Crystals

Agate

Colour(s): Various, banded

Mohs Hardness: 6.5-7
Formula: SiO₂ (silicone dioxide)
Components: Quartz and chalcedony

Planet: Mercury
Deities: Aesculapius
Magical Properties: Strength, courage, longevity, love, healing, protection

Etymology: Named by Theophrates, who discovered it along the shoreline of the Achates (Drillo River) in Sicily (2-300 BCE).

Apricot Agate

Element: Water
Magical Properties: Balance, harmony

Blue Lace Agate

Other Names: “Gem of Ecology”

Colour(s): Pale blues, with a lace-like pattern

Element: Water
Planet: Mercury
Zodiac: Gemini
Magical Properties: Peace, happiness, emotions

Location(s): Namibia

Generally, the blue colour of blue lace agate gets deeper the further beneath the earth it’s found.

Botswana Agate

Other Names: Banded agate

Colour(s): White, greys

Element: Earth
Planet: Jupiter
Zodiac: Scorpio
Magical Properties: Luck, protection, hope

Grey Agate

Magical Properties: Mental skills, balance, insight

Moss Agate

Element: Earth
Planet: Mercury
Zodiac: Virgo
Magical Properties: Physical healing, longevity, happiness, prosperity, gardening

Amazonite

Other Names: Amazonstone

Colour(s): Green to blue-green

Mohs Hardness: 6-6.5
Formula: KAlSi₃O₈ (microcline)
Components: Microcline (alkali potassium feldspar)

Element: Earth
Planet: Uranus
Zodiac: Virgo
Magical Properties: Luck, truth, communication

Etymology: Amazonite’s name comes from the Amazon River, where (probably unrelated) green stones were once obtained.

Location(s): Amazonite was primarily obtained from Russia, but is also now found in China, Libya, Mongolia, South Africa, and the United States

Safety: Amazonite contains lead, which has been shown to leach out in dangerous levels when placed in liquids.

Amber

Other Names: Resinite (when found in coal seams), or ambrite (in New Zealand coal seams)

Colour(s): Mostly yellows

Mohs Hardness: 2-2.5
Material: Fossilised tree resin; occasional organic inclusions.

Element: Fire
Planet: Sun
Zodiac: Leo
Deities: Electra, Freyja, the Heliades, Helios, Phaethon
Magical Properties: Luck, love, fidelity, healing

Etymology: Amber was named “yellow amber” by contrast to “grey amber” (ambergris) as they would both wash up on beaches.

Angelite

Colour(s): Pale blue

Element: Water
Planet: Neptune
Zodiac: Aquarius

Aquamarine

Colour(s): Pale blue to light green

Mohs Hardness: 7.5-8
Formula: Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈
Components: Beryl

Element: Water
Planet: Moon
Zodiac: Aquarius
Associated Celebrations: VernEx
Magical Properties: Youth, happiness, travel, health

Etymology: From aqua (Latin: ‘water’) and marina (Latin: ‘of the sea’).

Lore: Aquamarine was used by the Ancient Romans to protect those travelling by sea, and to prevent illness.

Aventurine

Colour(s): Green (most common), red, orange, yellow, blue

Mohs Hardness: 6.5
Formula: SiO₂ (silicone dioxide)
Components: Quartz, with chrome mica

Element: Air
Planet: Mercury Zodiac: Aries

Etymology: From the Italian a ventura (‘by chance’), in reference to a similarity to goldstone (aka ‘aventurine glass’), and its chance creation.

Location(s): The majority of green aventurine is from India.

Azurite

Other Names: Chessylite, kuanos (Ancient Greek)

Colour(s): Green to blue-green

Mohs Hardness: 3.5-4
Formula: Cu₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂
Components: Carbonate copper mineral

Element: Water
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Magical Properties: Intuition, intellect, insight, psychic dreams

Safety: Due to the low hardness and copper content, azurite is unsafe around water. Moist storage conditions can also cause the copper to oxidise, turning it into malachite.

