Rock Talk: A Beginner’s Guide to Crystals

By: Ayla Manning Dehghanpoor

Buying your first (or 500th) crystal can be intimidating, but once you’ve got down the basic properties of a few common stones you’ll be ready to manifest your dreams into reality.

Hold on to your crystal balls, it’s about to get magical.

1. Quartz Crystal

Universally known as the ultimate starter stone, crystal quartz is great for just about everything. Literally. Feeling down? Crystal quartz. Funky mojo? Crystal quartz. Need some healing? Crystal quartz. Its unique energy and vibration make it perfect for quick manifestation, protection, and general good vibes.

2. Selenite

This crystal is an absolute necessity if you plan to expand your stone collection. Not only is it a powerful healing crystal that brings immense light into your home thanks to its reflective qualities, but it can also be used to cleanse all of your other crystals.

3. Black Tourmaline
There’s really no stronger general protection stone than black tourmaline. This makes it great for witches on the go, and is one of the best stones to toss into your bag when you jump on a plane.

4. Rose Quartz
If you’re looking for love there’s no stone that’ll heat up your romantic exploits quicker than rose quartz. If you’re not looking for a new boyfriend, you still want to keep this pretty little side piece around. It supports love in all forms and can help you to clear the air when you’re on the outs with friends and family.

5. Amethyst
This stone is all about clearing your mind and banishing negative thoughts. We love to keep a few points on our desk and around the office to keep our work flow moving and grooving. When it comes to meditation, including amethyst in your ritual is a top notch choice.

6. Lapis Lazuli
Power players know this sparkling blue stone is the way to take your game to the next level. It’s all about awakening the magic inside of you. If you’ve been having trouble setting intention, manifesting results with ritual, or hitting any other witchy roadblocks, adding lapis lazuli might be just what the doctor ordered.

7. Citrine
Make money, honey! While most abundance magic focuses on the color green, this golden stone is all about bringing home the bacon. You’ve still got to do some of the work, but a little citrine goes a long way in helping you to manifest success.

8. Raw Emerald
Oh, so you’re ready to become a bougie witch? Raw emerald is the fanciest of stones included in our guide (pinkies up, ladies) but it’s also one of the most powerful. Some stones encourage love. Some stones protect. Some stones enhance your spirituality. Raw emerald does all of the above. It opens your heart to joy while protecting it from heartbreak. That’s a win/win in our book.