That’s cool, I have a collection myself. I’m absolutely drowning in rose quartz.
However, please don’t be careless. In particular, please don’t be careless with malachite and lapis lazuli. Both stones are soluble in water, and water with dissolved malachite or lapis lazuli in it is VERY VERY VERY TOXIC. Keep all malachite and lapis lazuli specimens away from pets and small children, and only get polished specimens if you can help it.
This has been a psa.
And DONT bathe with them either
I’ve read in some crystal healing books sometimes to get more connected with your stones to drink a glass of water with your stone at the bottom DO NOT DO THIS WITH THE ABOVE MENTIONED STONES
more pretty but dangerous rocks & minerals:
galena: galena is really pretty and has a great crystal structure but it’s also mostly lead. Do not mess around with lead. it’s mostly safe to handle and such unless you’re pulverizing it somehow, but still, be safe
cinnabar: cinnabar has a really nice red color and crystal stuff says it’s healing & prolongs life but it’s also like 85% mercury so YOU KNOW BE CAREFUL WITH IT
chalcanthite: chalcanthite is this great electric blue and is pretty enough that it’s grown synthetically. it’s also basically copper which means if you ingest it in any way, like with the drinking thing, you’ll have a fun case of copper overdose. dont do it. this is the same reason you should be careful with malachite & azurite
stibnite: pretty silvery cylinders that are also extremely poisonous. handling them is dangerous and putting them in your mouth at all is a straight up bad idea. don’t buy this
realgar: it’s arsenic. I hope i dont have to say more
chrysotile, crocidolite, the works: these are asbestos. they look cool on their own bc they look all fibrous and stringy, but they are asbestos. Dont
so yea just do a quick google of a stone b4 you buy it, and especially b4 you put it in your mouth or anything (i guess maybe most ppl wouldn’t put rocks in their mouths but geologists love to do it)
I wanted to be a geologist for a while when I was a child, and this post makes me regret changing course.