Beryl

Colour(s): Various

Mohs Hardness: 7.5-8
Formula: Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈
Components: Beryllium aluminium cyclosilicate

Element: Water
Planet: Moon
Zodiac: Scorpio
Deities: Heracles, Neptune, Poseidon

Etymology: Comes from the Ancient Greek beryllos, referring to a ‘precious blue-green colour-of-sea-water stone’.

Various forms of beryl include aquamarine, emerald, and morganite, but pure beryl is colourless.

Safety: Beryl is a known carcinogan (if inhaled).

Bloodstone

Other Names: Heliotrope, “stone of Babylon”

Colour(s): Dark green with deep red (usually opaque)

Mohs Hardness: 6.5-7
Formula: SiO₂ (silicone dioxide)
Components: Quartz: Jasper and sometimes chalcedony

Element: Fire
Planet: Mars
Zodiac: Aries
Associated Celebrations: Floralia & WinSol
Deities: Jesus
Magical Properties: Strength, courage, purification, vitality, healing wounds

Lore:

• Ancient Greeks and Romans wore it as a talisman to bring reknown, endurance, success (especially in physical endeavours), and favour, and as a charm against the bites of venemous creatures.
• Ancient Roman soldiers believed it had the ability to slow bleeding;
• Pliny the Elderr mentioned that it was used as a stone of invisibility by magicians;
• A Christian myth states that the red spots are from Jesus' blood when he was stabbed in the side by a Roman soldier;
• Damigeron stated that it was usedul for divination, preserving youth and health, and could cause rain and solar eclipse.
• Gnostics wore bloodstone as an amulet for longevity, wealth, courage, and to aid digestion and dispel melancholy.

Location(s): Western Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Itany, Nova Scotia, and USA.

Calcite

Other Names: Alabaster

Colour(s): Clear; various colours

Mohs Hardness: 3
Formula: CaCO₃ (calcium carbonate)
Components: Carbonate

Element: Water
Planet: Moon
Zodiac: Cancer
Magical Properties: Healing

Blue Calcite

Element: Water
Planet: Venus
Magical Properties: Emotional healing, psychic skills, communication, compassion

Green Calcite

Element: Earth
Planet: Venus
Magical Properties: Communication

Orange Calcite

Element: Fire
Planet: Sun
Magical Properties: Meditation, grounding

Pink Calcite

Element: Water
Planet: Venus

Carnelian

Other Names: Cornelian, sard

Colour(s): Reds

Mohs Hardness: 6.5-7
Formula: SiO₂ (silicone dioxide)
Components: Chalcedony, iron oxide

Element: Fire
Planet: Sun
Zodiac: Leo
Associated Celebrations: ShadowFest
Magical Properties: Courage, sexuality, vitality, creativity

Etymology: From cornum (Latin: ‘cherry’)

Lore:

• Many Roman signet rings were carved from carnelian.
• Damigeron claimed that wearing sard (the darker, harder type of carnelian), made a woman ‘loveable’.

Cat’s-Eye

Other Names: Cymophane

Colour(s): Translucent yellowish

Mohs Hardness: 8.5
Formula: BeAl₂O₄
Components: Chrysoberyl (berillyum aluminate), colour comes from iron (Fe³⁺) impurities

Element: Water
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Capricorn

Etymology: From the Greek words for ‘wave’ and ‘appearance’, in reference to the visual distortion.

Celestite

Other Names: Celestine

Colour(s): Pale blue

Mohs Hardness: 3-3.5
Formula: SrSO₄ (strontium sulfate)
Components: Quartz

Element: Water
Planet: Venus & Neptune
Zodiac: Gemini

Etymology: From the Latin caeleastris (‘celestial’), from caelum (‘sky’/‘heaven’).

Location(s): Worldwide, but only in small quantities.

Chalcedony

Colour(s): Various; most commonly whites, grey, browns

Mohs Hardness: 6-7
Formula: SiO₂ (silicone dioxide)
Components: Quartz and moganite (5-20%; moganite has the same formula as quartz, but a slightly crystalline structure)

Element: Water
Planet: Moon
Zodiac: Cancer & Sagittarius

Etymology: From the Latin chalcedonius, probably derived from the town of Chalcedon in Turkey.

