WooFilter: crystals
April 16, 2018 9:37 AM Subscribe
A friend is having surgery, and I want to get her a "healing crystal" or even a healing crystal kit. Neither of us is all in on believing in healing crystals, but I want to get her something really cool looking that supposedly has whatever powers crystals are supposed to have. What's a good source?
Looking at crystals online, it seems that the reviews can be all over the place, with some just described as cheap glass and some getting stellar comments - often from the same seller. I'm nervous about buying a crystal online without seeing it myself. So does anyone know of a great, reliable source for crystals or have any other thoughts on crystals? I'm not sure if it would be better to get her a single awesome crystal or a kit with directions pertaining to chakras. I think she kind of believes in chakras, but this is really more about fun and support than beliefs about healing. I'd like to keep it under $25.
Looking at crystals online, it seems that the reviews can be all over the place, with some just described as cheap glass and some getting stellar comments - often from the same seller. I'm nervous about buying a crystal online without seeing it myself. So does anyone know of a great, reliable source for crystals or have any other thoughts on crystals? I'm not sure if it would be better to get her a single awesome crystal or a kit with directions pertaining to chakras. I think she kind of believes in chakras, but this is really more about fun and support than beliefs about healing. I'd like to keep it under $25.
If you have a local new age store that sells books and crystals and such, they will help you if you ask respectfully. They are used to curiosity-seekers and casual dabblers, the key is to just not make it sound like you think it's a big dumb joke, y'know? You can say something true but kind such as "I have a close friend who is having surgery. I'm not sure that her or I are the kind of people who will ever believe strongly in the power of crystals, and I don't know much about it, but I feel like a stone with healing properties would be a welcome source of comfort for her right now."
Also, you can look up "healing" or "surgery" or related terms in this online dictionary to get an idea of what things look like. You can get a smallish tumbled piece of many of these stones pretty inexpensively.
posted by desuetude at 10:55 AM on April 16, 2018 [4 favorites]
Also, you can look up "healing" or "surgery" or related terms in this online dictionary to get an idea of what things look like. You can get a smallish tumbled piece of many of these stones pretty inexpensively.
posted by desuetude at 10:55 AM on April 16, 2018 [4 favorites]
Look for bead stores near you. They usually have mineral/crystal pendants, etc., and some even specialize in minerals. You should be able to find something really interesting looking, possibly a combination, and then you can get some silk cord or beading wire, and whatever other parts you need, and she can make that into a necklace.
You can also just pick pretty things -- or she can -- and you can assign whatever meanings you wish to them. I like to use beads as mnemonic devices, too.
It's surprisingly inexpensive, and the people working in such places usually have pretty good aesthetic sense and a willingness to help.
posted by amtho at 11:03 AM on April 16, 2018
You can also just pick pretty things -- or she can -- and you can assign whatever meanings you wish to them. I like to use beads as mnemonic devices, too.
It's surprisingly inexpensive, and the people working in such places usually have pretty good aesthetic sense and a willingness to help.
posted by amtho at 11:03 AM on April 16, 2018
Response by poster: Thanks. In person is a little tricky for me right now due to some general health problems and an injury, so online is better. Also, just to clarify, I'm not really seeing this a big dumb joke. I'm just not a true believer. I tend to feel like I have no idea how the universe really works. I rule almost nothing out, including the possibility that crystals are helpful in some way we don't understand. I hope I haven't offended anyone with the wording of my question.
posted by FencingGal at 11:09 AM on April 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by FencingGal at 11:09 AM on April 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
chakra crystal sets on Etsy. Shops and items have reviews. (I also don't believe in any of that but gems and crystals are beautiful. TONS of sellers on Etsy for them)
posted by Crystalinne at 12:06 PM on April 16, 2018
posted by Crystalinne at 12:06 PM on April 16, 2018
You might check with the gift shop at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, AR and see if unpolished specimens are available and what the price would be for purchase and shipping. By this I mean examples of amethyst, garnet, jasper, agate or quartz taken directly from the park, not bought from outside sources.
posted by TrishaU at 12:20 PM on April 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by TrishaU at 12:20 PM on April 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
I recently ordered this crystal set on Etsy and it was just as nice as the pictures showed and came really nicely packaged.
posted by ilovewinter at 3:15 PM on April 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by ilovewinter at 3:15 PM on April 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
Call House of Intuition in LA. Ask for... doesn't matter! They're all great. Explain your issue. Try to call between hours, not on the hour because they have a lot of classes and they are busy on the hour doing check-ins.
