Category Crystals

Crystal gift ideas by occasion, zodiac sign and intention, plus crystal gift sets, jewelry, gift-wrap and care card tips.

Rhodochrosite is the rose-pink manganese carbonate known for banded Inca rose from Argentina and gem crystals from Colorado. Learn its mineral facts, history, traditional love meanings, why it needs gentle care and how to tell it from rhodonite and dyed fakes.

Red jasper is opaque, iron-rich microcrystalline quartz used for amulets since ancient Egypt. Learn its real mineral facts, sources, history, traditional grounding meanings, easy care, the truth about trade-name jaspers and how to spot dyed and glass fakes.

Moss agate is clear to milky chalcedony filled with green, plant-like mineral inclusions. Learn what really forms the moss, where it is found, its history as mocha stone, traditional gardener's-stone meanings, care tips and how to spot dyed and glass imitations.

Sodalite is the royal blue, white-veined stone often mistaken for lapis lazuli. Learn its mineral facts, Canadian and Brazilian sources, glowing hackmanite, traditional meanings, gentle care and how to tell sodalite from lapis, dyed howlite and glass.

Opal is hydrated silica whose play-of-color comes from tiny stacked spheres. Learn the main opal types, Australian and Ethiopian sources, history and superstitions, traditional meanings, how to care for it and how to spot doublets, triplets, synthetics and imitations.

Green aventurine is quartz or quartzite that sparkles with tiny mica flakes. Learn its real mineral facts, where it comes from, how goldstone glass gave it its name, its traditional luck meanings, easy care and how to spot dyed quartz and glass imitations.

Hematite is the heavy, metallic iron oxide behind red ochre, Babylonian seals and the red color of Mars. Learn its mineral facts, the red streak test, history, traditional meanings, care tips and why most magnetic hematite is a manufactured imitation.

Jade is two different minerals, nephrite and jadeite. Learn how they differ, where jade comes from, its history in China, Mesoamerica and New Zealand, its traditional meanings, how to care for it and how to spot treated jade and common imitations.

Turquoise is a porous copper aluminum phosphate prized from ancient Egypt to the American Southwest. Learn its mineral facts, sources, history, traditional meanings, gentle care, common treatments and how to spot dyed howlite and other fakes.