Glossary
A
- Adularescence: Adularescence is an optical phenomenon characterized by a soft, glowing, bluish or white light that seems to shimmer and move across the surface of moonstone when it is viewed from different angles. This effect is named after “Adularia,” an older name for a type of moonstone found in the Swiss Alps.
- Amazonite: Amazonite is a blue-green microcline feldspar crystal. Ancient people in the Amazon associated amazonite with mythical warriors, and they believed it gave them strength and courage. Amazonite activates the throat, heart, and third eye chakras, so it’s good for self-expression, harmony, and intuition. Find out more about amazonite in this guide.
- Amber: Amber is fossilized tree resin. It is typically yellow to brown and can plant and insect remnants. Amber is often used in jewelry as a gemstone and decorative objects, and is valued by scientists for its preservation of ancient specimens. Here’s my guide to amber.
- Amethyst: Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz that ranges from pale lilac to deep violet. It’s often found in geodes or clusters of pointed crystals. See my guide to amethyst here.
- Asterism: Asterism is an optical phenomenon in some gemstones, most often in star sapphires and star rubies. When light is shone on the gemstone, it creates a distinct star-like pattern on the surface. This happens because of needle-like mineral inclusions in the stones.
- Aura: An aura is the energetic field surrounding a crystal that can be visualized as a subtle color extending beyond the physical boundaries of the stone. A crystal’s aura can be influenced by different things, like the elements in it, its color, shape, and the intentions of the person working with it. Some people use techniques like aura cleansing or aura scanning to work with the energy of crystals and enhance their effects.
- Aventurine: Aventurine is a type of quartz that is usually green, but can also occur in shades of blue, brown, yellow, orange, and red. It has a speckled or shimmering appearance from small inclusions of mica or other minerals in the crystal. This sparkling effect is known as “aventurescence”. See my guide to eventurine here.
B
- Black tourmaline: Black tourmaline is a grounding crystal often used for protection against negative energy and electromagnetic radiation. It balances the body and mind, relieves stress, and brings a sense of calmness and stability. Usually black, it also comes in hues of brown, green, pink, watermelon, blue, red, and colorless.
C
- Cabochon: Cabochon is a stone that’s cut to have a smooth, rounded, and polished top with a flat or slightly domed back. The cut is used in rings, pendants, earrings, bracelets, and brooches, and is popular in bohemian, vintage, and artisanal designs. It highlights patterns, colors, and optical phenomena like asterism (star effect) or chatoyancy (cat’s-eye effect).
- Carat: A carat is a unit of weight for measuring crystals and gemstones and is written as “ct.” One carat is equal to 0.2 grams or 200 milligrams. The value of a piece is often determined by its weight in carats, along with other factors such as color, clarity, and cut.
- Chakra: Chakras are energy centers within the human body linked to physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Each chakra is associated with a specific color and different crystals. The concept of chakras originates from ancient Indian and yogic traditions, particularly Hinduism and Buddhism.
- Citrine: Citrine is a yellow to orange variety of quartz crystal. It’s named after the Latin word “citrus,” which means yellow. Natural citrine is rare, and most on the market is heat-treated amethyst or smoky quartz. Citrine is associated with positive energy, abundance, and prosperity. Here’s an overview of citrine that I put together for you.
- Clear quartz: Clear quartz is an abundant, colorless, and transparent quartz that looks a lot like glass. It brings clarity of thought, concentration, and focus, making it great to use when setting intentions and manifesting. It’s often called the “master healer” because it heals and balances energies.
- Crystal: Crystals are solid materials made up of atoms or molecules arranged in a repeating and highly ordered three-dimensional pattern, resulting in well-defined geometric shapes with specific properties.
- Crystal ball: A crystal ball is a spherical or sometimes slightly flattened ball made of crystal, usually quartz, used for divination and scrying purposes. It is associated with fortune-telling, psychic readings, and spiritual practices. Scrying is a divination practice that involves gazing into a reflective surface for spiritual insights, visions, or to receive information.
- Crystal grid: A crystal grid is a pattern of crystals laid out in a certain way to create a desired energy or effect. The crystals are carefully chosen and their placement is purposeful, to amplify each other’s energies. Common grid patterns are sacred shapes like the Flower of Life, or geometric like a square or triangle.
