Choosing the right crystals can be a very personal and rewarding experience. Crystals are believed to hold specific healing and metaphysical properties that resonate with our energy. When we are drawn to a certain crystal, it is often exactly what we need at that particular point in our life journey. But with thousands of different types of crystals in the world, how do you know which ones are meant for you? Here are some tips on determining which crystals you should work with.
Look within
The best way to determine which crystals are right for you is to look within. What are you currently struggling with or hoping to accomplish? Crystals that resonate with those needs will call out to you. For example, if you are looking to set intentions and manifest your goals, you may be drawn to crystals like citrine for abundance or moonstone for intuition. Or if you want to overcome anxiety, calming stones like amethyst and blue lace agate will likely catch your eye. Your inner wisdom knows what healing is needed, so pay attention to what you feel most excited by or attracted to.
Notice physical sensations
Often our physical bodies provide clues about which crystals we need through subtle sensations. Being around or touching certain crystals may produce tingles, warmth, coolness, heaviness, lightness, pulsing, and other visceral reactions. Make note of how different crystals make you feel physically when you are browsing. For instance, you may feel heat emanating from carnelian which is linked to vitality and passion. Or black tourmaline might make you feel enveloped in calm which reflects its grounding energies. Follow these intuitive signs from your body to choose the right crystals.
Assess mental and emotional shifts
Pay attention to any mental or emotional shifts that occur when you are in the presence of different crystals. Your mood, attitude, and openness can change instantly when interacting with certain stones. Crystals that make you feel more positive, focused, relaxed, or optimistic are ones you should work with. For example, if citrine makes you feel cheerful and hopeful about the future, it is likely a great match. Or if black obsidian helps clear your mind of anxiety and self-doubt, it is communicating compatibility. Let the crystals affect your consciousness, then choose the ones with the most uplifting and beneficial impacts.
Notice which crystals you are repeatedly drawn to
Often we are intuitively guided back to the same crystals over and over. Keep track of stones that you feel mysteriously pulled towards, even if you don’t end up purchasing them in the moment. For instance, you may find yourself always longing to hold the rose quartz, or your eyes constantly land on the malachite display. These recurring attractions are signs that those crystals have something to offer you. Next time you visit the crystal shop, take home the ones calling your name.
Choose based on current pursuits or interests
Think about your current pursuits and interests in life as clues to which crystals will resonate most. Are you pursuing a new career or educational goals? Stones associated with success like tiger’s eye may align. Wanting more creativity or passion? Carnelian and strawberry quartz fit that. Hoping to cultivate self-love? Rose quartz and rhodonite match those intentions. Select crystals that energetically amplify whatever you are currently focused on in your life.
Notice color attraction
Color plays a big role in the energetic and healing properties of crystals. You may find you are consistently attracted to certain color stones over others. Take note of colors you are often drawn to, especially ones you wear, decorate with, and surround yourself with. For instance, if you love wearing purple, you may be highly attracted to amethyst. Or an affinity for green could signal malachite or emerald calling you. Follow your inner color compass to choose compatible crystals.
Connect through chakras
According to energy healing, chakras are the energy centers of the body that crystal vibrations interact with. You can choose crystals based on which chakra they align with and any chakras you want healing or balance with. For example:
| Chakra | Location | Crystals |
| Root | Base of spine | Red jasper, hematite |
| Sacral | Lower abdomen | Carnelian, orange calcite |
| Solar plexus | Upper abdomen | Citrine, tiger’s eye |
| Heart | Center of chest | Rose quartz, green aventurine |
| Throat | Throat | Sodalite, blue lace agate |
| Third eye | Forehead | Lepidolite, amethyst |
| Crown | Top of head | Clear quartz, selenite |
Choose crystals that correspond to any chakras you feel need cleansing, balancing, or alignment.
Select based on your astrological sign
Your astrological sun sign provides insight into your personality strengths, weaknesses, desires, and challenges. Crystals that align with your sign can help amplify positives or transform hurdles. Some suggested crystals based on astrological signs:
| Sign | Aligned crystals |
| Aries | Carnelian, ruby, garnet |
| Taurus | Rose quartz, emerald, malachite |
| Gemini | Tiger’s eye, citrine, quartz |
| Cancer | Pearl, opal, moonstone |
| Leo | Sunstone, amber, goldstone |
| Virgo | Jasper, sapphire, agate |
| Libra | Green aventurine, kunzite, azurite |
| Scorpio | Obsidian, apache tear, hematite |
| Sagittarius | Blue lace agate, iolite, amethyst |
| Capricorn | Smoky quartz, jet, black tourmaline |
| Aquarius | Amethyst, lapiz lazuli, fluorite |
| Pisces | Amethyst, aquamarine, lepidolite |
See which crystals match the energies typically associated with your sign.
