01
Intuition
Begin with the stone that naturally catches your attention. Your intuition often notices something before your mind explains it.
Crystal Library
Build your crystal knowledge
one shelf at a time.
Start with the Essentials, then explore by color, intention, family, chakra, or collector tier.
Browse the library your way
✧
or search directly
⌕
Search Library
or search directly
⌕
Mineral family
Energetic theme
Color
Chakra
Advanced filters
Mohs hardness
Formation environment
Material type
Collector tier
Tier 1
The Essentials
—
The foundation stones — versatile, accessible, and widely loved. A great place to start any collection.
Beyond The Essentials
What's on your next shelf?
Once you have the foundations, Shelf Builders opens up a world of color, energy, and intention. Explore deeper picks hand-selected for growing collections.
Tier 2
Shelf Builders
▾
Tier 3
Collector Favorites
—
▾
Tier 4
Rare & Specialty Finds
—
▾
Having trouble connecting
The encyclopedia couldn't load right now — this is usually a brief connection issue. Please check your internet connection and try refreshing the page.
Explore by feeling or intention
Choose a category to see matching stones — or browse all 30 moods.
Grounding
Presence, stability,
inner calm
inner calm
Heart
Love, compassion, forgiveness
Mind
Mental clarity, motivation, fresh perspective
Spirit
Intuition, inner wisdom, spiritual awareness
Body
Energy, resilience, vitality
→
Browse all
30 moods
or
What's on your mind right now?
Type anything — a feeling, an intention, a moment you're in.
Stones for you right now
Narrow by
My Collection
Collection Progress
Total Pieces
0
in your collection
Wishlist
0
stones on your list
By Collector Tier
Filter & Sort
Stone family
Theme
Color
Chakra
Advanced filters
Mohs hardness
Formation
Material
Form / Shape
Size
Location / Shelf
Filter & Sort
Sort By
Recently added
Stone name A–Z
Stone name Z–A
Collector tier
Color
Chakra
Sort By
Recently added
Color
All
Chakra
All
Theme
All
Family
All
Form
All
Size
All
Location
All
More
All
Hardness
All
Formation
All
Material
All
Add to Collection
Crystal Identification
What stone is this?
①
What color is it?
Possible matches
CRYSTALS 101
Working With Crystals
Crystal Forms
Cleansing & Charging
Chakra Guide
Energetic Roles
Crystal Families
Choosing & Care
Crystal Grids
How to Work With Crystals
From intention to practice
Setting Intention
Intention is what separates a stone on a shelf from a stone in practice. Before you work with a crystal, take a moment — hold it in both hands, breathe, and state what you're bringing to it. This doesn't need to be elaborate. "I'm working on letting go of anxiety" is enough. You're not casting a spell; you're directing your attention and giving the stone a context to work within.
The honest version: Crystals don't think. What intention-setting does is prime your own mind to notice relevant feelings, patterns, and shifts. The stone becomes a physical anchor for something you're already doing internally. That's not a small thing.
Ways to Work With Crystals
There's no wrong starting point. Try what calls to you and let your practice grow naturally.
| Method | How | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Holding | In one or both hands during meditation, breathwork, or quiet time | Direct energetic work, grounding, emotional processing |
| Carrying | In a pocket, pouch, or bag, kept close throughout the day | Ongoing support, protection, subtle reminders |
| Wearing | As rings, bracelets, pendants, or earrings, worn close to the skin | Chakra work, sustained energy, intentional adornment |
| Placing | On the body during rest, or on a nightstand, desk, or altar | Environmental energy, sleep support, space-holding |
| Gridding | Arranging multiple stones in geometric patterns around a clear intention | Amplification, manifestation, space clearing |
| Meditating | Hold or place on a corresponding chakra; sit quietly and observe | Deep inner work, intuitive downloads, focused healing |
Trusting Your Intuition
The properties listed in an encyclopedia — including this one — are a starting point, not a prescription. If a stone is described as calming but it makes you feel restless, trust that. If you're drawn to a stone whose listed properties don't match what you think you need, pick it up anyway.
At intermediate level, your intuition is data. You've handled enough stones to know the difference between a random preference and a genuine pull. When your gut disagrees with a description, your experience with that stone wins.
