Carlsbad Gemstone Expert says Crystals are a Girl's Best Friends

I had loved rocks ever since I was a little girl. The beauty and energy they radiate have always fascinated me. From building miniature dams by the creek to piling larger rocks into a fortress and pretending beautiful colored pebbles are currency, kids can feel the power stone can have.

Ever since time immemorial, we humans have benefited from these natural formed elements. For millennia we have used them to build our homes, protect our empires from outside enemies, guard our souls as we make the transition to the afterlife, beautify our castles, and our appearance. Today the use of rocks, stones, and gems is still very much present. We have transformed and shaped these formations so that they can accurately express our feelings and thoughts. A visit to the Geological Institute of America's Museum, here in Carlsbad, will reveal just how creative we humans became when presented with these minerals. In modern times gemstones are mainly used for ornamental purposes, but also their healing benefits. More and more people acknowledge the power that vibrates in these objects and chooses to decorate their homes with beautiful geodes for their ornamental side and healing properties. Palm stones like Rose Quartz, Clear Quartz, or Amethyst need guidance while Selenite and Black Tourmaline cleanse their energy field and block negative energy.

My name is Xenia Mateiu; I am the owner at the Village Rock Shop in Carlsbad, San Diego, and I want to share how you can benefit from Earth's high-frequency vibrations through crystals, minerals, and geodes. I was born in Romania, moved to sunny San Diego in my early 20s, and fell in love with the good vibes and friendly people. I loved the spirituality and positive energy this part of the world had to offer, and the weather was not too bad either☺. Shortly I met my husband and decided to call Carlsbad our home and set down some roots. In the 13 years here, I have developed skills that I didn't even know would help me in the future. I was doing things that I enjoyed: sports, University in Romania, College in the US with an AA in Photography, Ayurveda, Massage Certificate, worked in retail, working in a management position, always learned something new, and eventually did quite a few outdoor markets and pop-ups selling crystals.

I rediscovered my passion for crystals and gemstones through a job that I found at a local souvenir shop. Once we saved enough money, my husband and I decided to open our store. That's how, on November 1st, 2018, the Village Rock Shop was born. 

How does it take to shape A Gem?

It takes millions of years for a gemstone to shape from deep inside Mother Earth; most gems form naturally as minerals. There are roughly 200 types of rocks known today, and the majority formed through metamorphism and how minerals are forced together under enormous pressure and heat generated by tectonic plates moving underneath each other. Even without melting, minerals are forced together and will metamorphose into a new mineral. Different ways gemstones formed include: 

· Formation from water once the water has evaporated (for example, the formation of salt crystals once the seawater evaporates)

· Hydrothermal processes (when the heat from the magma encounters water from the surface)

· Magmatic gems (crystallized in magmas or gas bubbles)

· Mantle formation gems like a diamond (rocks such as kimberlites are eruptive volcanic that come from quite deep in the mantle and carry with them diamonds)

· Alluvial deposits (they are usually round from rolling around in rivers and oceans)

It is fascinating to try and picture the formation of a gemstone. The raw energy invested in its birth and creation, and with this knowledge, we can understand the immense healing power and strength these structures have.

I wanted to make rocks, minerals, geodes, and crystals more accessible to people focusing on both the geology and spiritual/ energetic aspect with the Village Rock Shop. The crystals we sell are sourced directly from small mines in Brazil, Uruguay, Russia, and Morocco, and I love that we get to know how they're collected and who collects them. They are being cut and polished there too. We get to see who's doing that part as well. I feel that these bonds communities and keeping a personal approach to our business, I believe, keeps our crystals vibrating to a higher frequency. Ever since we opened shop, the Carlsbad community had responded in a typical warm, festive way to our initiative and have supported us when we needed help or faced business struggles. As a response to their kindness, we want to give back and get involved in as many community events as we can. We are currently sourcing locally handmade products and gifts like: natural candles and soaps, jewelry, sprays, local ethically sourced sage for smudging, dreamcatchers, and local honey!

4 Energy healing crystals and their properties

Angel Aura Quartz Crystals. This beautiful crystal is valued for its shine and aura-like reflections and has a substantial therapeutic value. Alternative medicine therapists such as Reiki healers, Shiatsu, and Reflexology therapists use this mineral for its potent healing properties. Energy healers are also aware of this crystal's powers and use it for chakra and aura cleansing. It results in a more calm and peaceful state of being and leads to our bodies letting go of tensions caused by harmful negative energies. It also regenerates and restores physical vitality helping our bodies perform better at a physical level. On the emotional level, these crystals can provide:

· Stimulate empathy, optimism, and compassion

· Enhance creativity and intelligence

· Increase mental strength and health

Amethyst. Maybe one of the most popular crystals. Amethyst is the most valuable and prized variety of the mineral Quartz. Most people are familiar with the purple amethyst, the color caused by iron impurities or natural radiation exposure. Pink Amethyst is a newly discovered form of Quartz from Patagonia, Argentina, that can help heal emotional traumas when placed over the Heart Chakra during relaxation or meditation. Other healing properties of the pink amethyst:

· Comfort during sad or stressful experiences

· Anxiety relieve

· Dispels doubts in relationships

The pink amethyst will create a warm and sophisticated ambiance when placed in your home and cleanse the environment from negative energies making those who enter feel welcome. 

Selenite. The crystal, which creates a clean and safe ambiance in your home or office as Selenite, is known for its highly protective properties. Selenite is known for evoking protection from the Divine and angelic realms. Physically, Selenite is said to reverse the effects of "free radicals" to heal and repair on the cellular level by absorbing toxic and harmful energy. This crystal is a compelling one associated with clairvoyance, intuition, awareness, and accessing the higher realms. Benefits of the Selenite include:

· Spiritual growth and meditation adjuvant

· Increase in clarity and tranquility

· Activation of the souls' spiritual abilities

Snakeskin Agate. Agate is the banded form of the mineral Chalcedony, which is a microcrystalline variety of Quartz. Quartz the stone for Kundalini energies, directing them via the crown chakra. The Snakeskin will resonate with your root, solar plexus, and crown chakras stimulating them so that you feel confident and with high self-esteem. This mineral is known to quiet internal chatter and enhances mental functions, activating a state of inner peace. The frequency that the snakeskin agate resonates attracts abundance, good luck, and wealth. Carry agate with you at all times, and you can expect to:

· Increase your analytical and problem-solving skills

· Heal inner anger and tension

· experience deep meditative states

How you choose to benefit from the healing vibrations of these minerals is up to you. Whether you choose to wear them as jewelry, display a beautiful geode in your home or meditation area, use them as tools for alternative therapies or rub them between your palms in times of uncertainty, both your physical and spiritual bodies will feel the healing effect of these minerals. Mother Earth has given birth to these incredible tools that can help us evolve as humans. We came to realize something that our ancestors knew all too well. And that is the fact that by accumulating vibrations from the Earth for thousands of years, crystals can align with our internal energy systems (the chakras) and unblock and balance them when needed.  

How will I know which stone to choose?

I love amethyst. I can feel its energy resonating with my vibrations, and I am drawn by it. You will know which stone to choose when you see it. It will somehow stand out, and you'll know you have made the right decision. It might be that you are attracted to more than one crystal, and that is fine. There is no limit to how many crystals you can have to help you keep a healthy, energetic field. Observe how you feel when holding or in proximity to a specific crystal. Choose them by the color that attracts you most and display them somewhere you can see them or wear them on you at all times.