Take crystal personality tests
There are many fun crystal personality tests online and in crystal books that can help point you towards compatible stones. The tests have a series of questions about your tendencies, desires, and traits. Based on your answers, they reveal which crystal or crystal family best resonates with your unique personality and needs. This can be a helpful starting point when feeling overwhelmed by crystal options. Try taking a few different crystal tests, then see if the results consistently point to one or two crystals calling your name.
Notice similarities to your birthstone
Your birth month stone shares common vibrations with you which you may feel a natural affinity for. For example, if you were born in April, diamonds amplify the determined and insightful energies associated with that month. Connect with your birthstone and other crystals in that mineral family for an easy resonance. You can also explore the birthstones related to important loved ones as a way to deepen connections through shared crystal energies.
Reflect on past crystal experiences
Think back on any experiences you have had with crystals, even as a child. Were you drawn to your mother’s amethyst ring? Did you love gifting rose quartz jewelry to friends? Were you always gravitating to the citrine point on your neighbor’s shelf? Past attractions hint at crystals you naturally bond with. Revisiting these crystals can reignite those connections.
Choose crystals that support your values
Your ethics and belief systems impact which crystal energies jive with your being. For example, if environmentalism is important to you, you may be called to more earthy, responsibly sourced stones. If spirituality is central for you, high vibration crystals like selenite and celestite may speak to your soul. Think about your most cherished values and philosophical principles, then select crystals that holistically align.
Ask for crystal guidance from dreams
Pay attention to any guidance that comes through your dream state about which crystals to work with. You may literally dream about a specific crystal, or receive symbolic messages related to crystals. For instance, dreams of burbling brooks or blooming gardens can signify connecting with aquamarine or emerald. Dreams of feeling fiery and passionate could point to carnelian. Or dreams with messages of patience and forgiveness might direct you to lepidolite. Listen to the wisdom metabolized through your dreams.
Notice interactions with animals and nature
Animals and nature can reveal which crystals are right for you. Pay attention to moments like a crow appearing every time you look at jet, repeatedly finding geodes during hikes, or your cat curling up next to the rose quartz on your nightstand. Nature communicates through these signs about compatible stones merging with your energy. Follow the trails hinted by the world around you.
Feel the crystals’ temperature
Crystals emit subtle energetic temperatures that we can physically feel in our hands. Notice if a crystal feels cooling, warming, or room temperature when you hold it. For instance, the snowy appearance of moonstone connects to its cooling energies of calm and intuition. The fiery ochre tones of carnelian link to its warming vibrations of courage and sexuality. Follow the temperature that energetically resonates for your needs.
Pay attention to clarity
A crystal’s optical clarity, or lack thereof, holds meaning. Clear crystals relate to focus, transparency, and higher consciousness. Translucent or cloudy crystals tie to filtering negative energies and finding your way through confusion. Opaque crystals like jasper provide grounding amid chaos and adversity. Determine whether clear, clouded, or opaque vibrations speak to your current mindset and circumstances.
Choose based on shapes or formations
The shape a crystal takes provides insight into its metaphysical properties. You may be attracted to crystals with shapes that offer what you are seeking. Here are some common crystal shapes and what they signify:
| Shape | Meaning |
| Spheres | Flow, unity, completeness |
| Points | Directing energy, focus |
| Tumbles | Harmony, meditation, calming |
| Towers | Power, vision, inspiration |
| Geodes | Inner treasures, secrecy, imagination |
Connect with the formations speaking to your personal interests and goals.
Notice patterns and inclusions
Many crystals contain distinct visual patterns, markings, or inclusions that relay their tendencies. For instance, garden quartz has internal designs that reflect the crystal’s link to nature’s beauty. Or lemurian quartz has barred inclusions that signify its ancient wisdom. Look for patterns that symbolically represent what needs healing or amplification in your life.
Consider crystal traditions and lore
Research the traditional and mystical associations of crystals across different cultures, faiths, and legends. This can provide clues about which are right for you based on the meanings that resonate. For example, Hindu tradition links amethyst to sobriety and spiritual wisdom. Ancient Egyptian culture saw clear quartz as symbolizing purity. Or in feng shui, black obsidian deflects negative energy. Draw upon meanings that hold significance for your beliefs.
Trust your intuition
Above all, the best compass for choosing your crystals is your intuition. If you feel inexplicably pulled towards a certain crystal, that sense of unseen recognition cannot be ignored. Intuitively tuning into a crystal’s energy and meaning for your life transcends the logical reasons. Trust when a gem seems to call to your soul. The crystal chooses you as much as you choose it.
Conclusion
Choosing which healing crystals to invite into your life is a very personal, intimate decision based on your current place on the journey. By listening to your intuition, observing your reactions, and tuning into meaningful signs and symbols, you will be guided to the perfect crystals meant for this moment. Trust the process of discernment, and have patience finding the crystalline allies meant to aid your growth and healing. When you meet the right crystals, you will feel the bond resonating through your whole being.
