Here are my tips for obtaining the quality stones you need to practice stone medicine. Please read each heading to feel into all of the options I suggest. This is your essential guide if you are taking one of the certification courses, Enter the Cave or Temple of Stone.
How many of each piece should I get?
Your goal is to obtain atleast 1 of each of the stones we will cover. As long as you have 1 piece, you will be able to experience it and practice with it during the associated phase of the class.
You do not need more than 1. But, if you can get 2, go for it. Stones love to have a buddy. And if you can get 3, you may choose to do that as well. This works well for gridding. But, truly, 1 is always enough.
P.S. If you are taking Stones for the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, you really will need 2 of each stone. If you are taking Pairing Fluorite Windows with Internal Dragons, you will need 7 pieces of fluorite.
Should I get rough or polished? Smooth or raw?
Polished/smooth stones are great for on-the-body treatments. They are comfortable to hold or have against the skin. Rough/raw stones are great for elixirs. A small and very alive rough stone is ideal for becoming your elixir piece. A very small stone can make a whole gallon of elixir. Size does not matter in elixirs because it's vibrational. You can choose to get one rough and one polished of each stone or any combination. It's all up to you. Always choose what resonates with you and makes you happy.
How large should they be?
Size does not matter when it comes to elixirs because it's vibrational. A very small stone can make a whole gallon of elixir. Size does not matter for on-the-body treatments, either. It's simply dependent on your preference (if you want weight, weightlessness, etc). Size only matters in Feng-Shui or PLACEMENT magic.
For instance, the larger the smoky quartz at the entrance to your yard, the more of an effect it will have on the space. So, for things like land gridding, people tend to say The Bigger the Better. Again, this is simply a guide. It's all up to you. I will never say in class, “Now next week you have to have two garnets of over 45 pounds each!”
A very important note on toxicity!
If you are obtaining a stone specific for your elixirs, please be VERY sure this stone was not heat-treated or dyed. Sadly, 80% of amethysts, citrines, topaz, smoky quartz and some others are tampered with. Taking the synthetic treatments into your system is toxic. Most of these stones are treated with gamma rays and this can actually be detrimental at a DNA level! Get to know your seller and ask very directly if the stones have been dyed or heat-treated. If the seller doesn't reply VERY knowledgeably, they probably don't know much about what happened to the stones before they got to them. Consider purchasing from Jennifer from Rockbelly (she is listed below) and asking her about this in regards to the stones you want. Vesica.org also has natural stones. I will also be making natural stones available on this site soon. Going rockhounding or to rockhounding sites or shows is a great way to get elixir stones. This way you know they are straight from the Earth. This is all explained in-depth in my Making Stone Elixirs Class so please revisit that class if you want to know more about this.
Where should I purchase stones from?
- Your local stone shop. Make relationships at these places if you have them in your area.
- Etsy or Ebay. You can get great stones here if you research, create relationships, ask questions, and make small orders from one seller first to see if you like what you're getting.
- Pop-up Gem, Mineral and Jewelry shows. Please research online to see if one of these shows comes to your area. You can get wholesale stones at these, as well as create lasting relationships with sellers. If you are in the Southeast, check out the Franklin, NC and Spruce Pine, NC Gem Shows each year. And, for the big stone lover, you have got to give yourself the gift of going to one of the largest gem shows in the world – Tucson or Denver. You probably have some smaller shows that come to your area, too.
- Rockhound. Buy a guidebook of rockhounding sites for your area and go on an adventure! Be sure to honor the space, leave offerings, and not take more than you need.
- Rockbelly Minerals and Jewelry. I love Jennifer and Chad. They know their stones, and are great people, and keep their prices so reasonable they are practically wholesale. They are my “mascot” stone store for my classes. Go to the Rockbelly Minerals and Jewelry Facebook Page to contact them. They will even put kits together for you for these classes specifically.
- Vesica.org is the website for The Vesica Institute. Robert, the owner, is a very nice and very intelligent guy, and he keeps ONLY natural stones and does extensive testing to be sure nothing he sells is heated or dyed.
- Check back here for my small shop to open on this site, which will provide you with some essentials and all natural stones.
Please feel free to post in the comments YOUR favorite resources for stones. I bet others would love to know about them. If you have more questions about obtaining stones… Follow your Gut. Trust yourself. And when all else fails, contact our certification course teacher assistant and all-around support person Jessica Sparks-Mussulin. Please only do this if you are enrolled in a certification course, though. She can't guide everyone all over the world! (You will have her email address if you are enrolled).
Love, Sarah Thomas, LAc