Questions worth asking.

It is the practice of working with stones and crystals, attributing to them meanings, symbolism and an influence on wellbeing and spiritual growth: stones are worn, held in meditation, laid on the body and in a space, and “cleansed” and “charged”. There is no single canonical list of associations — authors differ, so the cards state who claims what. More in the guide “What is lithotherapy?”. [35] [42] [121]

Research does not support this. In the largest study, from 2025, rose quartz did no better than a similar placebo object, and improvement in wellbeing was linked to participants’ expectations; in a small Danish study amethyst did not change self-rated health. Stones may accompany a practice but do not replace a doctor’s advice or treatment. More in the guide “Lithotherapy and science”. [36] [126]

The tradition often recommends rock crystal as an amplifying stone, or a stone matching what you are looking for: rose quartz for the heart, amethyst for calm, black tourmaline or smoky quartz for protection and grounding. In practical terms, the hard quartz varieties, which wear well, are the easiest to start with. See the guides “How to choose a crystal” and “Getting started”. [47] [43] [42] [44] [1]

Methods are attributed to specific stones: running water with an affirmation (amethyst), moonlight, incense smoke or a bath (rock crystal), the sound of a singing bowl (rose quartz), sage, rice or earth (lapis lazuli), laying the stone beside selenite, which is said to cleanse other crystals. According to Crystal Vaults citrine needs no cleansing at all. For several stones we found no attributed ritual. Before choosing a method, check the care section on the card. [121] [47] [122] [137] [125] [131]

In the tradition ritual cleansing is meant to renew a stone’s energy; washing removes dust and grease. They are two different things and the cards describe them separately. A ritual should not harm the material — if a stone does not tolerate water, salt or sun, the tradition knows methods without them: moonlight, sound, smoke. [47] [122] [24]

No. GIA allows a brief wash in warm soapy water for amethyst, rose quartz, citrine, moonstone, aquamarine and jadeite, among others, and for lapis lazuli advises testing an inconspicuous spot. Selenite, malachite and pyrite are cleaned dry. “Brief cleaning” does not mean soaking, and an unknown status on the card is not a confirmation of safety. [24] [25] [26] [27] [29] [30] [28] [10] [40]

Some practitioners recommend it, but not for every stone: GIA warns that some amethysts and citrines can fade with long, intense exposure. Do not leave clear spheres and crystals on a sunny windowsill — in 2024 in Epping a crystal ball focused the rays and started a fire. A safe alternative within the tradition is moonlight. [134] [24] [26] [135] [47]

Selenite (gypsum, hardness 1.5–2), malachite (3.5–4) and fluorite (4, perfect cleavage) are easily scratched or chipped, and pyrite can decay in damp conditions. The feldspars — moonstone, labradorite, amazonite — have cleavage in two directions and do not tolerate knocks well. Store them separately and read the care section on the card. [10] [6] [5] [40] [155]

We do not publish that generalisation: GIA describes rose quartz as generally stable to light and heat. Some practitioners warn, however, that its colour may fade over time, so it is sensible not to leave it long in full sun. For amethyst and citrine GIA notes that some specimens can fade. [25] [122] [24] [26]

Both are varieties of gypsum, but Museum Wales describes them separately: selenite is transparent and bladed, satin spar fibrous and silky. In the trade both are sometimes called “selenite”, so it is worth asking which material you are buying. [33] [10]

Compare the specimen with its card in neutral light, ask about the exact material, origin and treatment, and keep the label. The most common problems are heated amethyst sold as citrine, dyed or imitation lapis lazuli, glass posing as other stones and magnetic hematite imitations. Do not test with fire, acid or scratching; certainty comes from gemmological testing. Details in the guide “Real and fake stones”. [18] [75] [76] [70] [73]

You cannot tell by eye. GIA notes that a large share of the citrine on the market is heated amethyst. Ask the seller about disclosed treatment, and for a more expensive stone ask for a laboratory report. [18]

Because authors use different systems: The Crystal Council uses the elements earth, water, fire, “wind” and “storm”, while Crystal Vaults uses the five feng shui energies. The differences are old, too — Kunz wrote in 1913 that the old lapidaries grew out of many sources and often transfer one stone’s qualities to another. The cards show both versions with the author’s name. [47] [132] [120]

Belief in the power of stones is very old: Egyptian amulets, Theophrastus’s treatise, Pliny’s “Natural History” and medieval lapidaries. Today’s crystal work, linking stones with chakras or yoga, is however above all a revival of the late twentieth century. Not every “ancient” thread in practitioner literature is confirmed by sources — the cards mark what we have checked. [35] [145] [120]

We found no sources describing old Slavic practices of healing with stones, and we attribute no such tradition. There are, however, documented Polish historical threads: Kunz thought the custom of wearing the stone of one’s birth month “appears to have originated in Poland” in the eighteenth century (his hypothesis), and in Copernicus’s time powdered gems, pearls and corals were among the ingredients of medicines. [120] [158]

Intact stones in ordinary contact are usually not a problem, but small specimens and beads can be swallowed, and rough obsidian and chipped fragments have sharp edges. Keep stones out of reach of children and pets, do not leave them on a child’s body unattended, and do not grind them at home. [79] [37]

Avonoria does not recommend this and gives no recipes. The catalogue does not establish that contact between minerals, their coatings and impurities and food is safe; some stones contain metals, are soft or react with water — even Crystal Vaults warns against ingesting pyrite. [6] [40] [124]

Each of the 40 photographs shows a real specimen and comes from Wikimedia Commons, with the licence checked for that specific file. Under the photo we give the author, source and licence; clicking the photo itself or the stone’s name leads to the full card in Avonoria, and the link to the photo source is clearly marked as external. Photographs whose licence required naming a stone shop were replaced with others.

You will find the full stone descriptions in Avonoria; external links serve only as documentation. We do not link to sites that sell crystals — we cite them bibliographically, with author, title and date. Links to pages whose status still needs a decision are held, and the source remains cited.

We show missing verified information openly. A rock may have no single formula, a trade name may be imprecise, and care may depend on the specimen and treatment. We do not fill gaps with false precision or with associations invented just because a field is empty. [20] [32]