Water Crystals, Stones,
and Shells
Water crystals, stones, and shells can make a beautiful addition to your water altar or shrine. They can also be worn as jewelry, used to create a crystal grid, added to a medicine or mojo bag, carried in your pocket, placed under your pillow, or used in any number of other ways to bring their energy and influence into your life. Water crystals will help to impart a grounding or earthy energy to your magic.
Crystals and Stones
Some crystals and stones are associated with water because they used to be in liquid form—amber is an example of this. Other stones get their association with water because of their blue color. Some crystals end up with this connection because they are formed in water. Despite this, not every crystal does well in water and may even be toxic, so please check before you place them in a drink or a bath.
Alexandrite: This crystal is a form of beryl. It is said to help on many levels, bringing joy, creativity, intuition, psychic ability, and help with manifestation of desires. It is one of the hardest gems in existence. Alexandrite is considered very rare; in some cases, it is more expensive than diamonds. I have a very lucky friend who found some of these at an estate sale. They were originally named for the famous Russian prince Alexander II as they were discovered on his birthday in 1830. Carrying this stone is said to attract extreme good luck and a direct connection to the divine.
Amber: Amber is not actually a stone but the hardened form of a plant resin. You can get pieces that have plants or even insects trapped in the resin and subsequently frozen in time. In combination with jet, amber is considered a witch’s stone. It is useful in your magic to gain wisdom, healing, longevity, protection, purification, beauty, and love. It can be used when working with your sacral chakra. Many use it as a protective healing charm for children, especially when they are teething (be careful the baby doesn’t eat it). Amber is considered sacred to the goddess Freya and the orisha Oshún.
Amethyst: Amethyst is said to help you connect to higher realms and also grant you insight in every situation. Visionary Leonardo da Vinci believed amethyst could strengthen the intelligence. It can also help grant mental clarity, spiritual connections, happiness, romance, self-love, and self-awareness.
Azurite: One look at the vibrant blue crystal known as azurite and you can see its magic. Azurite is named for its deep blue color, which is most likely why many associate it with the element of water. The stone is said to help with intuition, clarity, insight, meditation, calm, peace, emotional healing, and astral travel. Despite its association with water, you should keep this stone away from water as it has a tendency to disintegrate. It can be used in conjunction with the crown, throat, and heart chakras.
Beryl: Beryl is actually a family of stones which include aquamarine, alexandrite, emerald, morganite, bixbite, and others. It has been prized for over 4,000 years as a source of healing, hope, happiness, and relationship harmony. Like many of the water crystals here, it is used to drive off demons and bad spirits.
Blue Calcite: Calcite in all its manifestations is said to help with spiritual, emotional, and physical growth. It can be utilized for creativity, hope, courage, success, vision, and psychic knowledge. Blue calcite can be used when working with both the throat and crown chakras. The stone will help with communication on every level. Place a piece under your pillow or bed to bring prophetic dreams and the ability to remember them. There is also a custom of keeping one in your home or place of work to prevent thieves from taking your property.
Blue Chalcedony: This stone is particularly helpful when meditating. It is said to grant harmony of mind, body, and spirit. Chalcedony is also known to help with communication, remembering past lives, and activating the throat chakra. Some also recommend giving it to children to help with anxiety, fear, and nervousness. The crystal is found in India, Turkey, Brazil, and Madagascar.
Chrysocolla: The most common form of chrysocolla is colored a bright greenish blue, but it also manifests as brown or black. In all its colorful forms, this is a stone of communication on every level. Helping one to speak their truth, it is especially good for healing and stimulating the throat chakra. Use it when working to balance the throat and the heart chakras for clear and loving connection and communication. In the US it is found in Pennsylvania, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. Frequently it is found mixed with quartz, malachite, and other crystals.
Coral: Coral is one of the few things on this list that actually comes from the ocean. There are many different types of coral, and each one carries its own special properties. There is red, brown, blue, and black coral.
Emerald: Another member of the beryl family, emerald is a popular stone for jewelry and decoration. It is seen as a special stone for the deities Ceres, Isis, and Vishnu. The Egyptian god Thoth was said to have had emerald tablets that revealed great magical wisdom and mysteries. Emerald is also called the stone of truth, which is said to also bring good luck, psychic visions, and healing from emotional wounds and breakups. Because it is connected to the heart chakra, many view emerald as a stone of love and partnerships. Some even believe that if the stone suddenly changes color, your partner has been unfaithful or dishonest. In many ways this semiprecious gem is about balance, both within yourself and in your relationships with others.
