Today we will address a question that we are often asked by individuals that are new to collecting. 

Where do I start? What crystals are essential for new collectors? 

Below is a list of ,what we consider, the 10 most essential starter crystals for collectors. In order of importance. They are all readily available and are very versatile in their uses. Below are the 10 "must haves" for every collection.

1) Clear Quartz 

Clear quartz is an extremely versatile crystal. It's a must have for any crystal collector. Quartz is sometimes called the "Universal Crystal" because of its many uses. It enhances energy by absorbing, storing, amplifying, balancing, focusing and transmitting. . Quartz may be programmed for a variety of purposes and will amplify energy from the user as well as other crystals. Quartz resonates with all chakras and aids in connection the higher realms and with your higher self. Quartz also dispels negativity and clears away negative energy and is good for harmonizing and balancing the environment. Quartz is also good for energizing other crystals.  

2) Amethyst

 Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz and is also avery versatile crystal with many uses. Amethyst is a very powerful and protective stone. It is often called the “Stone of Sobriety” due to its common use in helping overcome various addictions. Amethyst is a natural stress reliever and encourages inner strength. Amethyst has a strong healing energy that can transmute lower vibrations to higher frequencies and can transform negative energy to positive. Amethyst has a peaceful, loving energy and helps with developing intuition and psychic abilities. Amethyst activates the Crown Chakra to enhance spiritual awareness and promote a higher state of consciousness. Amethyst clears and repairs holes in the aura and draws in Divine energy. Amethyst is also often used help to alleviate headaches and migraines as well as to dispel nightmares and help with insomnia. 

3) Rose Quartz

Rose quartz is often called the Love Stone. It is the stone of unconditional love: self-love, family, platonic and romantic. Rose quartz has a strong energy that can enhance love and opens the heart chakra. Rose quartz is a very happy stone that is calming and reduces stress. Rose quartz is also used to raise self-esteem and a strong sense of self-worth as well as balance emotions and bring peace and calm. Rose quartz is also often used to help heal emotional wounds. Rose Quartz is considered the main crystal for love of all kinds.   

4) Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli is a very important healing stone.  Lapis Lazuli Stones have a vibration of truth and enlightenment. It also relieves anger, quells negative thoughts and eases frustrations and anger. Lapis also helps to balance the male and female energy.Lapiz is thought to intensify the growth of psychic abilities and intuition. It assists your immune system, the respiratory system and the nervous system. Lapis Lazuli stones are also known to be effective to relieve pain, particularly migraine headaches. It may assist you if you feel anxious or depressed.Lapis stimulates wisdom and good judgment and aids intellectual analysis, activates the higher mind and enhances intellectual ability It is excellent for enhancing memory. It also encourages truth and deep communication. It is also a stone of friendship and brings harmony in relationships. A Lapis grid brings calm and loving communication for a home. Lapis Lazuli is believed to help with attention-deficit, autism and Asperger's syndrome. Lapis quickly releases stress and promotes peace and tranquility.  

5) Tiger Eye

We also consider Tiger Eye to be one of the essentials in every crystals collecion. Tiger's Eye is a stone of protection, stabilizing and grounding. It enhances integrity, willpower, self-confidence and practicality. It is also a stone of good luck, brings prosperity and is said to have an ability to manifest desires. It can also be spiritually grounding and help it’s owner to see things clearly. Tiger's eye aids harmony and balance, and helps to release fear and anxiety. Tiger Eye is also a stone of action and helps in decision making and logical thinking. Tiger eye is also known to give you courage, self-confidence and strength of will as well as enhancing creativity. This stone enhances strength to work through difficult times and promotes mental and physical activity. Tiger Eye stimulates the solar plexus chakra and the will and also aids people who are spacey or have difficulty making commitments.  

6) Citrine

 Citrine carries the power of the sun in it and is energizing, life giving, warm and comforting. It is also one of the very best stones for abundance and manifestation and is often kept in places of business or in cash registers. CItrine clears the mind and body and manifests wishes and abundance. It is also useful for sales and business interactions. Citrine transmutes and dissipates negative energy but does not hold it. It transforms negative thoughts into positive ones. Citrine attracts love and happiness and shields against heartbreak and jealousy. Citrine assists in stamina and energy and helps those with chronic fatigue. It also strengthens intelligence and opens ones heart to joy. It is said to aid in overcoming depression by improving self esteem and creativity while getting rid of anger, sensitivity to criticism and negative feelings. Citrine an energizing, cleansing and joyful crystal.  Citrine is self cleansing and can cleanse stones that are placed with it.

7) Black Tourmaline

 Black tourmaline is a very powerful protection stone. It dispels negative energy, shields against psychic attack, purifies and dispels negative thoughts and transmutes them into positive energy. It helps cleanse environmental and electromagnetic pollutants as well. This is a great stone to carry or have around the home due to it’s many protective and purifying properties. Black tourmaline is also an important grounding stone bringing supportive energy to the user. Having these stones in the room with you on carried with you has a cleansing and balancing effect to the immune system and the body’s own electrical system. This stone is said to have a restorative and balancing effect on health in general, particularly in dispelling the effects of electromagnetic smog.  

8) Green Aventurine

 Known as the “Stone of Opportunity,” Green Aventurine is thought to be the luckiest of all stones, and is thought to manifest prosperity and wealth. Green Aventurine releases old patterns, habits and disappointments, brings optimism, a love for life, and helps to embrace change. It enhances one’s creativity and motivation, and encourages perseverance. Green Aventurine can also enhance leadership qualities, a sense of humor and openness to new ideas. Green Aventurine has a soothing vibration upon the mind and body and is great to ease quick-tempers or ill temperaments. Green Aventurine has a vibration of balance and harmony while calming nervousness, anger and irritation, and helps dissolve daily stress and anxiety. It enhances sleep, has a grounding effect and is a harmonizer. Green Aventurine is a stone that resonates with the heart chakra and is a very powerful love stone as well. Green Aventurine is also said to absorb environmental pollution and is a great crystal for the home or around electronic equipment to absorb electromagnetic smog. 

9) Labradorite

 Labradorite is a stone that awakens mystical and magical abilities and psychic powers. It has a deeply felt resonance that is very powerful and can be used to bring about changes in your life. It’s vibration not only offers protection for the aura from negativity, but clears negativity from it and seals it to prevent any energy leaks. Labradorite also gives energy to those that have been doing too much and need to recharge. 

10) Moonstone

 Moonstone is a stone of love and inner journey, taking us within ourself to retrieve what is missing. Moonstone is connected with the moon and is a great stone for travelers. It can be a gift for lovers and a great tool for a path to wisdom. Moonstone calms and connects us with the natural rhythms of life. It is said to reconcile estranged lovers and give the gift of hope. It provides psychic protection, clears the mind and senses, and aids in lucid dreaming and peaceful sleep. It also deflects negativity and eases the emotions. Moonstone is aligned with the goddess and feminine energy and opens the heart to accept love. Moonstone balances feminine energies and stimulates the kundalini energy. It is also a stone of love, eroticism and fertility. Moonstone helps in attuning to the normal rhythms of the biological forces of one's body and to utilize natural energy cycles and balances the hormonal system. This stone is calming, soothing, balancing and healing. 

Namaste,

The A and S Crystals Team