Chakras and Gemstones

A Beginner’s Guide by Victoria Ortgiesen

When I first began collecting gems, I knew very little about the latent magic they inherently possess. Beyond their obvious brilliance and magnificence, every gemstone also contains its own unique healing energy. This introductory guide to balancing our chakras using gems presents an opportunity for us to discover how to begin to cultivate alignment with a variety of particular stones’ frequencies, and continue to cultivate a deeper sense of resonance with them through our yoga and meditation practices. 

May this advice serve as a map while you begin to explore various gemstone’s innate regenerative properties. As you travel further along your learning journey, you’ll soon discover there are many extraordinary possibilities to heal using gems both on their own and combined with different stones to achieve optimal results. Those of you familiar with your astrological sign may also be interested in getting acquainted with the metaphysical properties of gems, in order to allow them to support challenging planetary transitions within your birth chart. 

Beginning with the uppermost regions of the chakra system, we will work our way down the spectrum of colors and elaborate on each one by indicating a supportive gemstone to reach for to rediscover balance. Please note, this is not an exclusive list and many gemstones are not included here in this guide. Feel free to experiment and discover which stones “speak” to you. Every color may also not have an exact corresponding gemstone; for example, the Anahata (heart) chakra corresponds with the color green, but rose quartz (which is pink) is highly resonant with our heart chakra. Have fun and seek that which is seeking you! Namaste. 

Clear gemstones such as quartz, diamond, howlite, and white topaz contain some of the purest elements. They are excellent gems to facilitate familiarity with our higher sense of awareness. Through the activation of our crown chakra, known as the Sahasrara chakra in Sanskrit, these gems help us expand our consciousness and open our minds to new possibilities. 

By sitting in seated lotus with a mala of howlite, or holding a wand of clear quartz in the left hand while meditating, we can begin to unlock the subtle power of these gems during our practice. Lucky amulets and pendants of clear/white gemstones worn always act as quiet and gentle protectors of our power, and remain at-the-ready whenever we may need their assistance. 

It is no coincidence as well that diamonds are the primary stones of choice for sealing the magnetic energy of love between two people, as the purest frequencies are transmuted uninterruptedly through the molecular structure of the world’s most flawless stone. 

Transcending through the spectrum of the chakras, purple gemstones including amethyst, plume agate, tanzanite, sugilite, and chalcedony all work to deepen our understanding of ourselves. Our third-eye chakra, or Agni chakra, is the premier location for intuitive breakthroughs and divinely-inspired receptions to take place. The frequencies of purple and violet gemstones align perfectly for a moment of inspiration to unfold, allowing our ideas to take root in our “mind’s eye” before being actualized in the real world. 

Wonderful for use in visualization exercises during meditation, and especially yoga nidra, a pendant of raw amethyst, bracelet of sugilite or tanzanite, or chalcedony stones worn on the left hand or ankle provide us with opportunities to experience profound moments of intuitive awareness. 

Our throat chakra, or Visshuda chakra, aligns with the pure dark indigo of a sapphire, or lapis lazuli, but also with the lighter blue hues of aquamarine and turquoise stones. Our center for communication, and the place for self-expression through sharing thoughts as conversation, the throat chakra is an important region to align and balance with the creative use of gemstones. Pure energy as the color blue has a calming and purifying effect on our nervous system, helping us relax and unwind. 

It is often said after an argument that one must “cool off” or “cool down” to avoid further confrontation, as the watery effects of the color blue promote a calmed state of mind, helping us reach a place of healthier communication that avoids the use of combative language or harsh criticism. This includes banishing the harsh inner critic that we all sometimes battle within ourselves. A positive self-dialogue and the healthy expression of not only our thoughts and ideas, but also our emotions and needs, arise from a balanced and active throat chakra. 

A profound phenomenon known as the “blue dot phenomenon” might also attract our awareness as we sit in meditation, as we experience a sensation of floating into a subtler realm of existence. Wearing stones of turquoise in a necklace, sapphire earrings, or a medallion, mala, or pendant with lapis lazuli or aquamarine stones will help us unblock the Visshuda chakra, helping us communicate more effectively and experience positive breakthroughs as we speak kinder thoughts not only to others, but also to ourselves. 

The “bridge” between the upper and lower chakra regions is our Anahata chakra, or heart chakra. Associated with the color green, stones such as emeralds, aventurine, and dioptase help us improve our relationship with the emotional center that is our heart. Both positive and negative memories that have imprinted upon our hearts influence our decision-making process more than we may initially understand. 

A blocked heart chakra can encourage us to live a fear- based life instead of a love-centric one, and, if we remain unwilling to open up to new connections, we miss out on experiences that can help us learn and grow as human beings. 

Heart-opening postures like Ustrasana (camel), Urdhva Dhanurasana (upward-facing wheel), and Anjaneyasana (low lunge with backbend) feel uncomfortably vulnerable at first, but with a little practice, and smooth control of our breath, we deepen into these postures effortlessly, exalting our heart upwards towards the heavens. 

Pendants of emerald, worn close to our heart, are especially effective in coaxing us to “open up”. Aventurine and dioptase are far rarer to find in large stones for a necklace, but smaller stones on a bracelet or earrings are just as protective. 

The important part to remember when working with our heart chakra is that we did not close ourselves off overnight, and much patience is required of us to understand that the inner healing we do to release our emotional wounds helps us in all areas of our lives, from forming better relationships in the future, to going after dreams that we never thought possible. 

The uppermost chakra in our lower regions is our solar plexus, or Manipura, chakra. This is the most common chakra in which human beings experience blockages. Keeping us stuck in a “fight or flight” way of operating, if we remain blocked in our Manipura chakra, we may never experience the true joys of living within the upper realms of our spiritual capacity, particularly with respect to fulfilling our requirements to give and receive unconditional love. 

Associated with the color yellow or gold, our solar plexus chakra can be balanced with gemstones such as citrine, amber, yellow topaz, and canary diamonds. Any golden-hued gem is an inspiring stone to choose from when we are working with this chakra. Citrine is especially helpful as its powerful sun energy inspires us to tap into our power; we “reach higher and burn brighter”. 

Our sacral chakra, also known as our Svadistana chakra, is an especially important chakra to keep balanced for emotional and physical health. When unbalanced, we remain uninspired creatively and have little to no drive to go about living our lives to the fullest. 

Stones that are orange in color, including carnelian, beryl, and orange agate, help inspire us to work on balancing our energies so that we can better navigate the ups and downs that life brings. Wearing anklets or bracelets with orange stones help to facilitate an opening in this area of our chakra system. 

Poses that help us work on a strong activation of uddiyana bandha (the abdominal lock) such as chair pose, the warrior poses, and especially chaturanga in the surya namaskar sequences all help us stoke our inner digestive and creative fire, keeping us emotionally steady and physically ready to handle anything life throws our way.

The Muladhara chakra is our root chakra. Located at the very base of our spine, this is the most important chakra to rebalance when we feel untethered to the material world. Lots of moving around, and dramatic changes in our immediate environment can affect this chakra. 

Gemstones to wear to help us feel more grounded include garnet, ruby, red beryl, and even coral. Necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings with red gems can help us remember that even through the thickest mud, our thriving spirit grows upwards towards the surface, into the light, conquering darkness for all. 

Simply taking an easy seat with our hands in lotus mudra is enough to bring us back to our breath and the present moment. Keeping our intention on steadying and lengthening our breath, moment by moment we visualize our tall spine growing upwards from the roots of the lotus, spreading out into a vibrant spray of petals at the water’s surface.