Green Calcite: Green is one of the types of calcite often associated with water. It helps to heal anxiety, nervousness, and mental imbalance. Green calcite is also helpful for ridding one of things that are no longer useful and for overcoming trust issues. It can be worn to help with healing, but then it must be spiritually cleansed often.
Jade: Jade comes in a whole host of different colors, but green is the one most commonly connected to the water element. Jade is representative of love on every level: divine love, self-love, romantic love, and all the rest. It is associated with the goddess Kwan Yin, a beacon of love and compassion. Jade is also seen as a very lucky stone that brings clarity and insight.
Jet: Jet is prized for its unique ability to completely transform a negative situation. It operates like an energy filter that has both the ability to protect and purify. You can even use jet to clean off and energetically clear other stones.
Lapis Lazuli: Lapis is one of the most popular stones for magic in general and water work specifically. It is used for love, healing, and psychic power and connection.
Moonstone: Moonstone is directly ruled by water and the moon. It is a stone known to grant love, happiness, and joy, and it opens your mind to serendipity and insight. When worn or placed under your pillow, moonstone can bring calm and healing to your unsettled emotions.
Mother-of-Pearl: The stones known as mother-of-pearl are actually created from the lining of pearl oyster and abalone shells. They are prized in many different cultures and have been utilized for thousands of years. Mother-of-pearl items were even unearthed in Egypt’s pyramids. In ancient times Romans carried the tiny pearls to ensure success when traveling over water. They are still used today to bring prosperity, focus, purification, protection, and connection to higher realms. Mother-of-pearl is also used for banishing and transmuting negative energy. It is used in jewelry, to make accessories such as buttons, and as inlay in furniture.
Obsidian: This stone is made from molten lava that was cooled so quickly it solidified into a crystal. The most common form is black, but it can also be rainbow-colored or blue, green, brown, or with a silver or gold sheen. Like the element of water, it is known to reveal things that are hidden. Magically it is known to remove negativity, depression, unnecessary blockages, and heal difficult emotions. Obsidian is connected to the zodiac sign Scorpio.
Opal: All opals have a watery nature, but hyalite water opal is particularly associated with this element. The stone is associated with hope, joy, and luck. It is also known as an amplifier for insight and psychic connection.
Pearl: Pearls belong on this list of water stones and crystals more than any other. Pearls, which are in reality stones, grow inside marine mollusks. Growing up, I was taught pearls can mean either good or bad luck. These tiny treasures have been prized for millennia. Pearls have a connection to both water and the moon. They are said to bring their wearer prosperity, luck, and love. Many legends talk about the powers of pearls, and one of the most well-known myths tells us that they are formed from raindrops swallowed up by oysters. Some even believe that they come from the tears of the biblical Eve, who cried as she was forced to leave the Garden of Eden.
Peridot: I always think of peridot’s unique color as a curious green. The stone’s name comes from the Greek word peridona, meaning “abundance.” It is also said to be a powerful charm against the evil eye. It has been prized for thousands of years both for its beauty and to bring success, clarity, friendship, love, and protection. Even Emperor Napoleon was said to have gifted jewelry made of this stone to Josephine as an emblem of his undying love and devotion.
River Agate: There are a number of different types of agate, and many are named for the rivers and other bodies of water they are found in. There is Savannah River Fairyland Agate, Lake Superior Agate, Cave Creek Agate, and China Lake Plume Agate, to name just a few. Agate is said to promote harmony, relationships, love, luck, and success.
Riverstone: Geologically this stone is related to limestone. It is plentiful throughout the world and can be found almost anywhere. Riverstone is said to help with luck, success, happiness, and healing difficult emotional states. It is said to facilitate quick and necessary changes in your life. When worn it is said to rejuvenate one’s mind and body on a deep level.
Rose Quartz: Rose quartz is a commonly used crystal for accessing both personal and divine love, friendship, and healing. Often referred to as the heart stone, this has been prized as a talisman for love for thousands of years. It is associated with water and can be used to access emotions. Rose quartz can be used as a ritual offering for Freya, Yemaya, Venus, Isis, Hathor, and several other deities. This ancient crystal is prized by many goddesses and is used to contact all aspects of the divine feminine.
Sardonyx: This crystal is found in Russia, India, Brazil, and parts of Asia. It creates an atmosphere of joy, optimism, and courage.