Chrysocolla

Colour(s): Bright blue-green

Mohs Hardness: 2.5-3
Formula: (Cu,Al)₂ H ₂Si₂O₅ (OH)₄ •nH₂O)
Components: Copper hydroxide silicate mineral

Element: Water
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Gemini & Virgo

Etymology: From the Ancient Greek words chrysos (‘gold’) and kolla (‘glue’), in reference to the material used to solder gold.

Chrysoprase

Other Names: Chrysophrase, chrysoprasus, prase

Colour(s): Green (olive to apple)

Mohs Hardness: 6-7
Formula: SiO₂ (silicone dioxide)
Components: Chalcedony, nickel

Element: Earth
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Libra

Location(s): Queensland, Indonesia, Tanzania, Germany, Poland, Russia, USA, Brazil.

Coral

Mohs Hardness: 3.5
Material: Corals from the genus Corallium

Element: Water
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Pisces
Deities: Medea, Venus

Blue Coral

Element: Water
Planet: Neptune
Zodiac: Sagittarius

Red Coral

Mohs Hardness: 3.5
Material: Corallium rubrum

Ethical Concerns: Corallium rubrum, is currently officially listed as a endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Element: Fire
Planet: Mars
Zodiac: Libra

Location(s): Mediterranean

Diamond

Colour(s): Mostly colourless

Mohs Hardness: 10
Formula: C
Components: Pure carbon

Element: Fire
Planet: Sun
Zodiac: Leo & Taurus
Associated Celebrations: SumSol
Magical Properties: Clarity, strength, resilience, longevity, purification

Emerald

Colour(s): ‘Emerald’ green

Mohs Hardness: 7.5-8
Formula: Be₃Al₂(SiO₃)₆
Components: Cyclosilicate, coloured by chromium or vanadium

Element: Earth
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Gemini & Taurus
Deities: Ceres, Mercury, Venus, Vishnu

Etymology: From the Latin esmerelda, via Ancient Greek smaragdos, for “green gem” (possibly with Semitic roots).

Location(s): Ancient Egypt was the largest source in antiquity, but were exploited by the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires until they were exhausted. Columbia, and Zambia are the two current biggest producers, although emeralds are found around the world.

Flint

Element: Fire
Planet: Mars
Zodiac: Scorpio

Garnet

Colour(s): Various; most commonly dark reds but rarely blue.

Mohs Hardness: 6-7.5
Formula: X₃Y₂(SiO₄)₃
Components: Silicate

Element: Fire
Planet: Mars
Zodiac: Leo & Capricorn
Associated Celebrations: WinSol

Etymology: Garnet comes from the Middle English gernet (‘dark red’), via the Latin granum (‘grain/seed’). Possibly a combined reference to pomegranate seeds.

Hematite

Other Names: Haematite

Colour(s): Dark silver to reddish-brown

Mohs Hardness: 5.5-6.5
Formula: Fe₂O₃ (iron (III) oxide)
Components: Iron oxide

Element: Fire
Planet: Saturn
Zodiac: Aries

Etymology: The name comes from the Greek work for blood, haema, due to the red colour of oxidised iron. The Ancient Greek name was “blood-red stone”.

Lore: Hematite has a history of use in mourning jewellery.

Location(s): Hematite is the main form of iron ore mined in Australia. It has also been identified on Mars.

Jade

Element: Water
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Taurus & Libra

Jasper

Brecciated Jasper

Other Names: Mottled jasper

Element: Air
Planet: Mercury
Zodiac: Gemini

Green Jasper

Element: Earth
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Gemini

Red Jasper

Element: Fire
Planet: Mars
Zodiac: Taurus

Jet

Element: Earth
Planet: Saturn
Zodiac: Capricorn
Deities: Pan

Kunzite

Element: Water
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Scorpio

Lapis Lazuli

Element: Water
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Associated Celebrations: SumSol
Deities: Sin, Venus

