Laying gemstones on the body for healing purposes has been practiced across numerous cultures for thousands of years.  But why?  What could a seemingly inert stone possibly do that could benefit the body?

The answer lies in a scientific phenomenon called the piezoelectric effect.  To avoid getting into too much technical jargon, you can best understand the piezoelectric effect by considering a quartz watch.  When slightly bent, a small piece of quartz puts out a constant voltage that keeps a watch running with phenomenal accuracy.

Crystals and gemstones do the same for us.  They put out a small, charge that interacts with our biomagnetic field and creates more harmony and balance.

Every stone has a unique vibration, just as every person does.  For this reason, the particular stones needed for balancing the chakras will vary somewhat from person to person.  For this reason, you see a lot of different suggestions across various chakra books.

The best way to determine if a particular gemstone is good for you or for a specific chakra is to “test” it by placing it on your body and checking in with your body’s subtle (or sometimes, not-so-subtle) response.

You may even want to have a friend place different stones on your body while your eyes are closed, and determine which ones feel the best on each chakra.

Always trust your body’s response.  If a stone feels bad on the body, remove it – unless you recognize that “bad” feeling as a clearing, and feel an instinctive desire to stay with the stone.

A very simple, but generally good rule for chakra balancing is that if a stone is the color of the chakra, it’s good for boosting and balancing that chakra.  Hence, the first chakra stones tend to be red-toned, the second chakra stones orange-toned, and so on. Certain stones, like quartz, come in many different hues and can be used for all of the chakras depending on its shade.

When picking which gemstones to use for each chakra, secondary colors should be considered.  Two common ones are: black for the root chakra and pink for the heart chakra.

This does not mean that every stone that heals a particular chakra will be the primary or secondary color of that chakra.  There are exceptions. Still, there is so much correspondence between the gemstones’ color and the chakras they balance, that it is a great “rule of thumb” – especially for anyone who doesn’t know a lot about rocks.

If you wish to experiment with some gemstones to see which ones feel right for you, here is a list of some and the chakras with which they are associated:

First Chakra – Muladhara – Root

Garnet

Ruby

Hematite

Red Jasper

Black or Red Onyx

Bloodstone

Dravite

Obsidian

Pyrite

Smoky Quartz

Second Chakra – Svadisthana – Sacral

Carnelian

Amber

Moonstone

Tiger Iron (also 1^st)

Mookalite

Chalcedony

Sunstone (also 3^rd)

Third Chakra – Manipura – Solar Plexus

Topaz

Tiger Eye

Citrine

Hessonite

Zincite

Ametrine (also 6^th & 7^th)

Heulandite

Fourth Chakra – Anahata – Heart

Jade

Emerald

Rose Quartz

Aventurine

Malachite

Kunzite

Moldavite

Unakite

Fifth Chakra – Visuddha – Throat

Soladite

Blue Agate

Turquoise

Blue Topaz

Celestite

Chrysocolla

Larimar

Kyamite

Amazonite

Sixth Chakra – Ajna – Brow (3^rd Eye)

Sapphire

Azurite

Lapis Lazuli

Charoite

Labradorite

Seventh Chakra – Sahasrara – Crown

Amethyst (also 6^th)

Clear Quartz

Danburite

Iolite

Opal

Diamond