Sodalite: This is another of the blue-colored stones that finds itself associated with water. Sodalite is one of the best stones to use when speaking truth to power. It is said to connect your thoughts with your feelings. It is sometimes mistaken for lapis lazuli, which contains golden flecks and highlights. It isn’t just Western culture that values this stone; it is also used in feng shui to represent the element of water, which helps things to move and transform.
Sugilite: This stone was only discovered in 1944 in Japan, but it has quickly become popular for many different reasons. It is a great crystal for unification between the heart and the head. It helps to heal both the heart and the crown chakras, clearing them out and realigning them.
Topaz (Blue): This crystal is said to bring good fortune, intelligence, beauty, healing, self-love, and long life. Some individuals call this the “writer’s stone,” as it is supposed to remove writer’s block and foster creativity. It is said to stimulate both the throat and the third eye chakras.
Tourmaline (Blue): This stone can be found in the USA, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Kenya, and Afghanistan. Tourmaline is one of the best stones to use when trying to transform situations that aren’t working. Many people are used to seeing black tourmaline, but it also comes in an amazing blue color. Blue tourmaline, also known as indicolite, helps to elevate one’s consciousness, protect, and bless an individual. This form of tourmaline works especially well with throat chakra work. It can be used to become a better communicator both in the spirit world and the mundane one. This stone is good when connecting with spirit lives and past-life recall. It is also said to bring wealth and success and improve memory.
Turquoise: Because of its intense blue color, many people associate turquoise with water. It is, in fact, created by water pushing through deposits of copper and aluminum. Magically turquoise is said to bestow healing, joy, luck, and longevity. Turquoise is highly prized in many different cultures: Native American, Egyptian, and more. The name itself comes from the French and means “Turkish.”
Sacred Shells
Any comprehensive book about water magic has to talk about shells. They are like solid manifestations of the water’s energy, true gifts from the splendid sea. Many people collect seashells; there are even entire stores dedicated to them. Different shells obviously carry different messages and meanings.
There are numerous ways to incorporate your favorite shells into your magic. Shells can be used directly on your ritual altar or shrine as candleholders, incense burners, offering containers for water, and in many other ways. They can be used on their own or in concert with crystals in a grid, which utilizes the power of sacred geometry. Ritual baths and floor washes are also great ways to use shells in your magic. Be sure to rinse them thoroughly before use.
There are many spells and potions in this book that incorporate shells, but feel free to use your intuition and craft your own as the spirit moves you. Shells can also be a useful addition to your divination practices. In the African traditional religion of Ifá, cowrie shells are used for divination. If you so desire, you can also craft your own set of runes out of seashells. Use ones that are relatively uniform and cleanse them periodically with ocean water for best results. Another useful idea is to make your own divination set using just the shells themselves. After making yourself familiar with their basic properties, place them in a bag; you can then do draws to help find guidance and insight into your particular situation. Really, your own imagination is the only limitation to how you can use these watery treasures in every aspect of your magic.
Clam Shells: Often these shells are used in spells for love, romance, protection, and purification. My grandmother was from New England, and consequently I have spent a lot of time there. The indigenous people of this area highly prize clam shells, or “wampum,” as they are often referred as. While history has erroneously taught us that this was used as money, it was instead utilized as jewelry and was created into highly prized beads and decorative charms that were representative of status and power. You can add these to your magic both for offerings to the spirits of the land and to help unlock your own unique powers.
Cockle Shells: The popular phrase “warms the cockles of my heart” gives us a clue that this shell is used for love magic. It also helps in workings for friendship, emotional healing, and harmony.
Conch Shells: Conch shells make magic with their divine sound. Some consider them the earliest musical instruments. Their sound is deep and commanding, echoing the deep power of the depths from whence they came. Their powerful music heralds the start of something seriously special.
I have seen these shells used in the traditions of New Orleans Voodoo and Haitian Vodou. Magically they are said to symbolize good luck, prosperity, fertility, success, birth, weddings, and regeneration. In certain areas they are left on cherished graves, much in the same way as flowers.
The intricate spiral of the conch is said to symbolize infinity. In Buddhism the shell is one of the eight auspicious symbols representing the fame of Buddha’s teachings that spread throughout the world. In India the conch also features prominently in epics and religion. It is said to represent power and authority and is used to banish negativity, prevent disaster, and repel poison. There it is used as a musical instrument and also a container for holy water.
