Did you know that some of your most beloved healing crystals are actually combinations of more than one stone? Lapis Lazuli, Tiger Iron, Unakite, and others are made up of more than one mineral. When multiple minerals come together to create something new, this is the definition of a rock.
That’s right!  A rock.
Most of the time, we don’t use that word in the heal-y feely world of crystal healing, but rocks can be super lovely for healing too.  In the wellness community, we usually use the words crystal, stone, mineral, etc. interchangeably, but they do each have their own specific definitions.

Rock - composed of more than one mineral
Crystal - a mineral that has an internal crystalline structure (a regularly repeating atomic blueprint)
Stone - any minerals or rock that is non-metallic
Mineral - a solid, naturally occurring, inorganic substance

By now you may be wondering which of the stones in your crystal collection are actually rocks.  Let’s take a look at some of the most common hybrids:
Lapis Lazuli 
This is a rock composed of Lazurite, White Calcite and Pyrite.  It is not technically a “stone” since it contains metallic Pyrite. The best quality Lapis Lazuli comes from Afghanistan.
Septarian Nodule 
This is a rock composed of Golden Aragonite and Brown Calcite in a Benitoite clay matrix.
Atlantisite 
This brightly colored rock from Tasmania is composed of Green Serpentine and Purple Stichtite.
Unakite 
This heart-centered rock is composed of Epidote and Peach Feldspar.

 
Tiger Iron 
This beautiful South African rock is composed of Golden Tiger’s Eye, Red Jasper, and Hematite.  It is not technically a stone since is contains metallic Hematite.
Ametrine 
This is actually a crystal and is not a rock at all.  Both Amethyst and Citrine are colored varieties of Quartz. When parts of the iron-containing Amethyst are heated, they turn into golden Citrine.  The best quality (and most beautiful!) Ametrine crystals are from Bolivia.
So which pieces from your collection are actually hybrids of other minerals?
 

 
Are you interested in becoming a Certified Crystal Healer? Find out more about the CCH and Advanced Crystal Practitioner Program HERE!