Crystals serve many different and beneficial purposes, particularly when it comes to healing.
You can use crystals for emotional, physical, spiritual, and metaphysical healing, or you can place them in your home, car, and workspace for their healing vibrations.
Healing crystals can be used in meditation, worn as jewelry, or placed in the soil of your houseplants.
You can charge your drinking water, energize your bath, and even set up a healing altar with crystals.
There are so many possibilities when it comes to working with crystals!
But you may be wondering, how do I get these crystals?
When choosing a crystal shop to purchase your crystals from, there are many factors to consider.
These healing tools are beautiful gifts to support you on your metaphysical and healing crystals journey, and where you find your crystals remains an important part of the process.
Factors to consider include the location of the shop, where and how the crystals are mined, the energy of the shop you search for, price, shipping, customer satisfaction, and more.
Read on to learn how to shop for healing crystals.
Where is the best place to shop for crystals?
When you search for a new crystal to work with there is the important consideration of where to shop for this addition to your healing collection.
As a customer, you want the crystal shop you find your gemstones at to meet certain expectations.
Find a crystal shop within the crystal community that has respect and appreciation for the healing crystals and the methods in which they are sourced.
Ask the local crystal store you are considering purchasing your crystals from about their vendors.
Where does the shop import its crystals and gemstones from?
Ask the crystal shop about the mines where their crystal collection comes from. Make sure you feel comfortable with the conditions and practices connected to these crystal mines.
Seek a crystal shop whose miners and vendors do not practice human rights violations or environmental harm.
Ethics and integrity when sourcing crystals remain an important part of the process.
The shop where you purchase your crystals should uphold these standards when it comes to healing crystals and gemstones.
If you are still not sure about the ethical nature of the source for these crystals, consider the energy of both the shop and the selection of crystals.
How does the crystal store feel to you?
If you feel a positive, uplifting energy when you walk inside the store then it is likely the shop and staff are practicing with integrity.
If the energy feels off, dense or negative then you may want to reconsider your contribution to that shop and find one that feels like an energetic fit for you.
Take note of the reviews the crystal store has from customers.
Are they happy?
You want customers to be satisfied with the quality of the crystals and gemstones, in addition to the price of the stones.
When choosing different healing crystals to work with, a variety of crystals to choose from is important.
Crystals for each chakra, crystal jewelry, and a range of both popular and lesser known crystals make for a great shopping experience.
A friendly and knowledgeable staff can help get you started on your crystal journey.
How do I know if a crystal is real?
There are times when crystals are not actually real and from the earth, but rather fake and made from glass or plastic.
Some crystals are dyed or given glitter for a sparkle effect, altering the energy of the stone.
It can be disappointing to purchase a crystal for healing only to find it lacks the earth’s energy and intended vibrations due to it being an imitation.
There are some ways to gauge if a crystal is real or fake.
Colors & Patterns
When you see a crystal that has a very deep hue or an unnatural brightness to it, chances are this crystal has been dyed to alter its appearance.
While there are some natural crystals with unique colors and sparkles, many vendors add glitter or unusual dyes to enhance the appearance of a crystal.
Perfectly symmetrical patterns are rare on natural crystals, so a stone that looks too perfect with its designs may likely be fake.
Turquoise is a crystal that is often imitated by dying pieces of Howlite shades of turquoise blue.
If you observe a piece of Turquoise and the cracks are filled with color, then this stone is likely a piece of dyed Howlite.
This applies to any other crystals with cracks, as well.
Amethyst is another crystal that is often dyed to enhance the purple color of the stone.
If the Amethyst crystal you are viewing looks incredibly vivid or very purple, that crystal piece is likely dyed.
Sliced agate is often dyed in unique colors, such as magenta, to create a striking appearance.
Pieces of agate with bright, fun colors have been dyed to alter the look of the crystal.
Pay close attention to the color saturation along the cracks, perfect symmetry of patterns, and unusual shades of color.
Rose Quartz should be pale pink in color.
When a vendor sells fake Rose Quartz, you will notice a dark or vibrant and unnatural tone of pink or fuchsia as opposed to the soft natural pink.
Air bubbles can also indicate a fake crystal.
This is common with replicas of Clear Quartz.
Pieces of glass, similar to marbles, will have tiny air bubbles within and are typically passed off as Clear Quartz.
While natural crystals can have many inclusions and marks both inside and out, they will not have air bubbles inside.
Plastic pieces made to look like crystals may also be found at crystal shops, so notice the texture and weight of your crystal.
If the stone you are holding feels unusually light and not very hard, chances are you are about to purchase a plastic knock-off.
