Healing Crystals and their properties

Agate

Mineralogy: banded quartz (different types & colors)

Indications: spiritual healing aspect: inner stability, composure, maturity. It allows the subconscious to feel more protection, warmth, security, self-confidence. It is known to bring the mind sense of reality, and pragmatic thinking. Physical benefits: for the eyes, hollow organs (like the stomach, intestines etc.), blood vessels and skin. It is a great protective stone to have with you during pregnancy. 

Amazonite (Feldspar)

Mineralogy: potassium feldspar 

Indications: spiritual healing aspect: self-determination. It allows the subconscious to become emotionally balanced. It is known to bring the mind harmonious interaction of intellect and intuition. Physical benefits: regulates metabolic disorders (liver); harmonises the brain, vegetative nervous system, internal organs; facilitates childbirth.

Amethyst Quartz 'Chevron Amethyst' 

Mineralogy: violet/white striped crystal quartz (trigonal, primary) (different types & colors)

Indications: spiritual healing aspect: sobriety, purity, composure, calm. It peps up the subconscious in cases of perpetual tiredness, resolves persistent anxiety. It helps the mind to overcome habitual tendencies and addictions. Physical benefits: good for the lungs, large intestine and skin; alleviates itching and sunburn.

Apatite, blue

Mineralogy: blue calcium phosphate (hexagonal, mostly tertiary) (different types & colors)

Indications: spiritual healing aspect: motivation. It stabilises the subconscious, and helps it combat listlessness after over-exertion. It also promotes independence and ambitiousness. Physical benefits: builds up, de-acidifies and helps with rickets, arthrosis, osteoporosis and the healing of fractures.

Aquamarine (Beryl)

Mineralogy: iron-containing beryl, blue to green (hexag., primary) 

Indications: spiritual healing aspect: farsightedness, and foresight. It bestows the subconscious perseverance, discipline, and light heartedness. It helps the mind to clear up confusion, helps to bring unfinished business to a conclusion. Physical benefits: helps with allergies, hay fever, problems of the eyes, respiratory tract, thyroid gland and bladder.

Aventurine Quartz, green (Fuchsite Quartz)

Mineralogy: glittering quartz containing fuchsite (trigonal, primary). Aventurine indicates easy-goingness. It also helps with nervousness, stress and sleep disorders. It helps you to feel free from anxiety and roving thoughts. Physical benefits: protects against heart attack and arteriosclerosis; alleviates rashes, inflammations, sunburn and sunstroke.

Azurite 

Mineralogy: alkaline copper carbonate (monoclinic, secondary)

Indications: spiritual healing aspect: recognition, and experience. It reveals and helps the subconscious to give up adopted unexamined ideas. It helps the mind to be reflective, and critical; enhances awareness and self-recognition. Physical benefits: stimulates the liver, brain, nerves and thyroid gland; improves reflex actions.

Carnelian, banded (Chalcedony)

Mineralogy: carnelian-coloured agate (quartz, trigonal, primary) 

Indications: spiritual healing aspect: stimulates, and motivates. It helps the subconscious to overcome difficulties and energetically defend a cause. It enhances receptivity of the mind. Physical benefits: stimulates assimilation of vitamins, nutrients and minerals in the small intestine; improves blood viscosity.

Chrysocolla

Mineralogy: hydrous copper ring silicate (monoclinic, secondary) 

Indications: spiritual healing aspect: balance. It is an excellent stone for stress and mood changes. It helps keep your mind's cool. Physical benefits: strengthens the liver; relaxes; helps with infections, sore throat, burns, scars, fever, cramps and menstrual pains. 

Citrine (Quartz)

Mineralogy: yellow crystal quartz (silicon dioxide, trigonal, primary) 

Indications: spiritual healing aspect: gives courage to face life. It gives the soul a cheerful enjoyment of life; aids self-expression; and helps with depression. It helps you to deal with and understand absorbed impressions. Physical benefits: fortifies the nerves, stomach, spleen and pancreas; also helps with bedwetting.

Clear Quartz 

Mineralogy: clear crystal quartz (trigonal, primary) (different types)

Indications: spiritual aspect: clarity, and neutrality. It strengthens personal point of view, and improves memory. It improves perceptive faculty, increases awareness and brings clarity in thinking. Physical benefits: enhances energy flow; fortifies nerves, brain, glands; alleviates pain and swellings.

Coral

Mineralogy: calcium carbonate

Indications: Absorbs negative energy. Coral represents diplomacy and concurrence. It quiets the emotions and brings peace to within the self. Facilitates intuition, imagination and visualisation. Coral expedites and accelerates the transfer of knowledge. Physical benefits: coral strengthens the circulatory system and the bones of the body. It stimulates tissue regeneration and nourishes the blood cells. Treats disorders of the spinal canal, the alimentary canal, the nervous system, and the thalamus.

