how to use crystals: 7 simple ways

Crystals are beautiful creations of the Earth, born from deep beneath the Earth's surface and brought out into the light to sit on our bedside tables, decorate our bookshelves, or hang from our wrists or ears.

Everyone, no matter their background or position, has a story of that time they stumbled upon a beautiful rock that got tucked into a pocket or someone gifted them a piece of gemstone jewelry to treasure. From wandering caves in Pakistan to picking up geodes at the local creek, each of us has a connection to the world of healing crystals and rocks, connecting us all with the Earth.

When we use crystals, either for their metaphysical healing powers, or even just to adorn our body or decorate our home, we're working with the Earth to create beauty and to live with intention. It's a human/nature connection we all share.

But how do you use crystals? Healing crystals work by interacting with the body’s energy field or aura, channeling and transforming energy to promote balance and alignment across the body, mind, and spirit. Without some intention, it's easy to find yourself with a bunch of rocks sitting in a bowl, or more gemstone earrings than there are days in the year. Here we'll explore how to use crystals and seven ways to incorporate crystals into everyday life.

Shown: Walnut Display Shelf

Use Crystals to Decorate Your Home

The easiest way to use crystals is to place them in spaces you frequent. Using crystals for home decor is an effective and visually appealing way to infuse your living space with positive energy, beauty, and harmony. Crystals not only serve as unique decor pieces but also come with a variety of benefits, from purifying the air to promoting healing energy. 

Crystal clusters and geodes, like a standing Amethyst or Blue Celestite geode, make stunning decorative pieces when placed in living rooms, entryways, or display areas. The raw, crystalline formations are beautiful in their natural state, and they add texture, color, and elegance to your decor. Geodes have a unique, natural appearance and can help purify the energy in a room. 

Small crystal bowls, dishes, or trays can hold smaller stones like tumbles and chunks, and be placed on coffee tables, countertops, or shelves. These bowls can help organize and display your collection of crystals while allowing you to enjoy their beauty and energy. Certain crystals can help boost the mood, bring balance, or encourage specific healing properties. You can use Black Tourmaline to protect your space against negative energies or Rose Quartz to foster a loving and compassionate home. Selenite plates and bowls are great for displaying small stones and also charge and cleanse your crystals. (You can find our collection of trays and bowls here.) 

Shown: Rose Quartz Candle Holder

Use Crystals to Set the Mood

Beyond putting your crystals on a shelf to stay, think of them as accent pieces to be moved and regularly rearranged to help you set the mood, either for your own liking or with the seasons. This bathroom shelf - shown above - in my own home is an ever-changing vignette, often featuring flowers, a seasonal candle, and always a collection of crystals, depending on my own moods and the energies of the world around me. 

Candles infused or topped with small crystals can add both beauty and energetic qualities to your space. Different crystals offer different benefits, from relaxation and love to protection and abundance. The flickering candlelight combined with the energy of a cleansing crystal creates a calming and enchanting atmosphere. These are perfect for living rooms, bedrooms, or meditation spaces. (You can shop our candle collection here.) 

Shown: Augusta Gemstone Bracelets

Use Crystals as Jewelry

Wearing crystals and gemstones is one of the best ways to enjoy their beauty (and magical crystal powers) all day long. If you know you'll be entering a stressful environment, wear crystals like Amethyst or Smoky Quartz to help you dispel negative emotions and protect against negative energy. To foster deeper connections with those around you—or even attract a special someone—opt for Rose Quartz, while Lapis Lazuli is ideal for enhancing clear communication. Crystal jewelry also serves as a powerful tool for chakra alignment. For instance, wearing a necklace with a crystal near your heart chakra, such as Malachite or Green Aventurine, can help keep your heart open and balanced. 

From earrings and necklaces to gemstone bracelets and rings, using crystals as jewelry allows you to maintain a constant connection with these natural objects while also allowing you to explore and express your own energy and personal style.

Shown: Rose Quartz Candle Holder + Brass Mister

Use Crystal Candle Holders as Planters

One of my favorite, unexpected uses for crystal candle holders is to use them as little planters for small plants, like succulents. These materials not only serve as a stunning addition to your home but also carry unique metaphysical and healing properties that can support and enhance your plants. Clear Quartz, known for its versatility and being a master healer, amplifies the energy of its surroundings, promoting growth and vitality for any plant it accompanies.

When choosing a candle holder to be used as a planter, be sure your candle holder has a solid bottom (many candle holders simply have a felted bottom, which is not plant-watering-friendly) and that the crystal itself will hold up to water (for example, the popular Selenite candle holders will actually dissolve when wet).

Shown: Pyrite Chunk

Carry Crystals in Your Pocket for Good Luck

I'm always pleasantly surprised when people tell me they have a favorite rock they carry in their pocket (or bra, or wallet). Whether it's simply for good luck (try Pyrite), or for other purposes like protection against negativity (try Black Tourmaline) or to attract prosperity (try Citrine), we humans are naturally drawn to keeping rocks on us as talismans to attract or repel.

Want to infuse your rock friendship with extra juju? Sync your selection with your birthstone to tap into vibes most aligned with your own.

Shown: Custom Blue Kyanite and Clear Quartz Crystal Grid Kit

Use Crystals to Meditate

We've all heard that meditating is good for us, and most of us can also agree that it's easier said than done. A common problem: struggling to stay focused. This is why I like to bring crystals into my meditation practice; crystals are a great object for helping you find focus during your meditations.

Holding a rock in your hand and focusing on its weight, its temperature, its shape, and how it feels against your fingers and palm is an effective set of training wheels for developing productive meditation habits. It gives you a place to focus and a tangible point to return to when your mind wanders off. 

One of the ways you can use crystal healing in meditation is by placing the crystal directly on a specific part of your body that corresponds to a chakra or area you’d like to work on. You can also use crystal grids as a form of active meditation. Simply sit down in your favorite spot and get focused on creating beautiful arrangements with stones. (You can learn how to make a crystal grid here.)

Shown: Pyrite Wand

Get Creative with Other Practical Uses for Your Crystals

Because crystals come in all shapes and sizes, it’s both enjoyable and rewarding to discover creative and even practical ways to incorporate them into your life. Whether you're repurposing candle holders as planters or using a wand as a ring holder, get creative to find other uses for the beautiful members of your rock collection.