Gemstones and Crystals for Healing - A Primer

Most of us when we think of gemstones, think of our jewelry, those pieces that have turquoise, diamonds, or amethysts for example, but most of us don't stop to think beyond the beauty of these gemstones to another purpose they could be used for; healing. In fact there is far more to gemstones than their beautiful polished glitter and whether or not they will match with the perfect outfit, or even resonate with our personality or favorite color.

Generally speaking when someone starts talking about gemstone, and crystal healing, most people automatically think "new age," but gemstone, and crystal healing have been around in many cultures for thousands of years. Native American, and African cultures, as well as the ancient Egyptians, and people in Medieval Europe used gemstones for healing purposes. So contrary to popular belief, this is not a new practice, but a very ancient one. While those who practice the more recent new age traditions see gemstones, and crystals as something to be programmed to do what the person wants, most indigenous cultures view gemstones and crystals as living beings. Anyone who has ever had a gemstone or crystal suddenly disappear from the last place they knew the stone was knows that there is more to these things than just rocks. I'm not speaking about misplacing a stone, I'm talking about incidences where a stone was put in a particular place in plain view of the person and then when the person goes back for the stone, it is simply gone. This is a relatively rare experience as long as the person using the stone(s) is respectful and takes care of it properly, but it does happen.

So, now you know a little bit about the history of gemstones, and crystal healing, so how can you use gemstones and crystals to facilitate good health? Well, if you understand about how different colors can make you feel then you are half-way to understanding how gemstone and crystal healing works. We all know that wearing red can give us a feeling of self-confidence, and that a deep cobalt blue can make us feel calm, or that pink makes us feel loving towards others. If you already have an understanding of this then having an understanding about how to use gemstones and crystals for healing is simply the next step. Cultures from around the world have given different attributes to different stones, usually based on color as well as the stone's make up.

I always suggest to anyone wanting to begin working with crystals and gemstones to start out slowly with a few raw stones. It is not necessary to go out and purchase expensive jewelry, or highly polished and perfectly cut stones to begin working with gemstones and crystals for healing. All you need are a few raw stones, and by raw I mean unpolished and uncut. Personally, I prefer these kinds of stones for healing work as they have not been tampered with very much. If you are fortunate enough to find your stones while rock hunting in nature all the better. Not everyone will have this option though and that being the case you will need to purchase your stones. Most large cities have rock shops such as The Crystal Cartel in Portland, Oregon to name one. While you can purchase gemstones and crystals online I don't recommend it except as a last resort. I like to handle a gemstone or crystal before purchasing it to see how it "feels" to me. I usually get a sense right off if a gemstone or crystal is one I want to work with or that wants to work with me.

But what gemstones or crystals should you buy? Here is a small list that I suggest for those just beginning to work with gemstones and crystals, and a brief description of what each one is used for when it comes to healing.

1. Quartz: Quartz crystals are clear and actually contain all colors, because of this one of their uses in healing is to amplify whatever attributes another stone might have. Quartz crystals are calming when held and will help the person who is feeling pain to feel better by the calming it provides.

2. Lapis Lazuli: Lapis Lazuli is a stone that is a deep blue and sometimes has silver lines through it. Lapis Lazuli is an all-healer gemstone and can be used for a variety of healing purposes. It works especially well when it comes to emotional issues as it is very good at calming a person who is experiencing severe anxiety for example. It is also excellent for healing infections, inflammation, swelling, wounds and bacterial diseases because it has powerful cooling properties. In addition for the same reason it is excellent for reducing the pain of sunburns, and burns as well.

3. Rose Quartz: Rose Quartz is used for helping to heal depression, and any sort of heartache. It is a fantastic stone to use if you or someone you know is dealing with issues of self-esteem and the ability to feel love for both the self and others. This stone helps to open the heart and allow the person to begin to heal from situations where they may have shut off their feelings because of emotional abuse they may have suffered in the past.

4. Malachite: Malachite is a beautiful yellow-green gemstone that can be used for a variety of healing purposes such as: eye disorders, digestive disorders, asthma, epilepsy, joint pain, and rheumatism, as well as disorders dealing with the gall bladder, pancreas, liver and spleen. It will also help to balance the blood sugar levels in the body.

