Crystals can be found in nature, in our pencils, sprinkled over our food and in our freezer. They are not just the beautiful, coloured stones you’ll find in our Shop or at our market stall! Crystals have fascinated us for thousands of years and it is clear that energy projected from them can be channelled in many different and helpful ways. 

Crystals have been used as talismans, to promote health and wellbeing and bring out the flavour in food. They even have a place in modern day purposes such as transmitting radio signals or supplying electricity. Of course, the most timeless use for crystals is as healing jewellery: they are beautiful!

This is why I find crystals so astonishing; they are stunning to look at, but they also hold incredible power.

What are crystals made of?

A crystal is a solid material characterised with having many sides.  This extremely well organised molecular structure is made of atoms, molecules or ions.    

This sounds pretty complicated, but almost everyone has contact with crystals on a day to day basis. You can watch crystals form in your home! Salt, is a very common crystal, as is snow. Both have been produced from water, either through evaporation or cooling. 

The natural crystals offered by Shiny Storm are produced in a similar process. However, this may have occurred under a much longer time frame and under very different conditions. Usually it is the time frame and conditions which will pre-determine the uses, availability, colour and value of each crystal.

How do crystals form?

Each crystal starts very small and grows as more atoms are added. Many grow from water rich in dissolved minerals, but they also grow from melted rock, sand and even vapor. Under the influence of different temperatures and pressures, atoms combine to form crystal shapes. Repeat patterns occur within the basic atomic structure and reflect the patterned faces of the crystal.

Every crystal has a systematic, internal pattern of atoms, with a characteristic way of locking new atoms into that pattern. This is repeated again and again until we have a crystal large enough to see with the naked eye. The shape of each crystal will mirror the internal shape or arrangement of the atoms at the smallest level. Whether it is a cube like we see in salt, or a hexagon like a snowflake, the shape will have been reproduced until it is on a large scale we can see.

Where do crystals form?

If you get a saucer of sea water and leave it on your kitchen bench for long enough, the water will evaporate and leave tiny salt crystals behind. This is one of the most common crystals available to us, but not all crystals form in or from water.

All crystals form the same way: atoms come together over time and become a uniformed bunch. This process can take a few days, a few hundred years or thousands of years to form into the crystal we see today. Natural crystals we find in the Earth formed this way over a million years ago inside the Earth's crust. When the Earth’s atmosphere cooled, the liquid also cooled and started to harden. Certain molecules in the liquid gathered together in a uniform and repeating pattern, eventually forming the crystals we have today.

 Crystals can also form when liquid magma cools. If it cools slowly, crystals such as diamonds, rubies, and emeralds can be formed this way over a very long time period. For me, the healing powers of crystals are the most valuable aspect of them. Sharing this knowledge to help others find peace, clarity and happiness is the soul purpose of Shiny Storm!

We offer beautiful and affordable crystals right here on our website, or in person at our market stalls. We don’t believe in inflating prices or peddling false hope! Crystals are an invaluable aid on your spiritual journey toward joy: trust your intuition and begin healing today.