There are hundreds of gemstones to choose from for healing. In this post we will be looking at crystal healing with precious stones, of which there are 4 types. These are diamond, sapphire, ruby and emerald. (All other gemstones are classified as semi-precious, many of which will be covered in a separate post.)
In this article you will learn about the characteristics and properties of these precious stones, plus how they can be used to improve physical, psychological and spiritual health and wellbeing.
All of the featured stones are closely linked to one or more of the major chakras or energy centres. If you’re not already familiar with the chakras, you might like to read about them first to get a better idea of what they do and how they affect certain areas of our lives. (You can start with Chakras and Their Meanings. I’ll be highlighting other relevant posts as they arise.)
So if you’re just starting out in crystal healing or are looking to develop your knowledge and healing kit further, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this post and hope it helps you to choose the best healing stones for you.
So, let’s get started. First up is…..
DIAMONDS – for new beginnings, love and endurance
As one of the most popular stones for engagement rings, diamonds are synonymous with new beginnings, love, commitment and fidelity. They can be used in crystal healing for all of these areas and this matches their close association with the heart chakra – the energy centre that represents unconditional love and joy. We are possibly most familiar with the colourless variety of diamonds, but they can also be pink, yellow, blue or green.
Diamonds can be used for developing compassion and empathy, which in turn can help us to find forgiveness in our hearts. Another important aspect of forgiving is finding the strength to face difficult problems, having a willingness to move on and having the tenacity to face the changes that lay ahead. (Never underestimate the power of forgiveness – when you let go and forgive, each area of your life improves.)
It’s not surprising then that diamonds are used for boosting strength and endurance levels – physically, mentally and emotionally – when we are facing the toughest of times. You could also relate this to the fact that diamonds are one of the hardest minerals known to man, with the highest score of 10 on the Mohs scale – the scale of mineral hardness.
Diamonds are also closely associated with the crown chakra. This energy centre represents our spirituality and enlightenment – it provides a bridge between our physical existence and our higher self. Use diamonds for developing intuition, insight and psychic abilities. Also use to amplify the energy of other healing crystals.
On a physical level, diamonds can be used for most ailments but are particularly good for regulating the metabolism plus health issues relating to the central nervous system. These are numerous and include migraine, addiction, depression and bipolar disorder. Also, especially beneficial for the respiratory and circulatory systems – use for lung problems, blood pressure, heart disease and so on.
As with all precious stones, when cut and polished, diamonds will set you back a pretty penny. (Although generally speaking they are the least expensive of the four.) However, for crystal healing you can choose uncut or “raw” stones. The crystalline structure – and therefore energetic vibration and healing properties – remains the same, whether cut or uncut. Your stone doesn’t need to sparkle in order to heal.
There’s disagreement over whether or not diamonds absorb energy and therefore need cleansing to clear this energy before you use them for healing. I would err on the side of caution and do it anyway. See my Beginner’s Guide To Healing With Crystals to find out how.
There are some crystals that definitely SHOULD NOT be cleansed with water as it may damage the stone or cause it to emit toxins. If you choose water for cleansing your diamond, neither of these will happen. However, diamonds are hydrophobic, meaning that their surface actually repels water, so using water is not a good way to cleanse them.
For this reason, I would suggest using an alternative method such as smudging or burying in the earth. You could also charge in sunlight, but be aware that intense rays from the sun can be a fire hazard if reflected in a certain way onto flammable material.
SAPPHIRE – for vision, communication and knowledge
Sapphire is the next hardest mineral on the Mohs scale after diamond, scoring 9 out of 10. It is a variety of the mineral corundum, as is ruby (see below.) Sapphire can be yellow, orange, pink, purple, green, colourless or even black, but it’s best known as a blue gemstone. It takes it’s name from the Greek word sappheiros, roughly translated as blue stone or blue in colour.
Specific healing properties of the different coloured stones are as follows :
- Blue : Use for protection on long journeys. Also for communication – especially to make oneself heard when others seem unwilling to listen (think staff meetings, dysfunctional relationships.)
- Yellow : use to attract wealth and abundance, for mental clarity, to assist with achieving your goals. Useful for those climbing the career ladder. Can provide support to the immune system and is particularly useful for detox.
- Orange : use to heal your broken heart and be ready to love and trust again – for new beginnings, also for new ideas, especially when you need to be ahead of the game. (Think new job, applying for promotion etc.)
- Pink : very similar to orange – for love and trust plus a great aid to concentration and study.
- Purple : extremely calming. Use for developing intuition and spiritual awareness. These are properties of sapphire in general but particularly apply to the purple variety.
- Green : another very calming stone, again used for matters of the heart. Use for developing empathy and compassion.
- Colourless : use to bring passion and romance back into stale or tired relationships. Also for mental health, particularly for those suffering with depression.
- Black : as with other black stones, particularly powerful for grounding and protection.
In general terms, sapphire is associated with the third eye chakra, also known as the brow chakra. This energy centre is linked with our vision – not just our eyesight, but our inner vision and intuition. It is closely linked to our evolution on the path of enlightenment and our 6th sense.
Use sapphire to strengthen these areas, for improving psychic ability and for times when you need to be especially receptive to new knowledge. (E.g. attending a training event, for a new product launch at work, whilst attending college.)