- Chatoyancy: Chatoyancy is when a crystal reflects more light than it absorbs, so it has a shiny or silky sheen across it at different angles in the light. This looks like a cat’s eyes shining in light at night. Tiger’s eye, pietersite, and cat’s eye are all chatoyant crystals.
D
- Double terminated: A double terminated crystal has pointed ends on both sides instead of just one end. This can happen when it grows very quickly or without any restrictions. Double terminations let energy enter or exit the crystal on either end, making the crystal a powerful healing tool.
E
- Emerald: Emerald is a green beryl crystal that’s rare and valuable. Emeralds symbolize love, wisdom, and rebirth, and they are good for fertility, intuition, and spiritual growth. Emeralds are used in exquisite jewelry pieces because of their great beauty and clarity.
- Epidote: Epidote is a common silicate crystal that’s usually yellow-green, like the color of pistachios. It’s used for personal power, manifestation, and abundance. Epidote is often seen in jewelry and ornamental objects because of its special color, relative hardness, and the wonderful gifts it brings.
- Euclase: Euclase is a beautiful rare crystal that’s usually blue, but can also be colorless, green, or white. It’s name comes from Greek words meaning “easily fractured” because it breaks so perfectly under pressure. Euclase is associated with clarity, communication, and emotional balance.
- Eudialyte: A complex and colorful mineral found in shades of pink, red, and black. It is believed to enhance love, harmony, and spiritual growth.
- Ethiopian Opal: An opal variety known for its play-of-color, which can exhibit vibrant flashes of multiple hues. Ethiopian Opal is associated with inspiration, creativity, and emotional healing.
F
- Feldspar: A feldspar is a group of minerals found in rocks and comes in different colors. Feldspar is made up of different elements like silicon, oxygen, aluminum, and other chemicals. Some types of feldspar minerals are used as gemstones, like moonstone, labradorite, and amazonite.
- Fluorescence: the ability of a crystal to emit visible light when exposed to UV light
- Fracture: the way a crystal breaks when subjected to external force, often described as conchoidal (like broken glass) or uneven
- Formation: the way a crystal grows and takes shape, often affecting its energy and properties
G
- Geode: a hollow rock formation with a cavity lined with crystals, often used for its protective and grounding energy
- Garnet: a family of minerals often used for its grounding, energizing, and regenerative properties
H
- Hardness: the ability of a mineral to resist scratching, measured on the Mohs scale
- Hematite: a metallic gray or black mineral often used for its grounding, protective, and energizing properties
- Herkimer Diamond: a type of double-terminated quartz crystal found in Herkimer County, New York, often used for its amplifying and purifying energy
- Healer’s Gold: a combination of pyrite and magnetite minerals often used for its protective and grounding properties, as well as its ability to enhance healing energy
I
- Inclusions: Inclusions refer to any foreign material that is trapped within a crystal as it forms. This can include gas bubbles, mineral deposits, other crystals, or even organic material such as plant matter or insects. Inclusions can often add to the beauty and uniqueness of a crystal, and can also affect its energy and properties. For example, some types of inclusions are said to enhance the crystal’s healing or protective qualities.
- Iridescence: a rainbow-like play of color often seen on the surface of certain crystals, such as labradorite and rainbow moonstone
J
- Jade: a green or white mineral often used for its protective and healing properties, as well as its ability to attract abundance and good luck
K
- Kyanite: a blue or green mineral often used for its ability to enhance intuition, communication, and clarity of thought
- Kunzite: a pink or lilac-colored mineral often used for its calming and loving energy, as well as its ability to enhance spiritual awareness and emotional healing
L
- Luster: the way a crystal reflects light, often described as metallic, vitreous (glassy), or silky
- Lemurian: a type of quartz crystal with horizontal striations that some believe hold ancient wisdom and knowledge
M
- Mercedes: Mercedes is a nickname given to a specific type of quartz crystal configuration. This configuration has three six-sided faces that form a peak at one end of the crystal, and six six-sided faces that form a point at the other end. This shape is said to resemble the hood ornament of a Mercedes car, hence the nickname.
