CrystalsAndJewelry.com Blog & News

I was very upset to find out that Saturday, the Multistone International office and warehouse caught fire and burned to the ground. The only good thing that I can find to say about it was that it was a blessing the fire occurred early in the morning when no one was at work yet, so all the staff and management are unharmed.
Multistone President Larry Hargrave is a friend of many years, and it was he who helped me get started in the crystals business.  This loss was a great sadness to me, and a terrible blow everyone at Multistone.  I went up to visit Larry and everyone for the past couple of days, and lend what help I could. I’ve returned now, both to take care of my work, and to do what I can from here.

I have had some cut stones of theirs for months now that he was planning to have me set in wire-wrap. These stones are probably the last of their inventory since the building and contents are believed to be a total loss.  Since at this point they have no way of working at all and no other stock, I will be helping out by consigning these stones for him, wrapping them for customers if desired, at no cost for the consignment to him.  I’m in the process of getting photos taken and will have them available for sale as soon as possible.

Prayers and good wishes for all the people and crystal beings at Multistone who were affected is much appreciated by all.

Cleaning stones and clearing stones isn’t the same thing. Clearing a stone is getting rid of any negative or unwanted energies the stone may have absorbed from its environment. Cleaning a stone is getting rid of unwanted dirt or other substances on the surface of the stone. Some methods will do both at the same time, but its easiest to think of them as two separate tasks.

When cleaning a crystal or stone, the main thing to consider is the type of stone you’re cleaning. Look up the mohs hardness of your stone with a reputable source, such as MinDat.org or UC Berkeley.

For the most part, water and possibly a mild soap, are the best things to clean stones with. Soft stones, those with a mohs hardness of 4 or less, may be very porous and may absorb chemicals or detergents when you are cleaning them. These stones should not be cleaned with anything harsher than specialized cleaning solutions or just plain water.

Other stones, such as halite, which is a salt, will dissolve in water, so they should only be dusted lightly. Quartz crystal and harder stones can be cleaned with heavier detergents or cleaners if needed. In fact, in many crystal mines, the crystals are cleaned with oxalic acid to remove iron stains before they are shipped out. Harsh cleaners can also damage the finish on polished stones or abrade the surfaces.

I recommend using the mildest possible method of cleaning your crystals and stones, as this is least disruptive of their energies. And from there you go on to clear the energies of your stones.

I’m often asked which books I recommend for learning about the metaphysical properties lore of crystals and stones. Judy Hall’s books have become favorites that I recommend. Judy’s books have photos, which can be very helpful to those starting out with crystal healing. Of course, we have to be careful to remember that the photos are just examples, and stones may be the same mineral but look a variety of ways. Having photos does help give a better idea of what we’re looking at and for, though. The two books of hers that I find most helpful are The Crystal Bible and Crystals and Healing Stones. The Crystal Bible is a good general book, with a wide variety of the basic crystal healing stones. Crystals and Healing Stones has more recent discoveries and additions to round out the complement in the Crystal Bible. Together they make a good basic informational set for the crystal healer.

My list of Top 10 Favorite Crystals Books has been updated today. Learn about more great crystal books.

I got an email asking if a circle arrangement of chakra colors has the same energetic benefits as a line of them does. My sense of this is that it is not the same, that it depends on the particular case.  A line of chakra colors or stones echoes the energy of the chakras lined up in the body and this has a particular type of resonance. A circle of chakra colors tends to bring the energies more into motion in a spiral fashion.  I would use the circular pattern in instances where I wanted to bring more motion, more energy into the chakras. Of course, different practitioners may have different experiences of it, but this is mine.

Courage isn’t always found on battlefields or out of the way places saving lives. Many times its found in day to day life. The trick is to recognize it when we see it.

I was privileged to meet a very courageous person one night when I was out on the town. I used to go out dancing a lot, and was at a favorite hangout. Often the music was so loud, you could hardly hear anyone speak, so I didn’t think anything of it when a man asked me to dance with gestures. I just went out on the floor and danced. Two or three songs went by. He wasn’t the world’s greatest dancer, but neither was I, and we had a great time. Wearing down, we decided to sit the next one out. I tried to talk to him. He was watching my face carefully, but I could tell he couldn’t get everything I was saying. And I couldn’t understand anything he was saying, because it sounded muffled somehow. In the racket, I gave up and found a pen and paper, and we started laughing as we passed notes across the bar.

My jaw almost hit the floor when I found out why trying to talk was even more of a problem than usual. He was deaf! He couldn’t hear any of it — not me, not the music, not the crowd. I was shocked. So many people are scared to get out on the dance floor even when they can hear the music and know they’re dancing in time. It just plain amazed me that this fellow was willing to get out there and risk looking foolish when he couldn’t be entirely sure he was going with the song at all. It turned out that he could feel the beat of the music through the floor, and he loved to celebrate and dance, so he just went with it. To me, that was real courage.

I long ago forgot his name. But I’ll always remember his courage to get out there and do what he wanted in spite of the obstacles, and the joy on his face when he did it. May the Divine grand me such courage.