Falcon's Eye (blue Tiger's Eye) 

Mineralogy: bluish-black fibrous quartz (trigonal, primary) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: overview, and reserve. It helps with nervousness and inner restlessness. It makes it easy for you to retain overview in complex situations and helps with difficulties in decision making. Physical benefits: relieves pain; helps with shivering, and hormonal hyperactivity.

Garnet Pyrope

Mineralogy: magnesium aluminium island silicate (cubic, tertiary) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: crisis management; quality of life. It promotes composure, courage and endurance; dissipates awkwardness; stimulates sexuality.It supports the striving for improvement. Physical benefits: enhances blood quality and blood flow; helps with bladder problems.

Gold Beryl (Beryl) 

Mineralogy: gold-yellow beryl (ring silicate, hexagonal, primary) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: optimism. It brings hope and joie de vivre, alleviates irritability and nervousness, relief from heavy burdens. It helps you to accept the unchangeable and improve on the changeable. Physical benefits: fortifies the nerves, eyes, stomach, spleen and pancreas.

Gold Quartz (Tiger's eye Quartz) 

Mineralogy: tiger's eye with high amount of quartz (trig., second.) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: helps assert oneself. It also helps to withstand difficulties without losing courage. It assists to digest impressions and concentrate on fundamentals. Physical benefits: releases tension and helps with acute asthma attacks.

Hematite with Magnetite 

Mineralogy: iron oxide (trigonal/cubic, coarse tertiary rock) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: progress, engagement. It promotes striving for improvement of one's situation in life. It helps you pursue aims with determination and to fight for them if necessary. Physical benefits: aids assimilation of iron and blood building, stimulates the glands, liver and gallbladder. 

Howlite 

Mineralogy: calcium boron silicate (island silicate, monocl., second.) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: independence, and care. It aids taking control of one's life. It promotes conscious control of one's actions. Physical benefits: fortifies sense of balance; helps with nausea, eases vomiting; ameliorates skin irritation caused by contact poison. 

Jadeite (Jade) 

Mineralogy: chain silicate of the pyroxene group (monocl., tert.) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: balance. It helps you to maintains balance between work and rest. It aids childlike self-realisation. Physical benefits: regulates the nerves, kidneys and adrenal glands (adrenaline production); maintains water, minerals and acid-base balance.

Jasper, beige-brown 'Cappuccino Jasper', 'Bruneau Jasper' 

Mineralogy: microcrystalline, grainy quartz (trigonal, secondary) (different types & colors)

Indications: spiritual aspect: performance. It bestows stability, and promotes inner calm. It helps tackle a huge pile of work by sensibly apportioning one's energy. Physical benefits: fortifies the stomach, intestine and immune system; promotes cleansing and elimination.

Kunzite (Spodumene) 

Mineralogy: pink chain silicate (pyroxene group, monocl., prim.) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: humility. It improves empathy, and helps with difficulties in making contact. It also helps accept criticism, promotes tolerance and readiness to serve. Physical benefits: helps with neuralgia, sciatic neuralgia and toothache; releases tension in the heart region. 

Kyanite 

Mineralogy: blue aluminosilicate mineral, 

Indications: Vivid dreams, channeling, visualisation, loyalty, honesty, and Serenity. Kyanite is an excellent stone for meditation and attunement. It will not retain negative vibrations or energy, therefore never requiring clearing. Kyanite aligns all chakras and subtle bodies instantly. It provides balance of yin-yang energy and dispels blockages, moving energy gently through the physical body. Kyanite has a calming effect on the whole being, bringing tranquility. It encourages psychic abilities and communication on all levels. It drives away anger, frustration, confusion and stress and helps to provide a capacity for linear and logical thought. Kyanite provides a stimulating energy, encouraging perseverance in and support of activities and situations which would normally reduce one's strength. Physical benefits: Kyanite treats the urogenital system, adrenal glands and parathyroid glands. It aids in disorders of the throat, brain and muscular system. It helps to heal infections and lower blood pressure. Kyanite is a natural pain reliever.

Blue Kyanite opens the throat chakra, encouraging communication and self-expression. It cuts through fears and blockages, helping to speak one's truth. It is very useful for public speakers and performers as it strengthens the voice and heals the throat and the larynx. 

Labradorite (Feldspar) 

Mineralogy: coloured glittering feldspar (lattice silicate, tricl., prim.) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: reflection, and truth. It sharpens intuition, gives emotional depth and mediumistic abilities. It brings forgotten memories to light and helps recognise illusions. Physical benefits: It reduces sensitivity to cold and blood pressure and alleviates rheumatism and gout.

Lapis Lazuli 

Mineralogy: lasurite rock (lasurite: lattice silicate, cubic, tertiary) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: truth. It promotes honesty, dignity, friendship and sociability. It helps tell and accept the truth. Physical benefits: It helps with problems of the throat, larynx, vocal cords, nerves and brain; regulates the thyroid gland. 

