GEM-Z

ISSUE 1, 2022

Use of Crystals
Throughout History

Healing & Spiritual

Benefits of Crystals

Des Moines Rock

& Gem Show
Justine’s Jems Letter from the
Editor
I n recent years, crystals
have experienced a resur-
gence especially in the spiri-
tal aspect. I wanted to create
this magazine to highlight
the benefits and beauty these
gems contain. Crystals and
gems have many different
uses in the spiritual world,
including protection, health,
love, wealth, etc. My goal for
this magazine is to educate
readers on the different appli-
cations crystals are used for.
While reading and learning
about the uses, readers will
also be able to appreciate the
beauty of these gems.

Meg Grove
Homemade wire gem rings made in Wisconsin
Order yours now at www.justinesjems.com
ADVENTURE Table of
CONTENTS
AWAITS
6 Des Moines
Rock & Gem Show

18 Crystals
Throughout History

26 The Healing
Powers of Crystals

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 LEFT: Large crystal towers and geodes on display at the
event. These pieces were not for sale, but served as a welcom-
ing display to visitors.

Des Moines
Rock and Gem Show
Photo story by Meg Grove Stone Accents Plus Show Dealer, a vendor based in
Des Moines, had many decorative crystals on dis-
play. These pieces tend to be more expensive as they
have been shaped into their current state.
 LEFT: These beautiful pieces are
handpainted on crystal plates. The
artist has a love for nature, which is
why she decided to paint animals.
These decorative pieces are expen-
sive, but were some of the most
unique pieces at the event.

BELOW: A goldfinch is painted on

the crystal plate below. The gold-
finch is Iowa’s state bird, a special
piece for the event.

LEFT: Another close up of

one of the handpainted an-
imals. These pieces take a
lot of time to create as the
crystal plates are expensive
and the artist didn’t want
them to go to waste if the
painting went wrong.
 LEFT: The vendor had mal-
achite animals for sale at the
event. In addition the the dog
pitured, the crystal was also be-
ing sold in the shape of a bird.

Brazial Agate Bookends (Blue) on sale for $48. Grayson Lane Gems,
Minerals & Fossils had many agates for sale at the event. This particu-
lar agate enhances creativity and stimulates intellect.

A variety of dyed and natural agates are being sold by the same ven-
dor as above. Agates are known for being calming and soothing. The
bright colors and band patterns on the inside draw customers towards
these pieces.

RIGHT: In addition to ani-

mals, natural shaped mala-
chite was being sold by the
same vendor. Malachite’s
main purpose is to clear nega-
tive energy and help embrace
change.
ABOVE: Multiple vendors sold handmade jewelrey with
crystal accents. Necklaces, earrings, bracelets, charms, and
RIGHT: Purdy Silver,
more were being sold at the event. The necklaces and ear-
a Native American &
rings above are all homemade by the vendor.
Southwest Style Jewlery
vendor, had a variety of
jewelery for sale. The
image depicts a neck-
lace with a crystal stud-
ded butterfly charm.
 ABOVE: A woman picking her favorite tumbled crys-
tals for a bundle deal. The vendor had over 40 crystals to
choose from.

RIGHT: Hundreds of
people attended the A couple looking at crystal clusters in the center of the
event, checking out all event. Many people were adding to their collections or
the booths as they go. buying gifts for others.
Small Amethyst crystals for sale. Amethyst is known for wisdom,
calmness, and spiritual healing.

Another display at the event. Attendees are normally not allowed

to touch crystals that are more valuable and fragile unless they are
buying it.

The vendor had many different crystals and gems for sale. The crystals
are labeled for shoppers as crystals can be difficult to identify without
prior knowledge.
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30,000 YEARS AGO
Baltic Amber used in amulets.
4.4 BILLION YEARS AGO
First gemstone formed on
Earth.
throughout history
ANCIENT CHINA 3600 BC
Jade was extremely popular in many aspects
of Chinese culture. It was used to make dishes,
vases, jewellery and more known for wealth and
ANCIENT EGYPT 4000 BC ANCIENT GREECE 1600 BC TO 500 BC
Soldiers rubbed hematite on the bodies to make them-
Lapis lazuli, turquoise, carnelian, emerald
selves “indestructible” before going into battle.
and clear quartz were all used by ancient
Egyptians for protection and health.
 throughout history
11th CENTURY TO RENAISSANCE 1970s TO 1980s
Medical treatments now included the use of precious and Crystals grew in popularity again because
semi-precious stones for certain illnesses. Stones were of the New Age culture.
used alongside herbal remedies.

5th CENTURY TO 11th CENTURY EARLY 1900s

The Church collected and showed off their gems as a sign of Decline in the use of healing crystals.
NOW
More widespread and mainstream than
wealth. The belief in healing and protective powers grew.
ever before. Crystals are at the height of
their popularity.
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 Crystals have been used since
ancient times for their healing proper-
ties. Crystal healing is believed to af-
fect an individual in two possible ways:
through vibration and through mind-

Healing &
set. Mindset is a major aspect of crystal
healing as it plays a significant role in
health and healing. Benefits to inten-
tion-based mindsets include immunity,
focus, emotional processing, stress re-

