What’s up with crystals?

Unless you’re living under a rock, you’ve probably noticed that folks are really into crystals lately. (Actually, if you are living under a rock, you probably don’t need me to tell you why crystals are cool.)

So crystals are just rocks, right? This question always brings to mind the Breaking Bad clip of Marie complaining about boxes of rocks while Hank hollers from the other room, “No, they’re minerals.” [1] Hank is right. They are minerals. But Marie might also be right that they’re rocks… unless they’re crystals.

Crystals AND rocks are minerals. Minerals are inorganic substances found in nature. Crystals are just one mineral whose atoms have assembled in a specific geometric structure. Rocks are generally two or more minerals whose atoms have aggregated into a solid body.[2] So, crystals aren’t rocks. Crystals, like calcite or quartz, are one mineral each. Rocks, like marble or flint, are a collection of minerals.

Now, some of the things folks are calling crystals these days are, in fact, rocks. It’s easy to tell that geodes are at least two different minerals once you crack them open. You can see veins of more than one mineral in lapis lazuli or unakite. Star sapphire and tiger’s eye are mostly one mineral with spectacular secondary mineral inclusions. These kinda-crystals are aggregates of two or more minerals, making them rocks in the science world. Oh, and extra special obsidian and opal have no crystalline structure, so technically they aren’t even minerals. But the crystal craze is not concerned with scientific technicalities.

Millenia before we had microscopes to examine rock composition or classify crystalline lattices, humans were picking up these hard bits of earth and cherishing them. Our ancestors neither knew nor cared if it was a rock or a crystal. They chose stones for color, clarity, shine, or shape. They valued different gems for size, source, scarcity, or even symbolism. They experienced crystals and rocks with all six senses—not just how it looked or felt, but also how it affected the heart and soul.

Neolithic Etruscans wore amulets of amber* to connect with their deities. Ancient Egyptians used carnelian and jasper to ward off evil. Greek soldiers used hematite to guard against battle wounds. Han Dynasty royals were buried with jade to attain immortality. Vedic sages studied the healing properties of diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and other precious gems. [3, 4, 5, 6, 7] 

Early civilizations assigned special meanings to certain stones and those meanings have been passed down through the ages to us. Countless reference texts enumerate the attributes and uses of what “New Agers” broadly call crystals. Most of these crystal books focus on healing properties or magical purposes, but more comprehensive indexes highlight how crystals can be used in decoration and adornment. After all, crystals are beautiful.

For me, the power of any stone comes from its natural beauty. True crystals have elegant symmetry in their atomic structures, but the asymmetric structures of rocks are just as exquisite. Our earth has been creating these stunning mineral masses from scratch for eons, and there’s something divine about that. Not to mention, rocks and crystals are made from the same stuff as stars, just like you and me.

Perhaps our ancestors knew all of this intuitively. They didn’t need science to understand that deep red garnet is good for love or sparkly golden topaz is good for luck. Maybe what’s up with crystals is that they turn on our primal intuition and tune us into prehistoric wisdom?

*Amber is neither a rock or a crystal because it’s not even a mineral. It’s organic! Coral, pearls, ivory, and jet are examples of other organic gemstones.

[1] Breaking Bad, season 4, episode 2, “Thirty-Eight Snub,” directed by Michelle MacLaren, written by George Mastras, performed by Dean Norris, originally aired July 24, 2011, Sony Pictures Television.

[2] “Rock, Mineral, or Crystal? What’s the Difference?,” howtofindrocks.com, How To Find Rocks, no date, https://howtofindrocks.com/difference-between-rocks-minerals-and-crystals/.

[3] Michele W. Berger, “Through Gemstones, a Glimpse into Ancient Egyptian Civilization,” penntoday.upenn.edu, University of Pennsylvania Penn Today, published August 2, 2019, https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/through- gemstones-glimpse-ancient-egyptian-civilization.

[4] Faya Causey, “Ancient Carved Ambers in the J. Paul Getty Museum,” getty.edu, J. Paul Getty Trust, revised November 26, 2019, https://www.getty.edu/publications/ambers/intro/3/.

[5] “Hematite Rings: The Complete Guide,” campuspress.yale.edu/yalemed, The Med Inquirer: A Yale Blog, no date, https://campuspress.yale.edu/yalemed/hematite-rings-the-complete-guide/.

[6] “The Immortal Armour of China’s Jade Burial Suits,” heritagedaily.com, Heritage Daily, published March 13, 2022, https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/03/the-immortal-armour-of-chinas-jade-burial-suits/143047.

[7] Swami Sadashiva Tirtha, The Ayurveda Encyclopedia: Natural Secrets to Healing, Prevention and Longevity (Unadilla: Ayurveda Holistic Center Press, 2012), 322-323.