Lava Stone, (also known as Basalt, or Lava Rock) 

Minerology: igneous volcanic rock solidified from molten lava, after conditions of intense heat and pressure.

Indications: spiritual aspect: enhancing creativity, dream work, communication, cleansing negativity. It is a grounding stone that strengthens one's connection to Mother Earth. It gives us strength and courage, allowing us stability through times of change. It provides guidance and understanding in situations where we may need to "bounce back". A calming stone, it is very useful in dissipating anger. It promotes positive changes where needed in behavioural issues. Lava Stone enhances fertility.

In addition, Lava Stone is a wonderful aromatherapy essential oil diffuser. Simply add a few drops of your favourite essential oil and enjoy the added therapeutic benefits it brings.

Lavender Quartz (purple Chalcedony) 

Mineralogy: lavender coloured chalcedony (trigonal, secondary) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: understanding, sensitivity. It combines calmness and attentiveness; makes sensitive to the needs of others. It enhances understanding and readiness to continuously learn. Physical benefits: fortifies the kidneys and secretion of the glands; reduces blood pressure. 

Malachite 

Mineralogy: alkaline copper carbonate (monoclinic, secondary) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: promotes adventurous intensive life. It deepens emotional life, helps with sexual difficulties. It promotes power of imagination and decision. Physical benefits: stimulates the brain, nerves and liver, detoxifies and helps with rheumatism, cramps and menstrual pains. 

Mookaite (Chert) 

Mineralogy: mixture of jasper and opalite (trig./amorph., second.) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: experience. It promotes variety, fun and intense experiences. It makes flexible, prompts one to envisage many possibilities and to choose suitable one. Physical benefits: fortifies the spleen, liver, immune system, enhances blood purification and wound healing. 

Moonstone (Feldspar) 

Mineralogy: feldspar with swaying light beam (monoclinic, prim.) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: intuition. It bestows depth of feeling, and helps with sleepwalking. It makes one's mind receptive to inspiration and impulses. Physical benefits: brings hormonal cycles in harmony with natural rhythms, helps with problems during menstruation, menopause and after childbirth.

Morganite (Beryl) 

Mineralogy: beryl cont. manganese (ring silicate, hexagonal, prim.) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: responsibility. It helps do away with stress, pressure to perform, pomposity and habit of fleeing. It makes you considerate, helps take on responsibility. Physical benefits: ameliorates problems of the heart and nerves, sense of balance disorders and impotence. 

Obsidian

Mineralogy: volcanic glass (silicon dioxide, amorphous, primary) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: resolution. It is a rescue remedy for shock, traumas and blockages. It helps integrate one's dark side, and activates untapped abilities. Physical benefits: eases pain, tension and constriction of the vessels and enhances blood flow and wound healing. 

Onyx (Chalcedony) 

Mineralogy: black chalcedony (trigonal, primary/secondary) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: self-assertion. It boosts self-confidence and sense of responsibility. It improves rational thinking, logic, control and power of reasoning. Physical benefits: sharpens sense of hearing, helps with diseases of the inner ear; improves functions of the nerves.

Opal, Precious Opal, white 'Light Opal' 

Mineralogy: light colourful precious opal (amorphous, secondary) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: cheerfulness. It helps enjoy the beautiful side of life, and boosts sensuality and eroticism. It  awakens enthusiasm, imagination and creativity. Physical benefits: mobilises the lymph, cleanses and helps with coughs and diseases of the respiratory tract. 

 Opal, white 'Milk Opal' 

Mineralogy: white opal (silicon oxide, amorphous, primary/second.) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: open-mindedness. It makes one open and accommodating; helps accept oneself and others. It aids communication, exchange and companionship. Physical benefits: stimulates lymph flow, the kidneys, bladder and the regulation of water balance.

Pearl

Mineralogy: not a true mineral due to its organic origin (mainly aragonite or a mixture of aragonite and calcite) that form within the tissues of molluscs as a protective coating (known as nacre) as a result of an internal irritation, such as a grain of sand.The color of genuine pearls ranges from white to pink, blue, brown, gray and black, depending on the type of mollusk and the water in which they are found. Some of the common shapes of pearls are round, baroque (irregular), oval or rice, button (flat on one side), keishi (freeform), and freshwater biwa or stick. 

Indications: spiritual aspect: balance the human body's natural rhythms and hormone levels with the lunar cycles. It will bring you inner wisdom and help to strengthen and nurture the growth of pure love. Pearl enhances feelings of good will and positive, uplifting feelings. It ​calms and soothes the emotions, heals the negative inner voice and sub-personalities. It promotes faith, honesty, purity, wisdom, charity and personal integrity. ​Physical benefits: relieve uneasiness, nervousness, anxiety and tension. They also have a positive effect on people who are inclined to hold in their emotions.