When a Stone Doesn't Feel Right
Sometimes a stone that should work for you — by every property measure — just doesn't. This happens. The usual reasons:
It needs cleansing. A stone that's been sitting around or was handled by others may feel dense or flat. Cleanse it before writing it off.
Wrong timing. Some stones feel too activating when you're already overwhelmed, or too grounding when you need to move energy. Put it down and come back.
It's working, and you're resisting it. The stones that make us uncomfortable are sometimes doing exactly the right thing. Notice what's being stirred up before deciding it's not for you.
Wrong timing. Some stones feel too activating when you're already overwhelmed, or too grounding when you need to move energy. Put it down and come back.
It's working, and you're resisting it. The stones that make us uncomfortable are sometimes doing exactly the right thing. Notice what's being stirred up before deciding it's not for you.
Crystal Forms
How form affects function, what each form does, and when to reach for it
A form is the way a stone appears as a collectible piece, naturally grown, cut, polished, carved, or shaped. The form you choose changes how you work with a stone, how you carry it, and how it fits into your space.
Think of form as function made visible. A tumble is easy to carry, a tower directs energy upward, a sphere radiates evenly, and a raw specimen keeps more of the stone's natural structure and texture.
Cleansing & Charging
Keeping your stones clear and energized
Quick Start
Cleanse new stones first
Use moonlight or sound if unsure
Avoid water unless the stone is known to be water-safe
Recharge monthly or after heavy use
Why It Matters
Crystals are energetically porous. They pick up the emotional residue of environments, people, and experiences, not metaphorically, but in the sense that a stone carried through a difficult week feels different from a freshly cleansed one. Cleansing resets that.
Charging amplifies and directs a stone's natural energy. Think of cleansing as clearing the slate, and charging as sharpening the pencil.
New stones always get cleansed first. You don't know how many hands have touched them, what environments they've been in, or what energy they've accumulated. Start clean.
Cleansing Methods
Choose based on your stone's physical properties — not all methods work for all stones.
Moonlight
Leave stones out overnight under the moon — full moon is most potent but any phase works.
Works indoors through a window too
Sound
Singing bowls, bells, tuning forks, or even clapping near your stones. Vibration moves stagnant energy.
One of the best all-purpose methods
Smoke
Pass stones through smoke from sage. Don't let the stone sit in direct smoke for too long — a few passes is enough.
Ventilate the room
Breath
Hold the stone and blow sharply across it with clear intention to release what doesn't belong. Underrated and immediate.
Surprisingly effective for quick resets
Earth Burial
Bury in soil for 24–48 hours. Deep, slow, thorough cleansing. Best for heavily loaded stones or after intense work.
Mark the spot. Use a mesh bag to find it.
Selenite
Place stones on a selenite plate or beside a selenite wand overnight. Selenite is self-cleansing and will clear other stones.
Can't use water on selenite itself
Running Water
Hold under cool running water for 30–60 seconds with intention. Quick and grounding.
Only for stones known to be water-safe
Salt (Dry)
Bury in dry sea salt for several hours. Powerful, but use dry salt only — never saltwater. Can damage softer stones.
Avoid on porous, soft, or metallic stones
Safe for Almost All Stones
Selenite
Place stones on a selenite plate or beside a selenite wand overnight. Selenite is self-cleansing and will clear other stones.
Can't use water on selenite itself
Sound
Singing bowls, bells, tuning forks, or even clapping near your stones. Vibration moves stagnant energy.
One of the best all-purpose methods
Moonlight
Leave stones out overnight under the moon — full moon is most potent but any phase works.
Works indoors through a window too
Breath
Hold the stone and blow sharply across it with clear intention to release what doesn't belong. Underrated and immediate.
Surprisingly effective for quick resets
Use With Care
Smoke
Pass stones through smoke from sage. Don't let the stone sit in direct smoke for too long — a few passes is enough.
Safe for all stones; ventilate the room
Running Water
Hold under cool running water for 30–60 seconds with intention. Quick and grounding — but not safe for all stones.
See water-sensitive list below
Advanced Methods
Earth Burial
Bury in soil for 24–48 hours. Deep, slow, thorough cleansing. Best for heavily loaded stones or after intense work.
