The myth and lore around gemstones have been influenced over the years by a variety of
cultures. Crystal healing was widely believed in many ancient cultures, such as Egypt, Greece,
and China. Philosophers and mystics have been inspired by these unique creations of nature to
give these unique minerals remarkable powers. It’s difficult to ignore the cosmic fascination of
jewelry when we consider some of the components used to create it, such as metals produced
from the earth’s crust and gemstones that, like crystals, have substantial metaphysical powers.
There are numerous varieties of crystals available. Many people believe they possess the
capacity to heal the mind, body, and spirit. According to some, crystals have favorable energy-
flowing properties and can help you eliminate negative energy from your body and mind for
emotional and physical benefits. It’s crucial to understand that there is hardly any scientific data
to back up the use of crystals.
Here is a partial list of gemstones and their healing properties from the American Gem Society
for reference.
Gemstones and Their Healing Powers
Check out the list of gemstones and their potential healing qualities from the American Gem
Society.
Amber
Amber helps with memory loss, headaches, and is a great gemstone for calming and relieving
stress.
Amethyst
This gemstone can help with arthritis and pain relief, reduce the likelihood of insomnia, and can
bring you peace, balance, and strength.
Aquamarine
This aids the digestive tract, jaw area, and can release fear, induce calming, and help focus on
clarity.
Citrine
This gemstone helps improve hearing, and can promote mental clarity, success, and wealth in
life.
Garnet
Not only does garnet improve passion in your life and love, you also might get benefits for your
blood, heart, lungs, and circulatory system.
Lapis
Lapis can help with insomnia and depression. You will also potentially be more open with others
and have more spontaneity and creativity.
Onyx
Onyx has a spirtual essence and can help you gain control over your emotions.
Pearl
Pearls are an infamous gemstone for helping with truth, clarity, and can even bring a sense of
calming to the wearer.
Peridot
The Peridot helps reduce tension in relationships and can even promote their longevity.
Ruby
The ruby is a timeless gemstone that is known to help with things like devotion.
Sapphire
The sapphire is known for creativity, peace, and can help with how people express themselves.
Topaz
Topaz helps with emotional balance and can keep people from developing a drive for greed.
Turquoise
Turquoise is a gemstone that plays a very nice role in making life more pleasant. It can help
deal with everything from exahustion to depression and balances out the emotions.
How Do Gemstones Heal?
Crystal healers contend that vibrations exist in both crystals and living things. The energy
surges to us and is released to flow freely throughout the body by lining up our frequencies with
those of the crystal. It becomes even more effective when we associate this process with a clear
desire for what we want to bring about or alter within ourselves.
Although there isn’t one, effective way for crystal healing, healing begins with purpose. Like
receiving a massage, crystal healing is a technique to help you unwind, revitalize, and refresh
yourself on a deeper, more intimate level. The best conditions for crystal healing—with an
emphasis on healing—are when goals are set and energy channels are open and responsive to
mending the soul.
Using Gemstones As Inspiration In Modern Quilting
While a quilt is not a gemstone, that doesn’t mean it can’t be representative of the hidden
healing powers of the gemstone you’d like to recreate. It can evoke the same emotions, just as
color does. Many gemstones have a certain degree of transparency, so using gemstones as
inspiration in modern quilting is an excellent opportunity to practice techniques using curves and
light, medium, and dark colors to reflect the same illusion.
You can get inspiration from gemstones in several ways. Perhaps you like the colors, the
shapes, or the meaning behind them. Not only does gathering inspiration from gems create
beautiful patterns and colors, it gives added meaning to the quilt. Making one is a great idea
based on the birthstone of someone close to you. This kind of gift is a thoughtful way to
welcome a new baby or to celebrate someone’s birthday.
Maybe someone you know is going through a hard time and you would like to add a special
touch to bring extra comfort. Not only will the representation of the healing powers associated
with the gemstone reach this effect, but making it a cozy quilt to snuggle up with gives it the
added warth and comfort one may need at that time in their life.
Regardless of your reasons, drawing inspiration from these beautiful stones makes modern
quilting all that more meaningful and exciting!
Using different techniques, you can cut and place your fabric to mimic the shine of a gemstone!
Broken geodes have beautiful color patterns that look stunning on a quilt. You can recreate the
designs and the gradient colors to give your pattern texture and depth. There’s endless options
when improv quilting.
Taking an online live workshop, like Beautiful Stones will show you everything you need to know
to recreate the beauty of gemstones. You will explore different compositions, color combinations
and shapes. Sewing complex pieces and shapes will become easier as you become more
familiar with various tricks to make it feel more comfortable. Individual sessions are also
available for anyone who may benefit from added instruction.