Traditionally associated with protection, boundaries and honest self-examination.
Composition
Volcanic glass — silica-rich lava cooled too fast to crystallise
Hardness · Chakra
5–5.5 · Root
Fractures to an edge only nanometres thick — sharper than surgical steel, and still used in some specialist scalpels.
Traditionally associated with warmth, recovery and carrying the past lightly.
Composition
Fossilised tree resin — organic, not mineral
Hardness · Chakra
2–2.5 · Solar Plexus, Sacral
Baltic amber is 44 million years old and frequently contains trapped insects. Rub it and it holds a static charge — the Greek word for amber, elektron, gave us electricity.
Traditionally the standard stone of self-compassion and open-heartedness.
Composition
Silicon dioxide (SiO₂) with trace titanium, iron or manganese
Hardness · Chakra
7 · Heart
Its colour comes from microscopic mineral fibres, which is why rose quartz is usually cloudy rather than transparent.
Traditionally associated with settling anxiety and staying present.
Composition
Silicon dioxide (SiO₂) darkened by natural irradiation of aluminium impurities
Hardness · Chakra
7 · Root
Its colour comes from natural radiation acting on aluminium traces over geological time — heat it and the smoke disappears.
Traditionally associated with repair after conflict and forgiving without forgetting.
Composition
Manganese inosilicate (MnSiO₃)
Hardness · Chakra
5.5–6.5 · Heart
The black veins are manganese oxide formed as the stone weathered — the contrast is decay, structurally speaking, and it is the reason the stone is prized.