You may be new to the whole idea of crystals for personal healing. If you are, and want to know more about these mysterious gemstones, I'm going to give you a nice preview of my book, Crystal Power: 12 Essential Crystals for Health & Healing. Learn about the riches of the mineral world and how you can start your love affair with quartz crystals and gemstones.

First of all, I want you to know that these are some of nature's most exciting and beautiful gifts to humankind, and to animals, as well. Crystals are formed under extreme heat and pressure for millions of years. The various minerals and chemicals that surround them as they form are what determine their color. When iron oxide (Fe2O3) surrounds clear quartz as it is solidifying, the color of violet emerges, and we have an amethyst. As an example of applied heat, citrine (yellow) crystals are created when purple amethyst is subjected to an intense heat treatment. The presence of a chromium impurity turns a colorless beryl green, which, in turn, produces the emerald.

Armed with the knowledge that basically all colored crystals are clear crystal quartz, kissed by another compound or chemical, you'll know where to start for the selection of your crystals. Here are 20 things you should know about acquiring crystals and how they can benefit your life.

1. What color are you attracted to? Go with your instincts as you peruse the rock and gem store. Look at all the colors available and pick out those to which you are drawn.
2. Limit yourself to two or three crystals your first time out. The limit is for a couple of reasons; one, you may have a budget to be concerned about; two, you will want to spend time with each crystal to get to know them before bringing home the whole store. (I know this lesson from personal experience!)
3. Take the crystal into your hands, if the store allows, and close your eyes. Breathe deeply a few times and try to relax. Open your mind and your heart to connect with this gemstone. Allow your hand to feel the weight; try to feel what temperature the stone is. How does the weight feel in your palm? Does your hand tingle, feel warm, or is there no sensation whatsoever? Experiment with several crystals or gemstones until you get one that you can sense the vibrations of and with which you can feel an exchange of energy.
4. Select and purchase only crystals with which you have a rapport. This will make all the difference in your long-term relationship with them.
5. Before you hit the stores, figure out how you want to use your crystals. Will you be displaying them? Will you be keeping them in a special box? Will you be using them in a healing kit? It is good to know your purpose because you will want to keep the colored crystals away from direct sunlight as they may lighten in the UV rays.
6. Crystals are usually available in many bookstores, metaphysical shops, jewelry stores, rock and mineral shops, craft fairs, and even novelty shops. One of the best places to find your crystals is the annual world-famous gem show in Tucson, AZ. The event takes place every February and the array of displays covers twelve city blocks. There are also regional shows that come through different areas of the US annually. Vendors from across the country bring their glistening gems to sell in all sectors of the nation. Your search engine will have times, dates and locations for you under the heading of Gem, Mineral, Fossil and Jewelry Shows. https://xpopress.com/show/exposearch is another good resource.
7. Crystals are living, breathing spirits and they have personalities, powers, and abilities. (Just like a rescue animal does.) So, when you adopt one, you're going to want to bring it home and give it some special time with you.
8. When you bring your crystal(s) home you will want to cleanse them from any and all past vibrations they may be holding. You want to make them clean, clear, and ready for your imprinting and use.
9. Cleanse them in a warm water bath, salt water, smudge sticks, sunlight, moonlight, earth, or even on a more powerful crystal such as a cluster. (Do not cleanse selenite, pyrite, black tourmaline, hematite, lapis lazuli, calcite, malachite, howlite, turquoise, and kyanite in water as they can dissolve. Keep turquoise, malachite, calcite, amber, azurite, topaz, moonstone, opal, selenite, and red coral away from salt to avoid rust.)
10. One way to cleanse the more delicate stones without submerging them in water or salt is to use sound cleansing. Place the crystal in front of soft, meditative music, preferably 528 Hz (which will cleanse the crystal and instill a healing vibration).
11. You can also take your crystals to the beach (note the salt and water warnings in point #7) or you can take them to the desert, the forest, a mountain top, or any place that nurtures you and connects your soul to nature. The crystals will enjoy the journey with you and soak up the vibes at your destination.
12. Make some time to sit with your crystals and get to know them. I believe that they are alive and that they breathe (not with lungs as humans have, but through their molecular structure). They are as alive as any mammal or reptile on this earth.
13. I also believe that crystals have personalities. They've been underground forever, and they know a lot of things. They were present though the epochs of human civilization and a long time before that. Many crystals are imbued with memory and wisdom, and, some believe, even hold secrets of the past. Perhaps they have felt the thunder of war, the joys of ancient dancing, or the prayers of the devout masters. Get to know the personalities of your crystals. In Crystal Power I tell some stories about my crystals and how they even chose the rooms in which they wanted to live in.
14. When you are acquainted with your crystal, you may want to give it a name, or assign it an identity. You may also not want to do that. You will create your specialized relationship with your crystals.
15. If you want to program your crystals for certain tasks, like peace, tranquility, health, abundance, wisdom, or whatever else you may desire help with, you can do that. Be sure to specifically detail the job you are giving the crystal—don't make them guess. The more specific you are the greater the results will be. Ask your crystal to help bring about whatever you seek, bless it, and then let it do its job.
16. From time to time you will want to clean and cleanse your crystals again. I try to keep mine shiny and clean and aim for a once a month cleaning day. I create a soft soapy bath, for those that can take water. I rinse them, and I will usually place them in the sun for an hour, and then place them in the moonlight for an hour. After that, I figure they are armed with cosmic energy and ready to go. This ritual gives them a break, some nurturing time with me, and regeneration. At bath time, I usually renew their purpose, give them a blessing, and tell them how grateful I am for the help they give me in living my life. I can feel the difference in them after our ritual bath and blessing.
17. I combine my crystals with essential oils that I diffuse regularly in my home and in the room where most of them live. The amethysts love lavender, the citrines love lemon and sweet orange, and the rose quartz loves, you guessed it, rose. I find they are happiest when they are surrounded by lovely music and the sweet, soothing scents of nature.
18. I involve my crystals in daily conversations. I always say, "Good morning" to them and I bid them a "Good night," as well. It's a simple, common courtesy, but it makes for a very happy exchange between my heart and the mineral kingdom. I'll let them know if something wonderful happens, and conversely, I will let them know when something not-so-good occurs. They are my friends and confidants and we exist as one, big happy family.
19. One piece of advice: never yell at your crystals or blame them. Not that you would, but I have heard that some people take their emotions out on their crystals and fault them for things that go wrong for them. This is as bad as letting them get all dirty and greasy from the environment. It will hurt their feelings and possibly destroy the love and programming you have sent into them.
20. Lastly, never forget to thank your crystals. They are here to help humans, to bring about the vibration of healing and to attract what the humans have asked them to bring into their lives. Crystals do what they are instructed to do, and they do the job well. A gracious thank you and a sense of gratitude aimed in their direction does a world of good. It increases their good vibrations so they can do even more work for your benefit. With a crystal, a little goodness goes a very long way.

