For thousands of years, gemstones have been used for healing, protection, and for adornment. Amber was probably the first crystal used for decoration. It is found in Stone Age deposits, as is Jet. Neolithic people were accompanied to the Next World by polished crystal mirrors and gemstone beads. To ancient people, crystals were sacred gifts from Mother Earth. As time went on, they retained their magical and spiritual qualities. Priests, medicine men and women, rulers, and shamans wore the powerful gems as symbols of spiritual and temporal authority. Talismans and amulets also have been used for protection since time immemorial. Made from precious stones, they are imbued with a magical, protective force and, in many cultures, are believed to carry a divine essence.

In Egypt, gold, silver, and precious stones were used for amulets and talismans because they were considered to be the flesh of the gods themselves. Statues and amulets were imbued with the essence of the god or goddess – and with their attributes. They were believed to be alive. Statues were made both for group protection and for personal use. Amulets were carved out of precious stones such as Lapis Lazuli or Turquoise. Less exalted, but considered even more effective, were the semiprecious gems. Even the most humble Egyptian peasant wore an amulet around the neck, and Egyptian aristocracy were buried with fabulous talismans to ensure safe passage to the other world. Egyptians today still wear the protective Eye of Horus or the scarab, and vendors on every street corner press a scarab onto the tourists for luck. The belief in the power of talismans and amulets was strong in the Americas, the East, and the West. From ancient Egypt it passed into the ancient Greek and Roman worlds and then carried over into medieval times. In Europe in the Middle Ages peasants and lords alike carried an amethyst. The wearing of gemstone jewellery stems from practices as this. Crystals are today still believed to have powers of protection.

The list of properties of each gemstone will help you to select appropriate stone for yourself or to give as gifts to friends. You will also find a suggestion as to associated chakra and astrological sign.

Astrological association: Scorpio, Capricorn Chakra: heart Brings calm and emotional balance. Good for dream interpretation and meditation. Helps depression and manic depression.

Astrological association: Capricorn Chakra: Solar Plexus This is a ‘feel better’ and ‘go for it’ stone. Good for intuition, courage, new beginnings, and sharpening the mind. Brings wealth and yin/yang balance and right/left brain balance. Good for balance, calm and grounding. Helps fear, worry, depression, turmoil, inhibition, negativity, introversion.

Astrological association: Cancer, Libra, Scorpio Chakra: sacral Good for wisdom, passion, change, new beginnings, endings, intuition, insight, and creativity. Offers protection to travelers. Brings good luck and a happy home. Soothing and good for the inner self and emotions generally. Releases energy blocks, Brings calm, control, balance, confidence, composure, peace of mind, and caring and compassion. Helps oversensitivity, pessimism, and combats cycles / repeated patterns.

Astrological association: Sagitarius Chakra: brow A ‘feel better’ stone that brings vitality, wisdom, mental endurance, and creative expression. Promotes natural gifts and skills. Help disorganization. Good for relaxation, relationships, dreams, yin/yang balance, and all psychic abilities. Helps depression.

Amethyst - karma clearing

Astrological associations: Virgo, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces Chakra: Crown Ametyst magnifies the energy of other crystals. It is good for overall protection, physical, emotional, and mental balance. It can be used to encourage chastity and relieve homesickness. It helps negotiation skills, decision making, wealth, business success, moving forward in life, coping with responsibility and change, and public speaking. It is useful for purification during ceremonies. Helps with anger and violent tendencies. Calms passion, nerves, oversensitivity, emotional energy, and grief. Enhances the aura, self-esteem, meditation, spirit contact, and spirituality.

Astrological associations: Leo, Virgo, Scorpio, Sagittarius Chakra: heart A ‘feel better’ stone that is good for the ego and mental health and healing. Offers protection from outside influences. Helps with laziness and breaks behaviour patterns and cycles. Good for enlightenment through meditation. Helps with stress, anger, jealousy, depression, emotional blockages, and lethargy.

Astrological association: Aries, Aquarius Chakra: base Brings streanght, love, courage and personal magnetism. Good for mental process, thoughts, memory, dexterity and working with numbers.

Astrological association: Cancer, Sagittarius Chakra: throat Good for communication and dealing with childhood issues. Facilitates emotional expression.

Astrological association: Sagittarius Chakra: brow Good for ideas, perception, creative expression, endurance. Helpful for calming, self-esteem, mental health and healing, and communicating feelings. Helps confusion, inadequacy, mental unrest, oversensitivity, and fear.

Astrological association: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra Chakra: Solar Plexus A ‘money stone’ that brings abundance and wealth. Good for decision – making, learning, teaching, studying, creativity, awareness, writing, problem solving, and new beginnings. Good for relationships, self esteem, aura work, and getting rid of emotional toxins. Helps anger and yin / yang balance.

Astrological association: Libra, Sagittarius, Taurus Chakra: brow Good for relationships and money management. Facilitates painless change. Helps irresponsibility. Good for emotional attachments, yin / yang balance, the aura, astral travel, shamanic visions and journeys, and living in the moment. Helps visualization in guided meditation.

Astrological association: Leo, Scorpio, Sagittarius Chakra: crown Good for mental sharpness, intellect, right / left brain activity, inspiration, intuition and originality. Lets you see many possibilities at once. Aids scientific analysis. Allows magic to happen. Stabilizes the aura and enhances the flow of energy between the aura and the chakras. Helps with insecurity, anxiety and stress.

Astrological associations: Taurus, Libra Chakra: heart Magnifies creativity and imagination. Good for writing, art and music. Good for forgiveness, love, romans and relationships. Enhances female energy and qualities. Helps crisis, phobias, anger, stress, tension, fear, guilt, grief, inadequacy, resentment, jealousy, and the feeling of being emotionally wounded. It’s like a bubble bath for emotions.

Astrological association: Capricorn, Pisces Chakra: brow Focuses the mind and creates order out of chaos. Good for decisions, concentration and relationships. Useful in groups. Good for meditation. Helps over – excitement and stress (allows the mind to work effectively in stressful situations).

Astrological association: Leo, Virgo, Capricorn, Aquarius Chakra: heart Brings courage, creative energy, vitality, abundance, flow, change, emotional balance and awareness. Helps depression, chaos, disruption, and emotional trauma. Good for magic and spiritual devotion.

Astrological associations: all Chakra: all It is a ‘feel better’ stone – it improves your quality of life, makes you feel happier and re- energized. It channels any energy, so helps any condition. It focuses the mind, aids meditation, and relieves negativity.