Mark the spot. Use a mesh bag to find it.
Salt (Dry)
Bury in dry sea salt for several hours. Powerful, but use dry salt only — never saltwater. Can damage softer stones.
Avoid on porous, soft, or metallic stones
Charging Methods
Once cleansed, you can amplify a stone's energy by charging it toward a specific purpose.
| Method | Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sunlight | Activating, energizing, solar — great for action-oriented stones | 30 minutes max; some stones fade (see below) |
| Moonlight | Intuitive, receptive, feminine — ideal for emotional and spiritual work | Overnight; safe for all stones |
| Intention | You are the charger — hold the stone and breathe your purpose into it | Works best after cleansing; most direct method |
| Crystal cluster | Place on amethyst, quartz, or citrine cluster to charge passively | 24 hours; clusters need their own periodic cleansing |
| Sacred geometry grid | Placing in a grid with clear quartz amplifies specific intentions | Program the grid first with your intention |
Sunlight+
Effect
Activating, energizing, solar — great for action-oriented stones
Notes
30 minutes max; some stones fade (see sun-sensitive list below)
Moonlight+
Effect
Intuitive, receptive, feminine — ideal for emotional and spiritual work
Notes
Overnight; safe for all stones
Intention+
Effect
You are the charger — hold the stone and breathe your purpose into it
Notes
Works best after cleansing; most direct method
Crystal Cluster+
Effect
Place on amethyst, quartz, or citrine cluster to charge passively
Notes
24 hours; clusters need their own periodic cleansing
Sacred Geometry Grid+
Effect
Placing in a grid with clear quartz amplifies specific intentions
Notes
Program the grid first with your intention
How Often
There's no strict schedule — learn to read the energy. Stones used daily in active work need cleansing more often than display pieces. Signs a stone is ready: it feels heavy, dull, or suddenly unpleasant to hold. Stones you carry through stressful periods need attention after that period ends. A good default: cleanse monthly with the full moon, and anytime you feel a shift.
Stone Safety
Check Any Stone
Type a stone name to see its care status — water safety, sun sensitivity, and any toxicity notes.
Water-sensitive stones
Tap to expand▾
The following stones from your encyclopedia are water-sensitive — they may dissolve, rust, become toxic, or lose their structure:
Sunlight-sensitive stones
Tap to expand▾
These stones from your encyclopedia can fade, crack, or lose color intensity with prolonged sun exposure. Brief morning light is usually fine; avoid leaving them in a sunny window for hours:
Chakra Guide
Root to Crown, plus Earth Star: governing territory, what imbalance feels like, and stones for each center
Chakras are energy centers in the subtle body, recognized across Indian, Tibetan, and other traditions for thousands of years. Working with crystals on specific chakras isn't about believing in a particular cosmology — it's about using stones as a focusing tool for areas of your life and body that need attention. The seven main centers map to both physical locations and psychological themes.
The Eight Energy Centers
Tap any center to browse stones for that chakra in the encyclopedia.
Using Chakra Awareness in Practice
You don't need to know which chakra is blocked to work intuitively. But if you notice a pattern — difficulty speaking up, chronic anxiety in the gut, feeling disconnected from your body — mapping that to a chakra gives you a more targeted way to choose stones and direct your attention. Use the Encyclopedia's chakra filter to find stones for any center.
Intermediate note: Stones don't only work on their primary chakra. A stone like Moldavite technically works on the Heart and Third Eye simultaneously. Let the overall energy profile of a stone guide you, not just its chakra assignment.
Energetic Roles Explained
A decoder ring for the tags in this app — and how to use them intentionally
Every stone in this encyclopedia has an energetic role: a short label for its primary quality in practice. These are not claims about what a stone cures or guarantees. They describe what a stone tends to amplify, settle, open, or move.
How to read them: "Calming / Communication / Gentle Expression" means those qualities share one energetic signature, not that they are equal. You will feel which one is primary in a given moment.
The Main Role Categories
Foundation
Grounding
Brings scattered or anxious energy back into the body. Creates safety, presence, and physical connection.
Hematite, Black Tourmaline, Red Jasper
Protection
Creates energetic boundaries. Deflects or absorbs incoming energy that isn't yours. Essential for empaths.
