is finding a dissatisfaction with the material world. There is a huge trend towards practising yoga, meditation, alternative medicine and crystal healing.
Crystals offer us so much – not only are they exceptionally beautiful, they seem to have pure and healing energies perhaps due to their perfectly regular crystalline structure. No matter how large or small, the corresponding inter-facial angles of a crystal are constant. The rigid external conformity of well-formed crystals reflects their internal orderly and regular structure on an atomic level. They are composed of tiny building blocks or unit cells, which are the smallest atomic structures which still retains all the characteristics of the mineral.
Many believe that we can use the pure energies of crystals to assist us in many ways such as removing bad energy, feeling self-love, aiding concentration and connecting to the spiritual realms. Here are some of the more popular crystals and their purported benefits.
Rock Crystal Quartz
The Japanese dubbed clear quartz ‘the perfect jewel’ and viewed it as a symbol of infinite space, purity, preservation and patience. Crystal healers consider clear quartz the most versatile mineral as it can be used as an energy amplifier and can be ‘programmed’ to assist to help achieve virtually any life goal. It is a stone of Light and clarity and it said to help with spiritual awareness, cleansing, healing, memory enhancement.
Chakras: All
Element: Storm
Lapis Lazuli
Lapis is known as a stone of royalty and spirituality and was used to decorate the tombs of the pharaohs. It is said to carry the inner vibration of the ‘king’ or ‘queen’ within us. It helps with inner vision, the path to self-knowledge, truth and communications.
Element: Wind
Chakras: Third Eye (6th) and Throat (5th)
Moonstone
Moonstone was revered as a scared stone in India with special significance for lovers. It’s associated with feminine beauty and is believed to help with intuition. It has been used for centuries to connect with the Moon and the Lunar and Goddess energies. It is said to aid with intuition, insight, dreams and self-discovery.
Element: Wind
Chakras: Crown (7th) and Third Eye (6th)
Sapphire
Sapphire has been alleged to protect one from fraud, dishonesty, poverty, ill temper and even stupidity. It was once believed to protect kings and keep them safe from envy and injury. On a more metaphysical note, sapphire is purported to assist seeing the truth and the underlying reality below surface appearances. It supposed to be helpful with mental agility and facilitates one to speak clearly with the voice of inner wisdom. Sapphire is associated with loyalty and fidelity making it an ideal choice for engagement rings.
Element: Wind & Earth
Chakras: Third Eye (6th) and Throat (5th)
Amethyst
Amethyst has been prized by man since Neolithic times. Early Greek and Roman societies placed very high value upon it and even thought that it could cure addiction and would help maintain sobriety. The stone was prized by royalty and clergy and is meant to calm anger, relieve frustrated passion as well as cure intoxication. In modern times amethyst is attributed similar properties and is meant to curb bad habits such as over-eating and drinking. It is also said to offer spiritual protection and purification and assist with meditation and attaining a higher state of consciousness.
Element: Wind
Chakra: Third Eye (6th) and Crown (7th)
Tourmaline
Tourmaline is considered one of the most useful crystals for metaphysical use and has the reputation of being able to expel bad energy. Black tourmaline, although not as pretty as its cousins, is meant to be very powerful and can remove negative energies and offer spiritual protection while cleansing and balancing one’s aura. Pink tourmaline promotes emotional healing and activates the heart chakra. Green tourmaline is one of the premier stones for self-healing and is also very strongly connected to the heart chakra and promotes harmony.
Black Tourmaline
Element: Earth, Chakra: Base (1st)
Pink Tourmaline
Element: Water, Chakra: Heart (4th)
Green Tourmaline
Element: Water, Chakra: Heart (4th)
Tigers Eye
Tigers Eye is a great stone for grounding energies, remaining calm and centred (inside and out) no matter what the situation. It helps to activate vitality, physical strength and practicality. It is a perfect stone for mediators as the stone gives balance and helps to see both sides of the argument. Tiger’s Eye Exhibits an intriguing phenomenon known as ‘chatoyancy’ and appears to have bands of light that move across the stone that are reminiscent of a cat’s eye.
Element: Fire & Earth
Chakras: Root (1st), Creative (2nd) and Solar Plexus (3rd)
How Crystals are formed
Many of the gemstones we treasure (feldspar, tourmaline, beryl, quartz, topaz, zircon) were formed in igneous rocks whose slower rate of cooling in the middle and lower sections of the Earth’s crust created the right environment for quite large crystals to form from the original molten residues. Some crystals such as the feldspar family (moonstone, labradorite) were the first to solidify. With the luxury of space they produced large well shaped crystals. Other minerals took longer, the last of these to crystallize was quartz (which sometimes didn’t have the opportunity to form large, well-formed crystals). Steaming, hydrothermal fumes precipitated and formed crystals in almost spherical cavities creating geodes – the precipitated solution being full of minerals and highly energetic in nature.
Other gem minerals (ruby, sapphire, alexandrite and emerald) were formed by chemical reactions created by metamorphic rocks when molten magma was forced into cooler rocks. Other gems such as garnet, andalusite and jade were created by the forces of large-scale shearing and crushing of metamorphic rocks.
Finally, diamond was created somewhere between the lower regions of the Earth’s crust and the upper mantle as carbon in the form of methane or carbon dioxide crystallized at very high temperatures and pressures. Diamonds were then transported to the Earth’s surface by violent explosions via kimberlite pipes as if they were travelling via a gem elevator!