Pyrite (Cluster) 

Mineralogy: brass-coloured iron sulphide (cubic, prim./secondary) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: self-recognition. It exposes secrets and suppressed memories. It makes one open, direct and honest; reveals the causes of certain circumstances and illnesses. Physical benefits: stimulates the liver, intestine, detoxification and excretion.

Rhodochrosite 

Mineralogy: pink to red manganese carbonate (trigonal, secondary) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: activity. It makes one buoyant and cheerful, enhances sexuality and eroticism. It makes one dynamic, active and makes things work faster. Physical benefits: boosts circulation, increases blood pressure and helps with abdominal pains and migraine. 

Rhodonite 

Mineralogy: calcium manganese chain silicate (triclinic, tertiary) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: wound healing. It helps forgiveness, and promotes mutual understanding. Physical benefits: best stone for injuries, bleeding wounds and insect bites; strengthens muscles, heart and circulation; helps with autoimmune diseases and stomach ulcers.

Rose Quartz 

Mineralogy: pink-coloured quartz (silicon dioxide, trigonal, primary) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: sensitivity. It increases empathy; helps with sexual difficulties. It clearly illuminates personal needs and the desires of others. Physical benefits: harmonises heart beat and promotes strengthening of sexual organs and fertility.

Ruby 

Mineralogy: corundum cont. chromium (trigonal, prim./mostly tert.) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: passion, cheerfulness. It promotes bravery, virtue and courage; sexually stimulates. It enhances commitment and performance. Physical benefits: increases fever and blood pressure; stimulates circulation, adrenal glands and sexual organs. 

Rutilated Quartz, clear 

Mineralogy: few rutile fibres in quartz (tetragonal/trigonal, primary) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: faraway feeling. It frees one from a feeling of suffocation and lends a feeling of being faraway and of freedom. It helps develop new life concepts and face the future with optimism. Physical benefits: helps with allergies, asthma, breathing and heart problems. 

Sodalite 

Mineralogy: lattice silicate containing sodium (cubic, primary) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: search for truth. It dissipates guilt; helps stand by oneself. It increases consciousness, idealism and the striving for truth. Physical benefits: enhances assimilation of fluids; helps with hoarseness, loss of voice, fever, excess weight and high blood pressure. 

Strawberry Quartz 

Mineralogy: manganese pink coloured quartz (trigonal, primary) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: shows cause and effect, helps not to attach too much importance to oneself; makes witty and humorous. It shows how one personally gives rise to misfortune and failure. Physical benefits: helps with agitation, constriction, and disorders of the heart and circulation. 

Sunstone (Hematite Feldspar) 

Mineralogy: glittering brown feldspar (lattice silicate, triclinic, prim.) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: optimism. life-affirming; dissipates fear, anxiety and depression. It helps turn attention to personal strengths and the sunny side of life. Physical benefits: harmonises the vegetative nervous system and the interplay of the organs.

Tiger's Eye 

Mineralogy: yellowish brown fibrous quartz (trigonal, secondary) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: gives overview; reserve. It helps with stress, strain and assailing external currents. From the mental aspect, it sharpens the senses and helps maintain overview when things are happening fast. Physical benefits: regulates the adrenal glands; relieves asthma attacks.

Tourmaline polychrome (Elbaite) 

Mineralogy: multicoloured tourmaline (boron ring silicate, trig. prim.) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: wholeness: brings spirit, soul, mind and body into a harmonious wholeness. It enhances imagination and dreams. It helps one recognise and control developments. Physical benefits: harmonises the nerves, metabolism, hormonal glands and immune system. 

Turquoise 

Mineralogy: alkaline copper aluminium phosphate (triclinic, second.) 

Indications: the stone of fate! It harmonises, cheers and protects from external influences. It helps one to recognise causes of happiness and unhappiness and master them. Physical benefits: helps with exhaustion, hyperacidity, rheumatism, gout, stomach pains and cramps. 

Zoisite 

Mineralogy: calcium aluminium group silicate (orthorhombic, tert.) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: regeneration, and constructiveness. It enhances re-generation after illnesses or heavy strains. It helps detach oneself from adaptation to/and external control. Physical benefits: anti-inflammatory effect; strengthens the regeneration of the cells and tissues. 

Zoisite with Ruby (Anyolite) 

Mineralogy: ruby in zoisite matrix (trigonal/orthorhombic, tertiary) 

Indications: spiritual aspect: dynamic, regeneration. It revives buried feelings, and enhances potency. It promotes creative commitment. Physical benefits: deacidifies, regenerates and enhances fertility; good for problems of the spleen, prostate, testicles and ovaries.

Source: Healing Crystals the A-Z guide to 430 gemstones - Michael Gienger