Black Tourmaline, Labradorite, Obsidian
Vitality / Energy
Increases physical energy, motivation, and life force. Activating rather than calming.
Carnelian, Red Jasper, Pyrite
Heart & Emotion
Heart Healing
Opens, softens, and repairs the emotional heart. Grief, loss, self-love, compassion, and relationship wounds.
Rose Quartz, Rhodonite, Green Aventurine
Calming / Peace
Lowers the volume on anxiety and mental noise. Different from grounding, this is quieting, not anchoring.
Blue Lace Agate, Lepidolite, Celestite
Emotional Regulation
Supports processing and stabilizing strong feelings. Helps you move through emotions without being swept away.
Lepidolite, Blue Lace Agate, Mangano Calcite
Mind & Perception
Clarity / Focus
Cuts through fog, indecision, and mental clutter. Supports concentration, decision-making, and seeing clearly.
Fluorite, Sodalite, Clear Calcite
Intuition
Opens the third eye and subtle perception. Supports dreams, psychic awareness, and inner knowing.
Lapis Lazuli, Labradorite, Amethyst
Spirit & Growth
Spiritual Connection
Bridges the personal and the transcendent. Opens awareness to something larger, however you define that.
Amethyst, Selenite, Celestite
Transformation
Facilitates deep change. Not gentle, these stones push you through thresholds. Work with them intentionally.
Moldavite, Malachite, Obsidian
Manifestation
Supports bringing intentions into material form. Works best when paired with clarity about what you actually want.
Citrine, Pyrite, Rutilated Quartz
Amplification
Magnifies the energy of intentions, other stones, and your own field. Use deliberately, it amplifies everything.
Clear Quartz, Selenite, Herkimer Diamond
Build a Balanced Working Kit
A useful collection covers a few different jobs. You don't need dozens of stones — start with five roles.
Grounding
HematiteRed JasperBlack Tourmaline
Protection
Black TourmalineLabradoriteObsidian
Heart Healing
Rose QuartzRhodoniteGreen Aventurine
Clarity / Focus
FluoriteSodaliteClear Calcite
Spiritual Connection
AmethystSeleniteCelestite
Crystal Families
Why a jasper is not just a jasper, and why families matter
Crystal families are defined by mineral structure and chemistry, not appearance. Stones that look nothing alike can share a family, while stones with the same name can belong to different ones. Families help you predict care needs, energetic tendencies, and why stones behave as they do.
Families are useful shortcuts. Once you know a family's behavior, you can better guess hardness, water safety, sunlight sensitivity, and how a new stone may feel in practice.
Why Families Share Energetic Tendencies
It's not coincidence that most Quartzes amplify, most Garnets energize, and most Calcites work with emotional flow. The mineral structure determines how a stone interacts with light, electricity, and subtle energy. Silicon dioxide (Quartz) is piezoelectric, generating charge under pressure, which may be why so many Quartzes feel activating. Understanding the family gives you a head start on understanding any new stone within it.
Practical implication: If you receive an unfamiliar stone and it's in the Quartz family, you already know it will likely be durable (7+ Mohs), work well with amplification, and respond well to moonlight cleansing. The family is a shortcut.
Browse Crystal Families
Choosing & Care
How to pick the right stone, and how to keep it
How to Choose
There's a hierarchy that most experienced practitioners land on eventually:
| Method | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Intuition: which stone pulls your attention, feels right in your hand, or keeps catching your eye? | This is your primary signal. |
| Intention: what do you actually need right now? Use the Choose by Intention tab to find stones by need. | When you have a clear goal but no strong pull |
| Properties: look up specific properties, chakras, or energetic roles to narrow down. | Research mode; building a targeted collection |
At intermediate level, trust the pull over the book.
If your gut says Black Tourmaline even though you "should" want Rose Quartz, your energy body often knows what it needs before your mind does.
If your gut says Black Tourmaline even though you "should" want Rose Quartz, your energy body often knows what it needs before your mind does.
How to Choose
Three simple ways to find the stone that's right for you.
02
Intention
Choose based on the support, feeling, or shift you want most right now.
03
Properties
Use known qualities, chakra associations, and practical traits to refine your choice.
