ObservatoryCrystals
Stones
How to care for the material, and the traditions that gather around it.
Material. Purple quartz. Colour comes from iron and natural irradiation in the stone.
Care. Hard enough for careful handling. Long, strong sunlight can fade the purple.
Tradition, not science. Often linked with calm and evening reflection. A symbol, not a sedative.
Material. A crystalline form of gypsum. Soft, and slightly water-soluble.
Care. Do not soak. A dry cloth is enough. It scratches easily.
Tradition, not science. Placed on shelves as a traditional 'clearing' object. The mineral does not purify a room.
Material. A boron silicate mineral, usually opaque black in the pieces sold as palm stones.
Care. Wipe clean. Avoid harsh chemicals and hard knocks against other stones.
Tradition, not science. Collected as a symbol of boundaries. The boundary still has to be spoken.
Material. Pink quartz. Colour can be delicate in strong sun.
Care. Mild soap is usually fine. Keep pale pieces out of harsh daylight for long periods.
Tradition, not science. A familiar token of affection and gentleness. It does not repair a relationship.
Material. Yellow quartz. A great deal of shop citrine is heat-treated amethyst.
Care. Treat as quartz. Ask whether the colour is natural before you pay a natural-stone price.
Tradition, not science. Tied in folklore to confidence and prosperity. Folklore is not a financial instrument.
Material. Common crystalline silica. Hard, and often sold as points.
Care. Points chip at the tip. Avoid sudden extreme heat.
Tradition, not science. Called a focus stone in many modern books. Use it as an object of attention if you like.
Material. Volcanic glass, not a crystal in the strict mineral sense.
Care. It chips and can be sharp. Keep it bagged if it shares a pocket with a phone.
Tradition, not science. Sometimes described as a mirror. The mirroring is psychological, if it happens at all.
Material. A feldspar with a sheen caused by internal layers, called labradorescence.
Care. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners. Fractured pieces dislike a long soak.
Tradition, not science. Associated with curiosity and changeable weather inside a person. A poetic link, not a diagnosis.
Find a stone for your shelf or altar.
relates
The archive starts with the material, then labels tradition as tradition.
part-of
The first stage opens the archive.