Geodes and Raw Stones

A shell, with crystals inside

A geode forms in a cavity in rock, often an old gas bubble trapped in lava. Mineral-rich water flows through it for a very long time and deposits, layer after layer, crystals of amethyst, quartz, or celestite. Cut in half, it reveals an inside bristling with points, which nothing on the outside gave away.

Raw or worked?

A raw stone keeps the look it had when it was mined, with its edges and its often matte surface. A tumbled stone has spent a long time turning in a barrel with an abrasive, until it comes out smooth and rounded. Points are cut into prisms and stand upright, and palm stones, flat and polished, slip easily into the hand.

Choose by eye, then by hand

You pick a stone to display first for its color and shape, then by holding it: its weight, its coolness, the way it fills your palm. To start, an assortment of small tumbled stones, often matched to the seven chakras, lets you discover several colors before choosing a larger one.

A place that suits them

Points, being upright, belong on a piece of furniture at eye level. Palm stones stay within reach, in a catchall tray or next to a book. An open geode shows best near a window, but not in direct sun: amethyst and rose quartz can lose some of their color there.