If you have ever picked up a stone and felt drawn to it without quite knowing why, you are in good company. People have felt that same pull for thousands of years. This is where their stories are kept.
Every stone in your collection carried meaning long before it reached you. These are the documented traditions behind them, drawn from named historical sources.
From Egyptian burial amulets to the signet rings of Roman officers, red jasper spent three thousand years as the stone of courage. The reason has survived in the sources.
Read the storyRoman sailors carried aquamarine engraved with the god of the sea, and some threw the stone overboard in a storm. What they believed tells us something about the ocean, and about fear.
Read the storyIts name means “not drunk” in ancient Greek, bishops have worn it on their rings since the year 633, and it was buried with Anglo-Saxons. The most familiar stone has the longest memory.
Read the storyPractical, tradition-informed guidance on placement, choosing your first stones, and the quiet rituals people have kept for generations.
Placement is the oldest crystal practice there is. A walk through the home, one room at a time, with the traditions behind each choice.
Read the guideAn honest starting collection for under thirty dollars, and two popular stones a beginner is better off leaving on the shelf.
Read the guideLong before sleep science, people kept certain stones near where they slept. The traditions, and how collectors still use them at night.
Read the guideA large share of what is sold in crystal shops is dyed, heated, or manufactured. Knowing the difference protects your money and your collection.
The five most common fakes in the market today, and the simple checks anyone can do in a shop without special equipment.
Read the guideSome stones are priced on story rather than substance. Here is where your money goes further, without giving up anything that matters.
Read the guideIn traditional practice, some stones were kept apart on purpose. The reasoning behind the old rules, and the practical side of storing stones together.
Read the guideA 34-page guide covering the most commonly faked stones on the market, with the checks you can do yourself before you buy. I made it because nobody should pay real money for dyed howlite.
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