Rose Quartz Pink in colour, it is one of the most popular of all crystals. It gets it colour from the impurities of manganese or titanium. Its crystaline structure is often floored making it challenging to cut.
Crystal Healing: Used to direct energy and is associated with the heart. Holding or wearing Rose Quartz is an effective tool for dealing with emotional stress, placing Rose Quartz under your pillow at night is said to help improve the quality of sleep.
Physical Health: Used in healing to help: Allergic reactions, Cancer Support, Eating Disorders, Improve Fertility, Skin Issues, Surgical Recovery.
Amethyst
Purple in colour, it is one of the best known and most beautiful crystals. Amethyst occurs in a great variety of shades, shapes and sizes, it is a form of quartz coloured by different amounts of Iron or Aluminium. It can be found within volcanic rock, crystal caves and can be as much as 1 meter (3 feet) in size. Amethyst has been used in jewellery since ancient times in royal crowns and sceptres. It was mentioned as one of the stones used in Aaron the High priest's breast plate from the Old Testament book of Exodus.
Crystal Healing: Used to ease depression, fatigue, insomnia and memory problems
Physical Health: High blood pressure, sciatica and fibromyalgia.
Sodalite
Rich royal blue in colour intercepted with white veins Sodalite is made up of sodium aluminium silicate chloride: it gets its name from its sodium content.
Crystal Healing: Used to encourage assertiveness and to ease nervous tension.
Tigers Eye
Brown & Gold in colour Tigers Eye is a name given to a group of stones with a special luminous quality to their structure; they are basically quartz but have been formed in an unusual way. Tigers Eye has been a popular semi-precious stone for thousands of years. Tombs in the ancient city of Ur in Mesopotamian (modern Iraq) have been found dating back to 2500BC using Tigers Eye. Tigers Eye was used in the making of jewellery at the time of Alexander the Great in the 4th century by Greek Goldsmiths.
Crystal Healing: Used to shield the energy field, or aura from negativity, as well as clearing tension and mental blocks and restores calm to the body and mind. Encourage assertiveness, to build courage.
Hematite
Shiny silver/black in colour Hematite is an iron ore composed of iron oxide. It is an extremely common mineral that often occurs alongside Jasper, Quartz or Pyrite. It has a natural silver sheen that resembles mercury. The stone was seen as a powerful talisman for warriors fallen in battle.
Crystal Healing: Linked to preserving the strength and building self confidence, also used to build courage, hysteria and protection.
Physical Health: Allergic reactions, anaemia, blood circulation, muscle aches and water retention.
Turquoise
Blue-green in colour it is so popular it's also gives it name to the colour turquoise. It has been mined since at least 6000BC with the oldest known mines located in the Middle East. Turquoise was used in many ways from elaborate jewellery to inlays in mosaic floors. Its finest cuts are expensive but cheaper lower grades are easily obtainable. Turquoise occurs in different shades of blue-green depending on it origin.
Crystal Healing: Linked to communication issues
Physical Health: Lung support
Black Onyx
Natural Black Onyx is a form of quartz, its name can be miss-leading as it is not always black but has contrasting stripes of grey and white caused by different levels of impurities within the quartz. Black Onyx is common and easily available.
Physical Health: Foot problems.
Aventurine
Green in colour Aventurine is a form of microcrystalline quartz; it contains mica which makes the stone glisten as it is turned in the light. Due to the hardness of the stone it is used a lot in carvings, and in unison with marble to create flooring. It was often used in the 1880's by the Russian jeweller Faberge to make Faberge Eggs.
Crystal Healing: Anxiety, fatigue, to ease guilt, trauma recovery.
Physical Health: Bacterial infections, blood purification, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, immune support.