5. Garnet: Most people know that a Garnet is a beautiful deep red gemstone. I personally like them because they do the same things as rubies, but are less expensive. Garnet is another stone that can help with depression, although I always suggest Rose Quartz to start with because sometimes Garnet can be too energizing, especially if the person is also dealing with anxiety as well. Garnet is also good for reproductive and sexual problems. It is also a blood purifier and can assist in cases of anemia, and blood circulation problems. Generally speaking Garnet will foster and enhance general good health.

6. Turquoise: Besides being a protection stone, which means that the wearer will be protected even to the point of the stone being destroyed, turquoise has some very nice healing properties. Just to illustrate the first quality, I have a cousin who wears a turquoise ring all the time, and one day he was working on a car engine and something happened and the car engine fell on the hand he was wearing the turquoise ring on. The stone shattered, but my cousin's hand had no broken bones. For all intents and purposes his hand should have been crushed, but the only real damage was that turquoise stone. Coincidence? If you choose to believe that, personally I think his ring protected him. For healing, Turquoise is good for high blood pressure, eye inflammations, wounds, other types of inflammations, headaches, and migraines. It is also good for reducing the symptoms of asthma, and epilepsy.

7. Black Onyx: Black Onyx is the final stone I would suggest you add to your gemstone and crystal list. Onyx is excellent for aiding the skin, nails and hair to be healthy, and to help corrrect any health problems associated with them, as well as helping with heart disease and hearing problems that are associated with extreme stress. It also helps to heal ulcers and watery eyes.

These seven stones are the ones I suggest anyone start with when wanting to begin working with gemstones and crystals. Other than turquoise which can be a little expensive even in its raw form, the others are quite inexpensive, and should be relatively easy to come by at your local rock shop. As mentioned before I only suggest online buying if that is the only avenue available to you.

Before using any of your stones I suggest clearing them of the energy they may have accumulated from others holding them by running them beneath a cold water tap. Unlike some who work with gemstones and crystals, I don't suggest burying them in sea salt as this can put small pits on your stones. If you really want to clear them using sea salt, try putting them in some water with a bit of dissolved sea salt as this is not as hard on the stones. Don't leave them in this sea salt water too long though, no more than an hour or so. Some people have the ability to clear stones simply by passing them through their own energy field, but it takes time to learn this.

To begin working with gemstones and crystals, start out using them on yourself. You can choose one stone to work with at a time, unless you want to use your clear quartz stone to amplify one of your other stones, and that is fine. Ancient knowledge teaches us that we receive energy through the left hand, and give energy through the right hand. This is not always true though, some of us as I am myself are ambidextrous when it comes to this. Start out by holding the gemstone or crystal you have chosen in your left hand to receive its energy. Don't be discouraged if it seems like nothing is happening at first, it takes time to attune to your gemstones and crystals. You can also try sleeping with your stones by putting one under your pillow and seeing what your dreams are like, sometimes gemstones and crystals will give you information that is helpful towards helping you to heal. You can also try meditating with them, which works the same as the information being given through dreams. In addition you can carry the stone you are working with in your pocket. The more you bond with your gemstones and crystals, and continue to clear them by running them beneath a cold fawcett when you feel they need it, the more they will be able to assist you in healing.

One thing to keep in mind is that under no circumstances am I advocating discontinuing any treatment given you by your doctor in favor of gemstone and crystal healing. While I have heard of cases where people have used gemstones and crystals to successfully heal themselves and others of conditions that were detrimental to their health, it is more common to hear of this type of healing being used in conjunction with whatever treatment you may be getting from your doctor through the use of western medicine. If you are being treated for any health condition by your doctor, stay on your treatment, and use gemstone and crystal healing to enhance it.

Gemstone and crystal healing can greatly enhance your life when used wisely. This article is merely meant to be a beginner's primer to using gemstones and crystals for healing. I would encourage you to do further research on the subject, because there is a lot more information available and many other beneficial uses for gemstones and crystals than are mentioned in this article.