Where to start with stones?

[EternalRos3]

I'm finally trying to put together my BOS, and am currently stuck on a section for stone information. I scoured the internet for a comprehensive list of stones, and ended up with 60-ish pages like this;

After formatting quite a few of the descriptions, I realized I was wasting time with a list I would barely use a third of. I found a few forum posts that will help me put together a "starter kit", but was wondering if anyone had further advice.

Where would you recommend to purchase stones from? I don't know where to start online, and my local shop has closed down. (I read that it's best to buy stones that call to you.)

Over the years I have collected Mancala beads and several stones I have no knowledge of (I think they may have come from that rock tumbler toy)...Is there any use for these, or should they remain on my altar as decor?

Any other general advice would be appreciated! Thanks

[SpiritTalker]

Polished and tumbled stones are in abundance on-line. Credit card buying on-line however means you don't get to see it and handle it before purchasing. You pay your money, you take your chances. I have had very good luck on Amazon, and a couple stinkers because I didn't correctly read the descriptions. My bad in each case.

China is selling a lot of polished and shaped stones on Amazon and through US customs delivery time is 5-8 weeks. India also sells gems on Amazon through Royal Mail with about 4weeks delivery time, and I love their fragrant packaging. Brazil mines are also selling bulk and I just received 1/2 pound crystal points, each the size of my thumb, that I am happy with. Always check the reviews and shipping fees. There is a thread on EUTM about favorite suppliers online.

Local hobby shops, museum gift shops, lapidary "rock shops", rock and gem shows are some places to check. Tourist traps excel in pretty stones. Plan a trip if you have resources for it. Take a cave tour or visit the site's tourist gift shop.

You can find unpolished and semi-polished stones to buy in garden centers, landscape suppliers and gravel yards. Water polished stones can be found by rivers and the sea.

Don't overlook right under your feet. Cemeteries and construction sites...any place where digging is going on. They may not be glossy and pretty until you take time to scrub them and rub some olive oil on them.

As for which stones to include in your kit, a good place to start is with the chakra/rainbow colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) and then a clear quartz all-purpose stone, and a black stone for grounding. Some places sell the whole rainbow in a pouch, and in these cases I think a thumb-stone size is good.

Oh gosh, I just love stones and can go on and on ad nauseum.

[EternalRos3]

Thanks so much for your help!

One last question - I'm going to redo my BOS stone information, but beyond the starter stones you suggested, is there anything in particular worth adding to my notes?

[corvidus]

Maybe some techniques on how to use them?

Theory is good, but practice is better (imo)

[SpiritTalker]

You might note each stone's name, planetary and deity influence if any, color and naturally the properties your research turns up, also note any toxicity because don't want to use stones with mercury or copper for elixirs. That would probably be enough info to keep as a reference, and is a common method used in reference books. If your BOS style will include personal experiences, like a journal, I think it's most important at some time to note your personal interaction and response to each. That develops over time.

You can list them alphabetically to note all their details, then cross reference by color and purpose with just their names. If this is all on computer you can add more stones without screwing up the alphabetical order. How encyclopedic do you want to get?

If you are familiar with using a pendulum,you could note your readings for each.

Personally I have used a pendulum to determine a stone's polarity because this tells me what ways to use the stone. Positive, solar, male polarity stones are best used for protection, reduction, repelling, dominance issues. Negative, lunar, female polarity stones are useful for attraction, gain, and nurturing. I don't know if anyone else uses this system. I read in a book and adopted it. I like things that are simple.

[miachrhys]

If you have the means, I'd suggest you pick up Ember Grant's 'The Book of Crystal Spells.'

It is a great book for a beginner and covers things like crystal grids, elixirs, and medicine bags. I get a lot of my crystals and stones on Etsy, though a lot of shops use stock photos so you end up purchasing a stone without knowing the specific stone you're going to get. Phoenix Orion also has a good selection.

A recent favorite is YeOldRockShop, a Canadian store on Etsy. https://www.etsy.com/shop/YeOldeRockShop
Their prices are fair and their shipping is reasonable, as is the time it takes to receive the items that you ordered. I've bought ametrine from a variety of different places, each saying it's some of the best quality specimens available, but YORS is the only one that has sent me ametrine that contains both the deep purple of amethyst and the golden hue of citrine. Here are some others:

-healingcrystals.com
-crystalguidance.com
-GreenEarthGems on Etsy

I DO NOT suggest purchasing from Ebay. It seems to be a hotbed for people selling fake stones and those that are just out to make a quick buck. The absolute best place would be to find a store that sell crystals and stones in your area and visit it in person. Good luck!

***I forgot to mention that a lot of the associations of crystals and stones are based on their color and the correspondence to the chakras.

[EternalRos3]

Thank you for the extra information!

One last thing - I was going to cleanse and recharge my pentagram pendants, and finally decided to take a look at the stones I do have.

Can anyone tell me what these are? This is what I do know;
The black one is a marble
The two clear ones are some kind of glow-in-the-dark toy
The one at the top right is fools gold
The two "crystals" are plastic craft trinkets

[SpiritTalker]

Another name for fools gold is pyrite, you'll need that name to find the properties.
The two slab slices are agate. The long, white one could be abalone shell. If the oval next to the (possibly)obsidian marble is pink, it's rose quartz. The clear one touching the agate slab is clear quartz. You might have a pale citrine if the one touching the pyrite is pale yellow. The three at the bottom are hard to determine color. The pink is likely Botswana agate (with some gray in it), rhodanite(if it has some black in it) or Rhodachrosite (if it is shaded with some deep pink-to-orange). The white on right,may be snow quartz. My screen doesn't let me see a color for the one on left. If the dark spots are green possibly moss agate? Maybe someone else has a clue. The one's you say are glow in the dark, would have to be plastic. They look like quartz to me. Could be my screen.