Crystal Correspondences: Meanings of 24 Stones

This table gives the traditional associations of the stones most often used in modern witchcraft, with notes on handling each one safely. For how to cleanse, charge, and use them, see our guide to crystal magick.

Before you use this table

These are symbolic associations used in ritual. They are not claims that a stone can treat or cure any condition. Never soak stones in water that you intend to drink.

Filter the table

Stone	Appearance	Associations	Water	Sunlight	Notes
Amber	Golden, translucent	Warmth, protection, vitality	Avoid	Avoid	A fossil resin, not a mineral. Soft and easily scratched.
Amethyst	Purple	Calm, intuition, restful sleep	Safe	Fades	A variety of quartz.
Aventurine	Green with a faint sparkle	Luck, opportunity, growth	Safe	May fade	Often carried for new ventures.
Black tourmaline	Black, ridged	Protection, grounding	Brief rinse	Safe	Brittle. Traditionally kept by the front door.
Bloodstone	Dark green with red flecks	Courage, endurance, vitality	Safe	Safe	A soldier's talisman since ancient times.
Carnelian	Orange to red	Courage, creativity, motivation	Safe	Safe	Good for beginning projects.
Citrine	Yellow to amber	Confidence, optimism, abundance	Safe	Fades	Much of what is sold is amethyst that has been heated.
Clear quartz	Colorless	Clarity, focus, any purpose	Safe	Fire risk	Can focus sunlight like a lens. Keep it out of strong sun.
Fluorite	Banded green and purple	Focus, study, order	Avoid	Fades	Soft. Keep it dry.
Garnet	Deep red	Commitment, strength, passion	Safe	Safe	A traditional stone of loyalty.
Hag stone	Any pebble with a natural hole	Protection, clear sight	Safe	Safe	A British folk charm, found on beaches and riverbanks. Hung by a door or a bed.
Hematite	Metallic gray	Grounding, focus, resilience	Avoid	Safe	An iron oxide. Water dulls the polish and can leave rusty stains.
Jasper, red	Brick red	Stability, stamina, steady effort	Safe	Safe	Hard-wearing and inexpensive.
Jet	Black, very light	Protection, mourning, banishing	Brief rinse	Safe	Fossilized wood. Traditionally worn with amber.
Labradorite	Gray with flashes of blue	Change, intuition, protection in transition	Brief rinse	Safe	Tilt it to see the colors.
Lapis lazuli	Deep blue with gold flecks	Truth, wisdom, honest speech	Avoid	Safe	Porous. The gold flecks are pyrite.
Malachite	Banded green	Transformation, protection	Avoid	Safe	Contains copper. Use polished pieces only, and wash your hands after handling rough stone.
Moonstone	Milky white with a sheen	Intuition, cycles, new beginnings	Brief rinse	Safe	Linked with the moon and the Goddess.
Obsidian	Black volcanic glass	Protection, truth, cutting ties, scrying	Safe	Safe	Broken edges are extremely sharp.
Pyrite	Metallic gold	Confidence, willpower, prosperity	Avoid	Safe	Reacts with water and damp.
Rose quartz	Soft pink	Self-kindness, friendship, love	Safe	Fades	The best-known stone for matters of the heart.
Selenite	White, silky, fibrous	Cleansing, peace, clarity	Avoid	Safe	Damaged by water, and scratches very easily.
Smoky quartz	Brown to gray	Grounding, release, calm	Safe	Fades	Used for letting go of worry.
Tiger's eye	Golden brown with bands of light	Courage, focus, steady nerves	Safe when polished	Safe	Popular for interviews and exams.

Stones by purpose

Purpose	Stones to reach for
Protection	Black tourmaline, obsidian, jet, hag stone, amber
Grounding	Hematite, smoky quartz, red jasper, any stone from your own land
Calm and sleep	Amethyst, selenite, smoky quartz
Love and friendship	Rose quartz, garnet, moonstone
Confidence and courage	Carnelian, tiger's eye, citrine, bloodstone
Prosperity and luck	Aventurine, citrine, pyrite
Intuition and divination	Moonstone, labradorite, amethyst, obsidian
Study and clear thinking	Fluorite, clear quartz, lapis lazuli

If you only want one stone

Choose clear quartz, which can be used for any purpose, or simply pick up a pebble on a walk that matters to you. A stone that you found yourself has no cost to the earth, and it carries a memory that no shop can sell.