Best Crystals for Beginners
Crystals and gemstones are beautiful brilliant minerals formed by the earth. Each stone is unique in color and structure. Throughout history, stones or crystals, (which are the word I will use to refer to all gemstones, crystals, and minerals), have been considered to have specific magical and energetic properties. In this article I will create a list of recommended crystals to start out with, accompanied by information about them, chakra and zodiac correlations, and ways to incorporate them into your life.
Here’s a list of the best crystals for beginners:
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- Focus Enhancing Stone: Quartz Clear or Apophyllite
- Grounding Stone: Hematite or Black Tourmaline
- Personal Enhancing Stone: Amethyst or Fluorite
- Confidence/Motivation Stone: Carnelian or Tiger’s Eye
- Happiness Stone: Rose Quartz or Sunstone
Below are the crystals and information to note about them. I have listed two options for each category because not every stone is one size fits all. You might be called to one stone and someone else might be called to a different stone.
Focus Enhancing Stone
Clear Quartz
Clear Quartz is one of the most common crystals and comes in many different formations. It can energize and activate your chakras or amplify energy levels. Quartz can help you heal, cleanse, and enhance intentions. It can magnify the energy of all other stones. Clear quartz is a great versatile and basic stone to start. It is usually not a very expensive stone.
Chakras: All, Third Eye
Zodiac: Leo, Capricorn, Gemini
Element: All
Apophyllite
Apophyllite, while very similar to clear quartz, is slightly different. It enhances consciousness and can strengthen communication with other parts of nature. It stimulates energy and concentrates high crystal energy. They strengthen insight and intuition which aids in deeper meditation and connection to higher dimensions. It can be more expensive than clear quartz because of its structure, properties, and abundance.
Chakras: Third Eye, Crown
Zodiac: Libra, Gemini
Element: Air
Grounding Stone
Hematite
Hematite is a mineral made from particles of iron. It helps you ground your energy from meditation, deflect negative energy and absorb toxic emotions. Hematite stabilizes and connects you and your energy with the ground. It can also increase clarity and improve mental organization. This stone emits energy like a shield.
Chakras: Root
Zodiac: Aquarius, Aries
Element: Fire, Earth
Black Tourmaline
Black Tourmaline, also known as ‘Schol’, is very similar to Hematite because it is great for grounding and protection. It can also protect against electromagnetic energy and unlock energy blockages in the body or home. Tourmaline helps strengthen body and spirit and increases positive, joyous, and happy emotions. It acts as a purifying stone from negative influences. Tourmaline can come in other colors.
Chakras: Root
Zodiac: Libra
Element: Earth
Personal Enhancing Stone
Amethyst
A beautiful purple stone that can relieve stress while bringing peace and inner strength. It can help balance emotional highs and lows and encourage self-control. Due to its peaceful properties, it is also great for promoting restful sleep. Amethyst is a powerful, personal stone because it helps you control and ground emotions to a peaceful state while helping your spiritual and psychic feelings strengthen and focus. It is a very good stone for the mind.
Chakras: Third Eye, Crown
Zodiac: Aquarius, Pisces
Element: Air, Water
Fluorite
Fluorite’s energies work to strengthen the spiritual gifts while drawing out negative energy. This helps clear the mind to stimulate organization and learning. It is also great for protecting you from negative energies while helping you connect with your higher self. Due to its protective and cleansing properties, Fluorite is a great stone to increase personal focus and organization as well as spiritual and third eye meditations.
Chakras: Heart, Third Eye, Crown
Zodiac: Capricorn, Pisces
Element: Water, Air
Confidence/Motivation Stone
Carnelian
Carnelian is a red to orange stone that is good for uplifting confidence and motivating. It protects against negative energies from other people, like anger and jealousy. It reflects the colors of energy and passion. Carnelian restores vitality and stimulates creativity. It generates courage and promotes success. These fire colored stones are also said to enhance sexual drive, love, and self-confidence.