Sapphire is also linked with the throat chakra which represents communication, self-expression and creativity. Use it to boost confidence, enabling clearer and stronger communication. Useful for any number of social or work related events. A good stone for those in sales, promotions and advertising.
Listening is just as important a factor when it comes to communication. Use sapphire to help you take in what others are saying, for acquiring new knowledge (as above for training etc.), and for giving others the chance to be in control of conversations or situations. Useful for attending or hosting interviews or for developing relationships if you have a tendency to be the centre of attention.
As with diamonds, raw sapphires are considerably more affordable than the cut and polished versions. If money’s no object though you might like to add some star sapphires (or rubies) to your healing kit.
These reflect light in such a way that they appear to have a star shape on the surface. This is due to how light reflects from tiny amounts of the mineral rutile that they contain. Very beautiful, very expensive, but as I said before, the cost of a healing stone does not reflect its healing power.
Sapphires respond well to sound for cleansing and charging. See my article on Sound Bathing to find out a little more and to get some ideas on how to use sound vibrations and crystal healing together.
RUBY – for creativity, passion and prosperity
Ruby is the red version of the mineral corundum, also scoring 9 on the Mohs scale. It can appear as many shades, hinting at pink, purple or even orange.
Associated with the root chakra, ruby is used for matters relating to our basic needs, security and stability. It is through the root chakra that we draw energy from the earth, so use ruby at times when you need to keep your feet firmly on the ground and are in need of an energy boost. This may be useful when starting a new relationship, particularly if you have a tendency to get carried away with the excitement of it all!
Ruby can help you to develop trust in those around you, belief in yourself and an understanding that life is unravelling exactly as it should. Also, from the root chakra comes our creativity, so use ruby to get the creative juices flowing whilst painting, writing, singing, cooking and so on. Use for problems with the feet, legs or lower back. Also the bladder, prostate and colon.
As ruby is also closely linked to the heart chakra, it’s good for the blood, great for getting the heart pumping and for improving circulation. With improved blood circulation, comes more oxygen to the brain, which in turn allows for better thinking and concentration, great for those who get easily distracted or struggle to complete tasks or meet deadlines.
Also great for rekindling love and passion, plus for overcoming negativity and for attaining a positive mental attitude. Use to keep your emotions in balance, to help relationships to run smoothly and for healing emotional wounds. The balancing properties of ruby also ease anxiety and can help you to take a step back, breathe and get things into perspective if you feel a moment of panic approaching.
Rubies have been used since ancient times to attract wealth, power and good fortune. For those looking to advance their career or build their business, ruby is a great addition to your healing kit. Use for increased motivation, for achieving difficult goals, for making your dreams become reality and for general good luck.
Smudging is a great way to cleanse rubies as they are associated with air and our sense of smell. If you haven’t already done so, check out my post How To Cleanse The Aura to find out more. Just follow the instructions on smudging, but instead of passing the smoke over and around a person, do this to your rubies. (Also suitable for any other crystals.)
Emerald
Emerald is a deep to bluish green variety of the mineral beryl. There are lighter green versions of this mineral but they are less sought after and less expensive, although still very beautiful and with particular healing properties. These are known as green beryl and will be covered in a separate post.
As with other green crystals and gemstones, emerald is a great balancing stone. It can bring harmony to all areas of life, in particular relationships and parenthood. It may assist with behavioural problems and can be a great help when we need to work on being a little more patient. Use emerald for calming your thoughts and emotions in everyday situations, as well as during times of grief or conflict.
Emeralds are associated with the heart chakra, as are diamonds and rubies. They therefore share some characteristics relating to matters of the heart and emotions such as reviving passion, enhancing friendships, enjoying long-term commitments and loving others.
But remember also that you need to love yourself! Use emeralds when you find you’re being a little too tough on yourself and need to give yourself a break. Self-love is an important aspect of our daily lives and our spiritual journeys. It’s a cliche, but you can’t truly love others until you love yourself. This will improve your self-esteem and confidence, also helping to relieve fear and anxiety.
On a physical level, emeralds can be especially beneficial for circulatory and respiratory health issues, as detailed above. Also use for eliminating toxins and giving the body an energetic boost. In addition, emeralds are great for detoxing on a spiritual level, for example when coming out of an unhealthy relationship or letting go of limiting beliefs.
Emeralds are also used for mental clarity, stimulating brain function and thought processes, improving memory and to enhance reflection, meditation and self-awareness.
But take care of your precious green beauties – measuring 7.5 – 8 on the mineral hardness scale they’re not so tough as the other precious stones and can scratch more easily. Emeralds are also associated with the element air, so cleanse them by smudging or leave them somewhere safe outside on a windy day – or night – in sunlight or moonlight.
Next Steps On Your Healing Journey
As you can see, precious stones have a wealth of benefits and healing properties for many different areas of our lives. I hope that one or more “spoke” to you as you read this post. If so, remember that raw or uncut stones are just as good for healing – you don’t need to break the bank to fix your wellbeing!
My other posts so far in this crystal series are The Beginner’s Guide To Healing With Crystals and The Best Buyer’s Guide To Crystal Healing Stones. If you haven’t already, check them out to find out more about choosing the right crystals for you, cleansing and charging methods, and a special feature on one of the most abundant minerals found here on earth, plus more.
I’ll be adding to this series regularly and have some amazing posts lined up to help you along the way on your crystal healing journey. In the meantime, if you have any comments or feedback, please leave them in the box below. Until next time!
