KnowAgate
Chalcedony · Mohs 7
Banded chalcedony in almost every colour, traditionally the steadying stone that stops the swings.
- Chakra
- Root
- Element
- Earth
- Zodiac
- Gemini
- Care
- 💧 Water safe
Crystal database · Chakra
Crystals for the Root Chakra
The stones traditionally worked with at the root chakra, at the base of the spine.
The root is the first chakra in the modern seven-centre scheme, placed at the base of the spine and associated with safety, money, housing and the body's sense that the ground will hold. It is the centre people are told to work on when everything feels airborne and nothing feels settled. Its stones are the dense, dark, heavy ones, and they are traditionally used at the feet or carried in a pocket rather than worn at the neck.
12stones listed
7safe in water
2keep out of water
8with a full guide
Black Onyx
Chalcedony · Mohs 7
Solid black and traditionally a boundary stone, for holding a line without argument.
- Chakra
- Root
- Element
- Earth
- Zodiac
- Capricorn
- Care
- 💧 Water safe
Black Tourmaline
Tourmaline · Mohs 7–7.5
The standard protection stone. Kept by doorways, desks and beds to catch what comes in.
- Chakra
- Root
- Element
- Earth
- Zodiac
- Taurus
- Care
- 💧 Brief water only
Bloodstone
Chalcedony · Mohs 7
Dark green flecked with red, an old warrior's stone tied to stamina and steady courage.
- Element
- Fire
- Zodiac
- Pisces
- Care
- 💧 Water safe
Dalmatian Jasper
Feldspar rock
Cream with black spots, the stone people buy for children and for their own sense of humour.
Worth knowing: Dalmatian jasper is not a jasper. It is a feldspar-rich igneous rock, and the black spots are usually arfvedsonite rather than tourmaline.
- Element
- Earth
Garnet
Garnet · Mohs 6.5–7.5
Deep red and tied to appetite: passion, commitment and the energy to chase something.
- Chakra
- Root
- Element
- Fire
- Care
- 💧 Water safe
Hematite
Iron oxide · Mohs 5–6
Metallic grey and heavy in the hand, the most literal grounding stone on the shelf.
- Chakra
- Root
- Element
- Earth
- Care
- 💧 Keep dry
Obsidian
Volcanic glass · Mohs 5–5.5
Black volcanic glass, used both as a shield and as a mirror you may not enjoy looking into.
- Chakra
- Root
- Element
- Earth
- Zodiac
- Scorpio
- Care
- 💧 Water safe
Aragonite
Carbonate · Mohs 3.5–4
Rust-brown clustered carbonate, used for centring when you are stretched too thin.
- Chakra
- Root
- Element
- Earth
- Care
- 💧 Keep dry
No guide on site yet What it pairs with
Jasper
Chalcedony · Mohs 7
Opaque, earthy and patterned, valued for endurance rather than for any quick effect.
- Chakra
- Root
- Element
- Earth
- Care
- 💧 Water safe
No guide on site yet What it pairs with
Shungite
Carbon · Mohs 3.5–4
Black carbon rock from Karelia, traditionally the purifier and filter stone.
- Chakra
- Root
- Element
- Earth
- Care
- 💧 Brief water only
No guide on site yet What it pairs with
Smoky Quartz
Quartz · Mohs 7
Brown-grey quartz used as a floor rather than a lift, for days when everything feels airborne.
- Chakra
- Root
- Element
- Earth
- Care
- 💧 Water safe
No guide on site yet What it pairs with
Working with the root chakra
The traditional practice is simple and physical: one stone, placed at the base of the spine or held in the hand, for as long as it takes to notice your breathing change. Tradition treats more stones as less effect rather than more, and the usual advice is to finish at a lower centre than you started so you do not get up light-headed. If you are new to the scheme, the full guide to the seven chakras explains what each centre is said to govern.
Other chakra groups
Fact and tradition, kept apart
The mineral family, the Mohs hardness and the water verdict on each card are checkable physical fact, drawn from standard mineralogical and gemmological references. The chakra, element and purpose associations are tradition, published across the modern crystal-healing literature and offered here for reflection rather than as fact. Nothing on this page is medical advice. Browse the full database →