Crystals For Right Now

Crystals are still a staple of my everyday. I want to share what I've been keeping in my pockets lately and where I got them from so you can check out some of my favorite crystal resources. My latest favorites are Leland Blue, Spirit Quartz, Lepidolite, Gobi Desert Agate, Occo Agates, and CITRINE!

Leland Blue is an interesting stone because it is unique to a specific region of Michigan. In the 1800's Michigan produced iron furnaces in Leland, MI. The process of melting the iron down created a slag that we now lovingly know as Leland Blue. Here is a short and sweet write up about the process. You can find pieces of Leland blue on the shore line of Lake Michigan in the Leland area or I found my piece at a shop in Traverse City, MI called On The Rocks. Bring a big big bag of cash to this shop because their jewelry designs are even more intriguing than their collection of stones. You can find other Michigan stones and even wear them set in silver. I can't emphasize how gorgeous the jewelry designs in this store are. They also have an amazing selection of Leland Blue, Copper, and other stones only found in Michigan. I picked up a piece of Leland Blue because it's a piece of our state's history as part of the cast iron industry. This stone is also interesting because it is stunning blue when you look at it but if you hold it up to the light, it is brown!

 Spirit Quartz, also known as Cactus Quartz is a crystal point covered in little crystal points. It's like a crystal point is wearing a crystal coat. You can find this kind of druzy coated quartz in purples, yellows, and white. What first brought this crystal to my attention was thinking about pressing it into silver metal clay. It creates such a beautiful texture for rings. But beyond designing rings with spirit quartz textures, this crystal sparkles like a disco ball. I found my spirit quartz in a bundle of three from an Etsy Shop called All Things Earth but I'm sure you can source this material locally. This crystal covered in smaller crystals amplifies the crystals energy over and over again to the power of the quantity of crystal points all over it! You can read more about this stone here.

Lepidolite is a stone that everyone needs. This is THE stone for relieving depression, stress and anxiety on the daily. Even though purple is not my favorite color, I do not care because of the properties brought into my life from this soothing stone. This stone is soft energetically and physically so keep it protected from falling or being scratched. I keep this in my pocket when I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by a social setting or am feeling a bit down. This stone has some very interesting textures making it great for crystal gazing. You can see it is a mica variety by the little sparkling flecks mixed in with the white and purple tones. I purchased mine on Etsy from The Heron & Hare. This shop did an incredible job packaging my gemstones and also has an impressive selection of raw Ruby gemstones for sale.

I learned about Gobi Desert Agates when I was riding the Amtrak to Chicago for fashion week years ago. I met a Mongolian man who was telling me about how unique they are. These agates are polished over years of drifting through the Gobi desert. They are truly magnificent and one of a kind stones. Their vibrant colors and unique rings will capture your mind. I recently found the COOLEST specimen at Inner Sage in Ferndale, MI. This shop is such an oasis of peace. Their Gobi Desert Agate selection is limited but the most slept on in the shop right now if you ask me! I''m still thinking about grabbing a couple other pieces that are in stock. They are strikingly colorful and interesting. More about Gobi Desert Agates Here.

Occo Agates piqued my interest while working at Inner Sage last year. A customer picked out a pair of polished occo agates and I was a little jealous!! She totally brought them to my attention which prompted me to get one for myself. You can find this kind of agate rough or polished. Inner Sage carries both varieties Rough and Polished. These little stones resonate the energy of Harmony. It is mostly natural tones of black, gray, white, clear, tan, and brown. The raw specimen are often cut in half or slices to show off a druzy center. The polished ones caught my eye because it shows off the signature agate banding of colors and the druzy parts are still sparkly but soft enough to hold in your hands and pockets. This stone is known to help with balance when slowing down and bringing harmony to duality in our lives.

Last on my list is CITRINE and I mean REAL Citrine. No shade to the heated stuff but there is nothing quite like the cheerful energies of natural Citrine. Natural Citrine feels warm like the sun hitting your skin. This is a stone that I always have with me because it is the stone of laughter. Citrine packs a really nice uplifting energy that encourages us to tap into creativity, find a way to smile in the hard times and stay in a prosperous mindset. No matter the situation Citrine is here to remind you that getting down will not help you, getting into a scarcity mindset will not fill your metaphorical cup, and with a bit of creativity any situation can be turned into something beneficial. If you don't have this stone in your collection reach out to me!! I have an amazing collection that I'd just love to share with you!! Also my favorite person to source natural citrine from is TreeFort Bazaar!

Photography by Jordan Morrow.