Anxiety bracelets are sold as a calming tool, but no evidence shows that a stone affects anxiety. Here is what is really going on, what the stones actually are, and what genuinely helps.
Crystals Tips Blog
Start here
Crystal care, cleaning and jewellery guides. New here? Start with the guide below, then grab the free printable checklist.
Most cheap "turquoise" is dyed howlite or magnesite. Six simple at-home checks: veining, colour, the acetone test and more, to spot the difference before you buy.
Angelite is a soft, pale blue stone (a form of anhydrite) that must never be soaked in water. Here's what it really is, its colours, how to tell it from celestite and larimar, and how to care for it.
Prehnite is a soft translucent green stone, the first ever named after a person. Here's its colours and 'grape stone' look, how to tell it from jade, and how to care for it.
Sunstone is a feldspar that shimmers with tiny metallic flecks. Here's what causes the sparkle, its colours and types, and how to tell real sunstone from man-made goldstone.
Jade is actually two minerals, jadeite and nephrite. Here's how they differ, the colours, the A/B/C treatment grades, how to spot imitations, and how to care for real jade.
Apatite is the stone that defines 5 on the Mohs scale, prized for its neon blue-green colour. Here's what it is, its colours, how to tell it from lookalike gems, and how to care for it.
Opal is hydrated silica that can flash with every colour, but it is soft and water-sensitive. Here are the types and colours, how to spot doublets and imitation opal, and how to care for it.
Jasper comes in more than 50 named varieties and almost every colour. Here's what jasper actually is, which stones sold as "jasper" are genuine, how to spot dyed or misnamed pieces, and how to care for it.
A practical, no-lab guide to telling real crystals from glass, plastic and dyed imitations: seven simple checks you can do at home, what "treated" really means, and links to detailed guides for specific stones.
A factual guide to fluorite: the calcium fluoride behind the word fluorescence, its purple-green-rainbow colours and English Blue John, why it is delicate, and how to look after it.
A factual guide to smoky quartz: what gives it its smoky colour, how to spot natural from artificially irradiated stones, the traditional names Cairngorm and morion, and how to care for it.