Chakras: Root, Sacral
Zodiac: Aries, Leo, Virgo
Element: Fire
Tiger’s Eye
Tiger’s eye is a stone for confidence, courage, and power. It is a great crystal for grounding and protection for the user, as it increases self-discipline and personal power. Yin and yang energy are balanced with tiger’s eye. The yellow or gold versions of the stone are most common and are said to enhance confidence, willpower, and integrity. Tiger’s Eye comes in different colors.
Chakras: Root, Sacral, Solar
Zodiac: Capricorn
Element: Fire
Happiness Stone
Rose Quartz
The pink stone of rose quartz promotes self-love, confidence, and compassion for others. Also referred to as the stone of love, it emits energies of love, harmony, and healing. Rose quartz is a great stone for transforming energies of anger and unhappiness into opposite energies like love and positivity. It is a wonderful stone for personal healing and growth.
Chakras: Heart
Zodiac: Taurus, Libra
Element: Water
Sunstone
The brilliant oranges of the sunstone portray happiness and personal power. Sunstone harnesses the personal powers of self-empowerment, leadership, independence, and creativity. It allows you to channel your own personal strengths and showcase them in ways you never imagined. Some consider it a guide to motivate you with good decision making and to share optimism and cheerfulness with others.
Chakras: Sacral, Solar Plexus
Zodiac: Leo, Libra
Element: Fire
How to incorporate crystals into different spaces
Crystals are wonderful items to have in our day-to-day. They can help us feel energized or provide something positive to meditate on. However, having them laying all over the house might look a bit cluttered and isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Here are some ideas on how to decorate, store, and use them everyday.
Add to Potted Plants
Setting different crystals in your potted plant can help boost your plants energies or the crystals energy. They also add a touch of color to the pots as well as remove the clutter from a desk or shelf. It is a great way to energize space and keep it clean.
You could also put them in with succulents to decorate different pots. Making a small terrarium with different crystals is a great way to work with their energy and create something personal.
*be mindful when you water as some crystals can dissolve or produce toxins that could harm plants.
Wear Stones as Jewelry
As obvious as that sounds, sometimes people forget that carrying crystals and wearing them gives great energy and intent. When you rope or wire wrap stones, you put your energies, love and intent into them, making them your own. Thus, giving them more power and connection with yourself. Even if you have jewelry that is not a stone, you can associate it with a certain energy or feeling to keep with you throughout the day.
I have a pair of wooden lotus earrings that I wear when I want to channel the energy of water or need the strength to get through uncertain times. The lotus flower is a sign of rebirth and self-regeneration in many cultures. Its roots are submerged in dark and muddy water, but it produces a beautiful and pure flower on the surface. The is a metaphor for getting through dark times and having a beautiful outcome in the end.
Decorate Specific Spaces
Placing crystals close to the spaces where you spend most of your time is a great way to enjoy them. Decorating an altar is great if you can have one, but if you spend a lot of time at a desk, in a study, or in your kitchen, placing stones in those places is a great way to enjoy them more. Setting them on a nightstand or headboard is also a great way to experience their energies while you sleep.
You can also set them out on a shelf, or you can get a clean glass or jar to put a couple in. You can also add personal touches to the jar like seashells, dried flowers and herbs (I recommend putting them at the top since they could get smashed), and colored ribbon or fabric to add a touch more color.
Use a Storage Box
Using a box to store all your crystals in is a great way to keep them neat and tidy when not in use. I store most of mine in jewelry or bead boxes and only take out the ones I’m drawn to or the ones I want to do spell work with.
You can keep them in simple clear boxes in a drawer, so they are easily visible, or invest in a beautiful solid box to set out on a bookshelf or table. You want a solid box to protect certain crystals from sunlight exposure because some can fade.
If you choose to store them in boxes, you can label them and line the box with fabric or tissue paper. This allows you to better identify them. I have confused my prehnite with chrysocolla before, so it’s nice to make labels or assigned slots. You can organize them by color, alphabetical order, or by use. Keeping them in boxes also prevents them from getting dusty if you tend to leave them out for long periods of time.