There's no wrong choice.
Trust yourself and enjoy the journey.
Building Your Collection Over Time
The collections that serve people best aren't the biggest — they're the most intentional. Some principles that hold up over time:
Depth over breadth. Three Amethysts you've worked with deeply serve you better than thirty stones you've never connected with.
Fill the gaps deliberately. Check your collection against the major energetic role categories. If you have nothing for grounding or protection, you have a real gap.
Know what you display vs. what you work with. Display stones can be anything beautiful. Working stones should be ones you've cleansed, set intention with, and actually used.
One really good piece beats ten mediocre ones. A high-quality, ethically sourced stone has more presence than a bucket of tumbles.
Fill the gaps deliberately. Check your collection against the major energetic role categories. If you have nothing for grounding or protection, you have a real gap.
Know what you display vs. what you work with. Display stones can be anything beautiful. Working stones should be ones you've cleansed, set intention with, and actually used.
One really good piece beats ten mediocre ones. A high-quality, ethically sourced stone has more presence than a bucket of tumbles.
Hardness & Physical Care
The Mohs scale rates scratch resistance from 1 to 10. For collectors, it's the quickest way to understand handling, storage, and cleaning needs.
| Hardness | Durability | Care notes | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Fragile | Handle gently. No water, salt, or ultrasonic cleaners. Store separately. | Talc · Selenite · Halite · Calcite |
| 3–5 | Moderate | Avoid prolonged water contact. Can scratch easily. Wrap for storage. | Fluorite · Apatite · Kyanite |
| 5–6 | Average | Generally durable. Some water sensitivity; check the specific stone. | Opal · Labradorite · Turquoise |
| 6–7 | Durable | Durable for everyday use. Most can handle brief water contact. | Quartz · Moonstone · Garnet |
| 7–10 | Very Durable | Highly durable and scratch resistant. Safe for most care methods. | Topaz · Corundum · Tourmaline |
The Three Main Hazards
Most crystal damage comes from three sources:
Water — Dissolves salt-based stones (Halite), rusts iron-rich ones (Pyrite, Galena), and breaks down soft stones over time. See the full water-sensitive list in the Cleansing section.
Sunlight — Fades color in UV-sensitive stones. Amethyst, Rose Quartz, Fluorite, and Celestite are the most common casualties. A sunny windowsill is a slow bleach.
Dropping — Obvious but often ignored. Calcites, Selenite, and Fluorite have perfect cleavage — they split cleanly along crystal planes. One drop on a hard floor can split a piece. Store them padded.
Toxicity Awareness
A small number of stones in this encyclopedia contain toxic minerals. This matters if you make crystal water (don't, unless you use the indirect method), handle raw specimens frequently, or work with children around your collection.
| Stone | Concern | Precaution |
|---|---|---|
| Malachite | Copper-based; dust is toxic | Don't polish dry; avoid in drinking water |
| Cinnabar | Mercury sulfide | Display only; wash hands after handling |
| Galena | Lead-based | Wash hands; keep away from children |
| Pyrite | Can release sulfuric acid when wet | Keep dry; don't use in water elixirs |
| Vanadinite | Vanadium content | Handle finished specimens only; wash hands |
Polished and finished specimens of these stones are generally safe for normal handling. The risk is mainly with raw dust, prolonged skin contact, or water infusion.
Crystal Grids
Using sacred geometry to amplify intention
What a grid actually does
A crystal grid is a geometric arrangement of stones set with a shared intention. The geometry matters because different shapes direct energy differently. A triangle focuses and points. A circle contains and protects. A star both sends and receives. The stones amplify each other's qualities because they're in relationship, not working in isolation.
The most important element is not the geometry. It is the moment of activation. Before you place the final stone, hold the intention clearly. State it aloud or silently. The grid holds that frequency until you dismantle it.
ActivationPlace stones from outside in, ending at the center. State your intention, then touch each stone lightly with a clear quartz point to "connect" them.
DurationMost grids are set for a specific purpose and dismantled when it resolves, whether that is a week, a month, or a season. Cleanse all stones afterward.
PlacementGrids can sit on a cloth, a mirror, sacred geometry paper, or bare wood. The surface matters less than the intention.
Six starter grids