Tell them EXACTLY what you want. They will choose it and mail it. You can also visit them online. If you want the crystal woo woo'd especially for your friend, they probably do that. They're very nice and helpful.
Website is HouseOfIntuitionLA.com. Phone is 213.413.8300.
posted by jbenben at 3:59 PM on April 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
Tell them EXACTLY what you want. They will choose it and mail it. You can also visit them online. If you want the crystal woo woo'd especially for your friend, they probably do that. They're very nice and helpful.
Website is HouseOfIntuitionLA.com. Phone is 213.413.8300.
posted by jbenben at 3:59 PM on April 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Btw.... all crystals are kind of the same unless you’re looking for super clear no fractures, at which point it’s above your price point. For a dabbler anything is fine :)
posted by St. Peepsburg at 7:47 PM on April 16, 2018
posted by St. Peepsburg at 7:47 PM on April 16, 2018
> just to clarify, I'm not really seeing this a big dumb joke. I'm just not a true believer. I tend to feel like I have no idea how the universe really works.
Oh, I'm sorry, I totally didn't mean to insinuate that you were actually taking a LOLCRYSTALS stance, my point was that you shouldn't shy away from asking a shop owner of such an establishment for help just because you're not a true believer. They won't mind.
posted by desuetude at 8:34 PM on April 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
Oh, I'm sorry, I totally didn't mean to insinuate that you were actually taking a LOLCRYSTALS stance, my point was that you shouldn't shy away from asking a shop owner of such an establishment for help just because you're not a true believer. They won't mind.
posted by desuetude at 8:34 PM on April 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I purchase crystals and go to crystal fairs, so I can recommend a few things.
South American Import in San Diego - this was a lovely, super legitimate crystal store that my mom and I were surprised to find. They personally go and purchase these crystals wholesale and are really great quality, and are quite beautiful. My mom and I got a beautiful deeply colored rose quartz for our display and it's very gorgeous.
San Francisco Crystal Fair Vendor List - I went to this once and the selection was quite great, to the point where my mom and I stopped buying crystals afterwards because we were done with our collection. I would recommend looking through here and finding their online stores.
I also like The Hoodwitch. It's a black owned witchcraft store, which Starbucks ripped the aesthetic off of for their newest advertising campaign.
posted by yueliang at 9:35 AM on April 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
South American Import in San Diego - this was a lovely, super legitimate crystal store that my mom and I were surprised to find. They personally go and purchase these crystals wholesale and are really great quality, and are quite beautiful. My mom and I got a beautiful deeply colored rose quartz for our display and it's very gorgeous.
San Francisco Crystal Fair Vendor List - I went to this once and the selection was quite great, to the point where my mom and I stopped buying crystals afterwards because we were done with our collection. I would recommend looking through here and finding their online stores.
I also like The Hoodwitch. It's a black owned witchcraft store, which Starbucks ripped the aesthetic off of for their newest advertising campaign.
posted by yueliang at 9:35 AM on April 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I've bought crystals from Amazon before, but because you don't see the actual product, they turned out to be cloudy and lifeless. No matter how much I charged them or tried to give them good energy, they just ended up feeling like dead paperweights. You want to be able to see the product - it's a lot like buying plants online.
posted by yueliang at 9:40 AM on April 17, 2018
posted by yueliang at 9:40 AM on April 17, 2018
Response by poster: For anyone who digs up this thread, I had ilovewinter’s answer marked as best but unmarked it because the seller has been really bad about shipping in a timely manner. I’m on the verge of cancelling and will probably have to find a local store now.
posted by FencingGal at 4:58 PM on May 3, 2018
posted by FencingGal at 4:58 PM on May 3, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by brujita at 9:45 AM on April 16, 2018