Lava

Element: Fire
Planet: Mars
Zodiac: Aries

Lepidolite

Element: Fire
Planet: Jupiter
Zodiac: Libra

Malachite

Element: Earth
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Capricorn

Mica

Element: Air
Planet: Mercury
Zodiac: Aquarius

Moonstone

Element: Water
Planet: Moon
Zodiac: Cancer
Associated Celebrations: VernEx
Deities: Diana, Hekate, Selene

Obsidian

Colour(s): Black

Element: Earth
Planet: Saturn
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Associated Celebrations: ShadowFest

Apache Tear

Colour(s): Black

Element: Fire
Planet: Saturn
Zodiac: Aries

Olivine

Element: Water
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Virgo

Onyx

Element: Fire
Planet: Mars & Saturn
Zodiac: Leo
Associated Celebrations: ShadowFest
Deities: Mars, Venus

Opal

Element: Water
Planet: Moon
Zodiac: Libra
Deities: Cupid, Heracles

Pearl

Element: Water
Planet: Moon
Zodiac: Cancer
Deities: Diana, Freyja, Hekate, Lakshmi, Neptune, Poseidon, Venus

Mother of Pearl

Element: Water
Planet: Moon
Zodiac: Pisces

Peridot

Element: Earth
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Virgo & Sagittarius

Pumice

Element: Air
Planet: Mercury
Zodiac: Capricorn

Quartz

Mohs Hardness: 7
Formula: SiO₂ (silicone dioxide)

Element: Water & Fire
Planet: Moon & Sun
Zodiac: Cancer
Deities: Hekate

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in the earth’s crust, after feldspar.

Amethyst

Element: Water
Planet: Jupiter & Neptune
Zodiac: Pisces
Associated Celebrations: AutEx
Deities: Amethyst, Bacchus, Diana, Dionysis, Venus

Ametrine

Element: Water & Fire
Planet: Jupiter & Sun
Zodiac: Libra

Citrine

Element: Fire
Planet: Sun
Zodiac: Leo & Gemini
Associated Celebrations: Reflection

Rose Quartz

Element: Water
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Libra & Taurus
Associated Celebrations: VernEx
Deities: Venus

Rhodochrosite

Element: Fire
Planet: Mars
Zodiac: Leo & Scorpio

Rhodonite

Element: Fire
Planet: Mars
Zodiac: Taurus

Ruby

Element: Fire
Planet: Mars
Zodiac: Leo, Sagittarius & Scorpio
Associated Celebrations: WinSol

Sapphire

Element: Water
Planet: Moon
Zodiac: Libra & Sagittarius
Associated Celebrations: Floralia
Deities: Apollo

Blue Sapphire

Element: Water
Planet: Neptune
Zodiac: Gemini

White Sapphire

Element: Water
Planet: Moon
Zodiac: Libra

Sardonyx

Element: Fire
Planet: Mars
Zodiac: Aries & Virgo
Deities: Mars

Selenite

Element: Water
Planet: Moon
Zodiac: Aquarius
Deities: Selene

Serpentine

Element: Earth
Planet: Saturn
Zodiac: Gemini

Sodalite

Element: Water
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Sagittarius

Sugilite

Element: Fire
Planet: Jupiter
Zodiac: Virgo

Suplhur

Element: Fire
Planet: Sun

Sunstone

Element: Fire
Planet: Sun
Zodiac: Leo

Tiger’s Eye

Element: Fire
Planet: Sun
Zodiac: Capricorn
Associated Celebrations: SumSol

Topaz

Element: Fire
Planet: Sun
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Associated Celebrations: AutEx (yellow)
Deities: Jupiter

Tourmaline

Element: Earth
Planet: Saturn
Zodiac: Capricorn

Blue Tourmaline

Element: Water
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Libra

Green Tourmaline

Element: Water
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Capricorn

Pink Tourmaline

Element: Water
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Libra

Red Tourmaline

Element: Fire
Planet: Mars
Zodiac: Scorpio & Sagittarius

Watermelon Tourmaline

Element: Water
Planet: Venus; Mars
Zodiac: Gemini & Virgo

Turquoise

Element: Earth
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Associated Celebrations: Quickening

Zircon

Element: Fire
Planet: Sun
Zodiac: Leo, Sagittarius, & Virgo