Gemstones are a cut & polished piece of mineral or crystal, formed over thousands of years as the earth's magma pushed its way towards the crust of the earth and cooled. When polished, gemstones are often intended to be worn as jewellery or in other body adornment.
Since ancient times crystals have been thought to have healing and transformative properties, and have been used by many ancient civilisations throughout history. The ancient Egyptians adorned themselves in lapis lazuli and turquoise, and crystals such as jade and rose quartz have been used in Chinese medicine for over 12,000 years.
Crystals contain powerful earth energy, which can be felt and used by humans. When refined and polished for jewellery, crystals resonate less strongly but their healing energy can still be felt by the wearer. You can select a gemstone for its specific healing properties, if there is a particular aspect of life that you need help with or a particular energy you want to bring into your body and mind.
Here are a few of my favourite gemstones to use in jewellery:
Moonstone: promotes peace and healing, and is known as a stone of protection. It also enhances intuition, and is a powerful talisman for new beginnings , igniting inner strength and positivity.
Smoky Quartz: another protective stone known for its strong ability to filter out negative thoughts and promote feelings of peace and stability. It's great to wear in times of stress to ground you, reduce anxiety, and promote positive energy.
Labradorite: said to be a stone of magic, promoting intuition and encouraging spiritual growth and discovery. It also grounds and increases inner strength while eliminating negative thought patterns. Wearing it is a very effective way to benefit from its many healing properties.
Amethyst: known as a calming stone, and can help alleviate feelings of anxiety and depression. It promotes feelings of calm and stability, and is also a perfect stone to use during meditation. The peaceful qualities of this stone may also encourage creativity in the wearer.
Lapis Lazuli: has been greatly sought out through history and worn to enhance wisdom and intellect. It enhances focus and concentration, as well as truthfulness and openness.
Another great way to choose a gemstone is to just allow yourself to be instinctively drawn to the feel and colour, trusting your intuition. As stones have many layers of healing aspects, you can set the intention of your stone by visualising the particular energy characteristic you wish to harness in your life. Wearing the stone for extended periods when having set an intended purpose is a powerful way to tap into its energy field. For instance recently, when setting a rose quartz gemstone to be given as a gift, I said 'May this stone bring inner healing and peace to the wearer' to set an intention for the stone.
My own interest in crystals began from childhood. I was always drawn to raw mineral chunks or polished stones and bought many as souvenirs from holidays in Devon and Dorset. As I grew older, I began buying gemstone jewellery instead, collecting pieces in the UK and Europe and also from travels in Indonesia, Cuba, Guatemala and Australia.
I remember the first pendant I bought as a ten year old whilst in Australia with my family. It was a beautiful rose quartz sphere, wrapped in a silver snake, that I found in a shop in Queensland. I wore it every day for years until it unfortunately got lost. I've continued collecting pieces since as I am still hugely drawn to stones, finding them beautiful, mesmerising keepsakes. Something made locally, that I can wear every day, is the perfect souvenir for me.
I now love incorporating gemstones into my jewellery, from small cabochons in piercing pieces, to much larger stones in one of a kind statement necklace and rings. I love the thought of the stones journey through the hands that shaped and polished it, chosen by me and incorporated into wearable art, to be chosen by someone else to keep and wear, possibly to be passed down through generations. I believe all that energy, combined with the natural earth energy of the stone, creates a beautiful object full of power.