Name, Reputation & Price
When shopping for crystals, another way to spot a fake stone is by the name.
Unusual names or names that are very close to the original but slightly off can indicate the crystal is not actually real.
Rare crystals that are being sold for a cheap price or on a great sale are likely not the authentic version of the crystal.
There are crystals that are hard to find or only come from a few specific areas of the world.
Those crystals are often expensive and not likely to be found for a great deal.
The reputation of the crystal shop is also a great indicator of the authenticity of the healing crystals you are seeking.
A shop with integrity that is known for quality crystals is unlikely to have fake or imitation pieces for sale.
Heat Treated & Man Made
Heat-treated and man-made crystals can be great pieces to add to your healing collection, despite not being found naturally on the earth in its current state.
In these instances, the crystals often retain their original healing properties while also gaining the properties of the stones they are melted with.
Citrine is a popular crystal that is actually very rare to find in its natural form.
Commonly, Citrine is created by taking a piece of Amethyst and heating it in a kiln to very high temperatures until the color changes to the different shades of yellow and orange we associate with Citrine.
This crystal still has healing properties to aid you on your healing journey.
Aura Quartz is a kind of crystal that is not fake but also doesn’t exist as is in nature.
Pieces of Quartz are heated to a very high temperature in a vacuum chamber, then pieces of minerals and metals (such as gold) are added and melted into the Quartz, creating a new crystal that retains the healing properties of each.
This makes for unique healing crystals to work with, offering a different energy to experience.
Another example of a man-made crystal is Goldstone.
Colored pieces of glass are infused with copper flecks, such as Blue Goldstone.
These stones are good for the healing properties of copper along with the healing intention of the color.
Additionally, Opalite is a popular synthetic crystal that is grown in a lab.
While not found naturally on earth, people still enjoy working with the energy of Opalite.
Is it ok to get crystals online?
Purchasing crystals online is an ideal and convenient way to explore crystals that are not offered in the local shops.
Many times a person may want to work with the energy and properties of a specific crystal but can not find that stone in the store.
Ordering crystals online allows a person to expand their healing collection.
Check the reputation of the store the same way you would a physical shop.
Contact others in the online crystals community, check out their Instagram and social media, or chat with customers to get a feel for the quality of the stones and the integrity of the shop owner.
Online crystal shops can offer a wide variety of beautiful crystal pieces for healing.
How do you buy crystals?
Buying crystals can be a very personal part of your spiritual and healing journey, so as a customer of a crystal shop you want to feel comfortable about what you are purchasing.
When you are at the shop, you can either go with a specific crystal in mind or a certain intention or chakra to work on.
If you are not sure what you are looking for, allow yourself to be drawn to different crystals in the shop.
When you find the crystal you are seeking, choose the piece you resonate most with.
Hold it in your hand if you would like to feel the energy.
Check the price and make sure it aligns with your expectations.
If you are an online customer and browsing shops on the internet, the same principles apply.
You can feel guided towards different crystals and gemstones to work with.
If you feel good about the energy of the pieces and the shop’s integrity, then you may feel comfortable adding them to your online cart.
Check the shipping rates and if you are happy as a customer you can go ahead and buy your crystals.
How much does a crystal cost?
The cost of a crystal varies depending on the stone you are interested in.
Some crystals are very common and are priced low, well others can be harder to find or extremely rare.
Typically, common crystals can cost between approximately $3 to $35 depending on their size, quality, and coloring.
Other crystals can go above that, and rare ones can be hundreds of dollars.
Large and heavy pieces, such as Amethyst cathedrals, can cost thousands of dollars!
If you are unsure about the price of the crystal you are interested in, reach out to others in the community, on Instagram, or online to get an idea of how much to spend.
How do I find a metaphysical store near me?
Connect with people in your community with an interest in the metaphysical world, or online on platforms such as Instagram.
People with an interest in topics such as purpose, existence, space, and time may direct you to a local metaphysical store.
How do I find a spiritual store near me?
Reach out to people locally or online who do spiritual work or have spiritual interests, such as spirit and soul healing, energy work, or healing with crystals.
They may be able to guide you to a spiritual store near you.
When it comes to buying crystals, there are many different factors you can consider before making a purchase.
The shop that you feel most aligned with can offer you a variety of crystals for your healing journey.
Both in person and online, there are crystal shops available to guide you when you are ready to buy crystals.
Next Steps
If you’re looking for crystals for a specific intention, birthstone, or color, be sure to check out our online store and Crystal Clear Community.
This is where you can meet like-minded people who share your joy for crystals, spirituality, and card reading.!