Cowrie Shells: In ancient Egypt cowrie shells were prized as great magical tools. Certain cultures believe that their special magic comes from their resemblance to a half-open eye. Other groups see a similarity between the cowrie shell and female genitalia, and consequently they have become symbolic of fertility and success. African traditional religions recognize these blessed shells as the divine tools of Ifá. They are used for both psychic readings and blessings. Cowries attract insight and financial prosperity. They can also be thrown into a moving body of water, such as a stream or ocean, while a wish is being made. Throw the shells, then leave and don’t look back.
Limpets: In general limpets are said to grant confidence, courage, and strength to accomplish your goals. Keyhole limpets (Fissurelildae) are a family of sea snails that feature a tiny hole in their cone-shaped shells. Like the holey stones discussed before, this hole seems to hold great magic for connection to other worlds and unlocking difficulties and problems you may have.
Nautilus Shells: Because these creatures are always growing, this shell can be used in workings for renewal and growth.
Oyster Shells: Oyster shells are often used in rituals and spells involving the full moon. These could be for romance, love, luck, success, healing, and more. It seems like most of the lore surrounding oysters is similar to that of the pearls they contain.
Sand Dollar: Etched by the Goddess on the top of every sand dollar is a five-pointed star, evoking the witch’s pentacle. They are even referred to as witch stones and are used in spells for wisdom, healing, necessary growth, and the release of outmoded ideas and patterns.
Scallop Shells: Scallop shells are good for workings involving movement and travel. In the Bible these shells are associated with St. James and represent the dual nature of humankind. Both the physical and the spiritual are brought to the fore here. St. James was a pilgrim who eventually became the patron saint of Spain. Devotees today still travel the “Camino de Santiago,” which translates to the Way of Saint James. They are said to carry a scallop shell to signify their spiritual journey.
Whelk (Buccinidae): This shell is used in spells for control and power in a situation. It also helps to grant stability in your life.
Gem Water Recipes
Making gem waters has become all the rage lately. You can even get special bottles designed for just this purpose. You don’t necessarily need a special bottle, but you will need some basic information and items to get started. Gem waters aren’t complex; they are simply gems in water. By doing this, the water becomes infused with the power and energy of the crystal. This water can then be used for blessings, baths, and washes.
There are many crystals that are not to be placed in water, some because they will disintegrate, others because the result will be toxic.
Crystal elixir bottles have become common, and these come in styles where the stones are separated from the water or inserted in it. The bottles that keep the stones completely separate can be useful if you need to use a stone that you are unable to place directly in water. I have even seen straws that have crystals inside them. Feel free to experiment with these, using some of your favorite stones accordingly.
Following is a list of crystals that should not be placed directly in water. This list is by no means exhaustive. Please do your own research and proceed with caution, especially if you are thinking about making waters to consume.
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Crystals That Should Not Be Placed In Water |
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Actinolite |
Adamite |
Ajoite |
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Alexandrite |
Amazonite |
Atacamite |
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Auricalcite |
Azurite |
Beryl (including aquamarine, bixbite, emerald, goshenite, morganite) |
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Black Tourmaline |
Boji Stones |
Bronchantite |
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Cavansite |
Calcite |
Carnelian |
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Celestite |
Chalcantite |
Chalcopyrite |
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Chrysocolla |
Cinnabar |
Conicalcite |
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Copper |
Covelite |
Desert Rose |
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Dioptase |
Dumortierite |
Moldavite |
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Moonstone |
Morganite |
Opals |
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Pearls |
Pietersite |
Emerald |
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Galena |
Garnet (including almandine, hessonite, rhodolite, spessartine, uvarovite) |
Gem Silica |
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Halite |
Hematite |
Iolite |
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Kunzite |
Labradorite |
Lapis Lazuli |
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Lepidolite |
Magnetite |
Malachite |
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Markasite |
Mica |
Mohawkite |
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Prehnite |
Psiomelan |
Pyrite |
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Realgar |
Ruby |
Sapphire |
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Torbenite |
Tourmaline |
Tremolite |
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Turquoise |
Vanadinite |
Wavellite |
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Selenite |
Serpentine |
Smithsonite |
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Sodalite |
Spinel |
Staurolite |
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Stibnite |
Stilbite |
Sugilite |
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Sulfur |
Sunstone |
Tanzanite |
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Tiger Eye |
Topaz |
Wulfenite |
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Unakite |
Zircon |
Zoisite |
Crystals and shells are powerful components to add to your magical water workings. Because of their nature, they bring a solidifying earth energy to all that you are doing. As this list shows, there are a wide variety of stones and shells to choose from, each with their own delightful magic and character. Play around with them and consider carrying them in your pocket or even placing them under your pillow so they can bless your dreams.