Crystal Adoration

I have a serious adoration for crystals and gems. I bought my first one when I was around 16 years old and my collection has grown and shrunk and grown throughout the years. Gems are little beauties, they always catch my eye and are very easy to collect. Not only are people naturally drawn to crystals by their beauty, they are scientifically the most interesting rock formations on the planet. Crystals and gemstones have been used for centuries for meditation, in medicine and rituals. It hasn't been exactly pinpointed when and where the meanings for each stone derived; but artifacts show ancient people used these stones as healing amulets and ornamentation. Each type has its own characteristics and meaning to them. There are numerous books and internet searches you can do to find a meaning of a particular stone. Some are said to be good for calming and centering, some ease sickness and some bring you luck in areas like love and money.

I have always been inspired by the early vintage illustrations of crystal and gems. Early illustrations started out before photography so it's amazing to see the way an artist chose to paint various specimens. There are so many ways to paint or draw mineral rocks and these are some fun ones I did from my Land show. I wanted to do a more abstracted version of crystal illustration, playing with watercolor, lines and meanings. The pink one is a love stone and the multicolored one is a magic stone.

What's your favorite gem?