Spiritual Benefits
duction and nervous system regulation.
Healing crystals are used in a vari-
ety of ways in today’s world. Most peo- Crystals and stones come in a va-
ple use crystals for meditation, jewelry, riety of shapes. These shapes hold dif-
and decoration. The way that a crystal is ferent energies and meanings. A tower

of
used can affect the meaning and ener-
gy it possesses. Meditation crystals are
typically used as grounding tools by the
owner. People who wear crystals benefit
from the vibrational medicine theory.
Using crystals as decor in a home main-
tains a good and stable energy in the
home.
emits a focused and directional energy
that affects the area around it. Spheres
are very different from towers as they
emit energy from all sides. Spheres tend
to emit a balancing energy that aids in
stability, harmony, and unity. Clusters
have points of all different shapes and
sizes that point in different directions.
Each cluster is unique in its own way
and no two clusters are ever the same.
Clusters tend to have a powerful energy
output. Clusters bring positive ener-
gy while terminating negativity. Palm
stones are used during meditation due
to their size. Heart crystals are similar,
emitting a gentle and loving energy.

by Meg Grove
 Each crystal has its own unique
properties and meanings. The rest of the
article will focus on some of the most
popular and commonly used crystals
Rose Quartz
Rose Quartz is one of the most
well known crystals. Rose Quartz is
known for love and compassion. It is
attached to all types of love, from self-
love, to family bonds, to friendships,
and to relationships between partners
and spouses. The stone attaches to
the heart and throat chakras. A Rose
Quartz stone’s healing properties in-
clude joy, abundance, love, and also
energy. The stone is also believed to
to help women through pregnancy as
it has a strong feminine energy. Since
the stone is extremely connected to the
heart, it can assist with healing trauma
and emotional wounds.
The best way to use this stone is to
keep it on your person. Carrying it in a
purse or pocket, or wearing it as jewel-
ry helps keep yourself aligned with the
stone’s aura and attract love into your
space. The stone is usually inexpensive
and a great crystal to get you started!
Clear Quartz
Clear Quartz has restorative and
amplifying properties. It is often used
with other stones to strengthen their ef-
fect. Clear Quartz is focused on enhanc-
ing mental clarity. The stone is popular
in meditation and restorative work
because it helps with emotional stabili-
ty. It’s used in manifestation techniques
to enhance clarity about a want or de-
sire. Another odd way to use the crystal
is by putting it in your fridge or pantry.
Because of Clear Quartz’s purifying and
amplifying energy, it can enhance the
nutrients you use to support yourself.
Amethyst
Amethyst is one of the most
popular cleansing crystals. The stone
enhances intuition, protection, and
inspiration making it extremely useful
in meditation. Amethyst is a protective
stone, enhancing sobriety and guard-
ing against psychic attack. Amethyst
also offers insomnia relief and is able to
activate spiritual awareness. The stone
can center a person’s emotions, allowing
people to deal with both the highs and
lows of life. Many people wear raw am-
ethyst as jewelry or decorate their house
with it. The energy from the crystal
can bring activity, brightness, enthusi-
asm, warmth, and illumination into the
house.
Obsidian
Obsidian is a black glossy crystal
that forms from volcanic glass. Obsid-
ian is another protective stone, known
for safety and grounding. The stone has
a variety of physical healing properties,
including aiding digestive issues, en-
couraging deep tissue healing, and helps
keep circulation running. Along with
physical healing properties, Obsidian
offers a slew of mental and emotional
healing properties. The stone clears neg-
ative energy, gives courage, and helps
seek out the truth. Wearing Obsidian as
a jewelry is the most effective way to use
the stone as you are bringing its protec-
tive energy wherever you go. The stone
may be dark, but it will help you see the
world more with more clarity.
“The stone may be dark, but
it will help you see the world
more with more clarity.”
 “The stone brings positive
energy to a home while keep-
ing toxic energy out.”
Jade
Jade is said to bring luck and se-
renity into your life. It creates harmony
between the mind, body, and spirit. The
stone is known for its powerful cleans-
ing properties, both emotionally and
physically. Jade has been used to clear
toxins from the body and fight infec-
tions. On the emotional side, Jade is
able to push out negativity and give you
Selenite
courage. Self-love is key to this stone as
it’s connected to the heart chakra. Jade
Selenite is known for its purifying
can be used in a variety of ways and
properties and can bring harmony into
excels in manifestation.
your life. Selenite is a gentle stone that
brings peace and connects you to the
world. The stone awakens the crown
chakra and clears negative energy. It
also lessens anxiety and worries and
brings clarity. The stone brings positive
energy to a home while keeping toxic
energy out. Selenite is a very emotional
stone, pushing you to be open and hon-
est.
Green Aventurine
Green Aventurine brings sta-
bility and calmness into your life. It’s
known to soothe emotions such as an-
ger, stress, and frustration. The stone
can help soothe emotional wounds and
break toxic patterns. Green Aventurine
encourages you to view hardships as
opportunities to learn and grow from.
This is why it’s commonly known as the
“stone of opportunity.” Green Aventu-
Malachite rine is also known to bring luck and
optimism into your life. This makes it
Malachite is a very popular stone, a great stone to use while manifesting.
but tends to get a bad reputation. It’s The stone is also commonly worn in
known as the “stone of transformation” jewelry to keep one grounded as they
as it helps you bring change to your navigate the world ahead.
life. It helps you grow from the trauma
and negativity in your life by flushing
out toxic emotions and unwanted en-
ergy. Malachite gives you confidence
and courage to step out of your comfort
zone. Malachite helps personal growth
as it teaches how to take responsibility
for your actions, thoughts, and emo-
tions. The stone clears the heart chakra
and opens the heart to love. It’s com-
monly used in jewelry as a protection
stone. It can also be used in therapy to
aid change and growth.
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GEM-Z
Cedar Falls, IA

@gemzcrystals