These are my 10 favorite crystals to start a collection with, as well as their benefits and common uses for crystals. Enjoy!

1. Rose Quartz - Typically pink in color and benefits the heart chakra. Rose quartz is a love stone, both love for self and love for others. It can help with emotional healing, stress release, and promoting positive relationships. Commonly used in jewelry, beauty routines, and as a sleep aid (I keep one under my pillow).

2. Clear Quartz - Clear in color and benefits all the chakras. Quartz is good for amplifying intentions, clearing, cleansing, healing, and clarity. Commonly used in meditation, jewelry, and electronic devices, such as watches.

3. Black Tourmaline - Black in color and benefits the root chakra. Tourmaline is good for grounding and stability, can help reduce anxiety and disconnection, and provides protection. Commonly used in living spaces to protect from bad energy and electromagnetic radiation from cellphones and computers.

4. Selenite - Clear or milky in color and benefits the third eye and crown chakras. Selenite is a cleansing crystal, clearing both spiritual and emotional blockages, as well as cleanses other crystals. Commonly used for clearing spaces, cleansing other crystals, and decorative bowls.

5. Citrine - Varies in shades from pale yellow to almost orange and benefits the sacral and solar plexus chakras. Citrine is good for manifesting, overcoming difficulty, promoting positivity, and prosperity. Commonly used in jewelry, home decor, and meditation.

6. Green Aventurine - Various shades of green and benefits the heart chakra. Aventurine promotes growth and confidence, aides in emotional healing, helping to navigate difficult emotional experiences. Commonly used in the environment, kept in a pocket, and used in crystal grids.

7. Lapis Lazuli - Blue in color with inclusions of Pyrite and White Calcite and supports the throat and third eye chakras. Lapis Lazuli helps with communication, enhances meditation, and promotes emotional balance and stability. Commonly used in carvings, jewelry, and ground into a powder for pigmentation.

8. Amethyst - Varies from pale to dark purple and supports the third eye and crown chakras. Amethyst supports with protection, purification, promotes calmness, reduces stress, and enhances intuition. Commonly used in jewelry, meditation, and purifying energy (another one I keep under my pillow).

9. Fluorite - Comes in a variety of colors, including colorless, green, purple, yellow, pink, black, red, and rainbow, and supports all the chakras. Fluorite supports with focus, mental clarity, emotional healing, and soothe anxiety. Commonly used in toothpaste, paperweights, cameras, and to help focus.

10. Smoky Quartz (my absolute favorite!) - Varies from pale tan to dark brown and supports the root chakra. Smoky quartz is good for grounding, manifestation of dreams, protects from negative energy, and emotional balance. Commonly used to help cleanse the environment, meditation, and jewelry.