- Mohs scale: a scale of mineral hardness ranging from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest)
- Metaphysical: relating to the spiritual or non-physical properties and effects of crystals and minerals
N
- Natural: a term used to describe a crystal that is unaltered and unenhanced, meaning it has not been polished, cut, or treated in any way
- Necklace: a piece of jewelry that can be made with crystals or gemstones, often used for their beauty and healing properties
- New Age: a term used to describe a movement that emerged in the 1970s focused on spiritual and metaphysical beliefs, including the use of crystals for healing and personal growth
- Nuumite: a black and green mineral often used for its grounding and protective energy, as well as its ability to enhance personal power and transformation
- Nephrite: a green or white mineral often used for its protective and healing properties, as well as its ability to promote emotional balance and spiritual growth
- Natrolite: a white or colorless mineral often used for its ability to enhance spiritual awareness and communication with higher realms, as well as its purifying and cleansing energy
O
- Obsidian: a volcanic glass often used for its grounding and protective energy
- Opal: a silica mineral often used for its calming and soothing energy and its ability to enhance intuition
P
- Phantom: phantoms are a type of inclusion that occurs when a crystal grows in stages, with each growth phase leaving a distinct “phantom” layer within the crystal. These layers can be visible as faint lines or shapes within the crystal. Phantom crystals are often associated with spiritual growth and transformation
- Polished: a crystal that has been smoothed and buffed to a shiny finish
- Pyrite: a protective and abundance-bringing crystal often mistaken for gold due to its metallic sheen
Q
- Quartz: a family of minerals often used for their ability to amplify energy, enhance clarity of thought, and promote spiritual growth
- Quantum Healing: a holistic approach to healing that utilizes energy fields and frequencies, often incorporating the use of crystals and other tools
- Que Sera: a multicolored stone often used for its ability to enhance spiritual growth and psychic awareness, as well as its grounding and protective properties
- Quantum Quattro: a combination of four minerals (shattuckite, dioptase, chrysocolla, and malachite) often used for its ability to enhance healing and transformation on all levels
R
- Rose quartz: a pink variety of quartz often used for its loving and calming energy
- Rhodonite: a pink and black mineral often used for its ability to balance emotions and enhance compassion
S
- Skeletal crystals: a type of inclusion that occurs when a crystal grows in an uneven or irregular pattern, leaving gaps or hollows within the crystal structure. These gaps can give the crystal a “skeletal” or ghostly appearance.
- Streak: the color of a mineral’s powder when rubbed on a rough surface
- Striations: lines or grooves on the surface of a crystal, often indicating growth patterns or directional energy flow
- Crystal System: one of seven ways in which a crystal can form based on its atomic structure, including cubic, tetragonal, orthorhombic, monoclinic, triclinic, hexagonal, and trigonal systems.
T
- Tumbled: a crystal that has been polished and rounded through a tumbling process, often used for carrying in a pocket or for energy work
- Terminations: the pointed ends of a crystal, often affecting the way energy flows in and out of the crystal
U
- Unakite: a green and pink mineral often used for its ability to promote self-love and balance emotions
V
- Veils: a type of inclusion that occurs when the crystal forms around small cracks or fractures in the surrounding rock. As the crystal grows, it can “heal” these cracks by filling them with mineral material, creating a visible “veil” within the crystal.
- Vein: a deposit of minerals that has filled a crack or fissure in a rock or other material, often resulting in beautiful and unique crystal formations.
W
- Wand: a tool used for directing energy, often made of a crystal or other material and used in energy healing, meditation, and other spiritual practices
- Worry stone: a smooth, polished stone that can be held and rubbed for stress relief and relaxation, often made of a calming crystal like amethyst or blue lace agate
X
- Xenotime: a brown or yellow mineral often used for its grounding and protective energy, as well as its ability to enhance intuition and spiritual growth
Y
- Yellow Jasper: a yellow or golden-brown mineral often used for its protective and grounding energy, as well as its ability to enhance self-confidence and courage
Z
- Zeolite: a group of minerals often used for their purifying and detoxifying properties, as well as their ability to enhance spiritual awareness and communication with higher realms
- Zircon: a mineral often used for its ability to enhance clarity of thought, creativity, and personal power, as well as its protective energy