Crystals are put on earth to be helpful to all of humankind. They are used in lasers for surgery because they have an atomic structure that is steady, accurate, and can transmit a beam of light without refraction or distortion. They are used to power our cell phones, in the needle tips that play our vinyl records, and in our radios to transmit signals. They are used in computers, biomedical devices, televisions, and so many electronic devices that run and power our lives.

Quartz crystal is the second most plentiful stone in the earth's crust (feldspar is number one). It has many uses in hundreds of applications, including semiconductors used on earth and in space. Quartz is made from silicon and oxygen and is contained in more physical products than we can even begin to enumerate.

If anyone tells you that you have "rocks in your head" because you believe in the power contained in crystals, be sure to thank them for their compliment. Your brain consists of silica, which helps to strengthen the connective tissues of the brain, nerve cells, and spinal cord thereby helping to stave off memory loss. To have "silica rocks" in your head is great news and it means you are healthy, functioning, and can remember details.

After my thirty-some years using crystals in my life and my counseling practice, and after writing two books about them, I must say life would not be the same without a large selection of the beauties from the mineral kingdom in my home and office. I welcome you into this world and I hope you grow to love your crystal friends as much as I do with mine. It's a wonderful way to stay in touch, to be surrounded by and connect to nature. I have many more stories about crystals in my books.

Happy crystal hunting, and may you find the ones that are meant especially for you. They are out there waiting for you to discover them. I can't wait for your crystal adventure to begin!