The Book of Stones: Who They Are and What They Teach

I got this book because I was starting to hear more about crystals and their properties, and I wanted something comprehensive but not overly New Age-y or intimidating. The Book of Stones was recommended, and while it's a hefty volume, it felt like exactly what I needed. It's less a quick-reference guide and more a deep dive into the personality and energy of each stone. What makes this book truly one of a kind is the way Simmons and Ahsian write about each stone. They don't just list properties; they describe the essence of the stone, its feel, its energy signature, and what it can teach us. It's incredibly detailed, covering everything from common quartz to obscure minerals I'd never heard of. Each entry is accompanied by beautiful, clear photographs, which is essential when you're trying to identify and connect with a stone. Reading it is like meeting a cast of fascinating characters, each with their own unique gifts and lessons. I found myself drawn to certain stones based on the descriptions and then seeking them out. It's become a bit of a treasure hunt! The book doesn't just tell you what a stone does; it encourages you to interact with it, meditate with it, and discover its energy for yourself. It's a very empowering approach. This book completely changed my perspective on the mineral kingdom. I went from seeing rocks as inanimate objects to viewing them as ancient, wise beings with their own frequencies and wisdom to share. It's brought a sense of wonder and connection to the natural world that I didn't have before. It's become my go-to reference whenever I acquire a new stone or feel drawn to a particular energy. If you have even a flicker of curiosity about crystals, minerals, or the subtle energies of the earth, The Book of Stones is an absolute treasure. It's detailed, accessible, beautifully presented, and genuinely transformative in how you view the world beneath your feet. Just be warned: you might find yourself suddenly fascinated by gravel paths and hardware store landscaping sections.

Excellent book, copyright shown as 2005, 2007, so it is recent. Very useful for those who would like to know the metaphysical meanings of stones/minerals. this book includes some stones that were not in my other books, such as Spirit Crystal, The Nebula Stone, and Shiva Lingam, among others. There are 465 pages of information, which include color pictures of the stones. There is a 4-page table of content listing, covering approximately 331 stones/minerals. This book also provides an extended write-up on Moldavite (one of my favorites). There are also about 15 pages of introductory material on the authors' perspectives of stones, the classifications used in the book, consciousness with stones, stone layouts, meditating with stones, stone elements (fire/storm/wind/earth/water), chakras, etc. I like to read about the stones and their properties. To give you an example, let's take The Nebula Stone. There is a picture, which in this case looks exactly like mine. The key words are: "bringing spiritual Light into matter, attuning to probable futures, fulfilling one's highest aspirations, feeling at home in the body and on Earth". The element is "Storm" (used when massive transformation, cleansing, and radical dynamic balancing are called for, etc.) The chakras are: All, especially Root (1st) and Crown (7th). A brief paragraph follows, explaining the stone was found in the desert of the American Southwest, that its appearance is reminiscent of the nebulas in space, and its composition is alkalis volcanic rock composed almost exclusively of the 4 minerals Quartz, Anorthoclase, Riebeckite, and Aegirine. Arthur Robert Simmons follows with 4 paragraphs on his insights on the stone and its metaphysical properties. Author Naisha Ahsian follows with her comments in 3 paragraphs followed by one or more sentences on the stone's spiritual, emotional, and physical uses and concludes with an affirmation related to the stone. There is also quite a bit of info on Azeztulite, a variety of quartz, found in North Carolina and later in Vermont. It sounds like a very interesting stone and very interesting reading. I used think that people who played with crystals were a little nuts and I deeply apologize for my ignorance, for I truly did not understand what they already knew. In fact, I was drawn to stones as a child, but dismissed the attraction as I turned into a teen. Later, I collected jewelry pieces, not realizing these pieces were the same as the unpolished stones. About 5 years ago or so, my interest in all stones returned. One of my awakening stones was Moldavite. I had a piece made for me with a Herkimer Diamond by some newly acquired friends at the time. The energy was so strong, it took me about 2 weeks of wearing it in intervals before I could wear it all day. Then I wore it 24/7 for about a year or more. Currently, I have a piece of Covellite with Petalite that I have been wearing 24/7 for the last 2 years. I tell you all this only to say that I am sold on the realization that stones have energies that they pass on to us, if we allow it and many of these "passed on" energies can greatly impact us in positive ways that we would never have dreamed of if we had not opened our mind to the possibilities. Many people say that the stone(s) that you need will sort of "call" you. They may appear beautiful or sparkly to you, or for some reason, you can't stop thinking about them. I like to let them call me, buy them, then come home and look them up in my books to find out WHY they "called" me. I am very pleased with this book and it is a welcome addition to my reference library. Other useful books on stones are those by author Melody and those by author Katrina Rafael. (See my other reviews for info on these books.) The book also covers some of the spiritual-seeker's other favorites. Besides moldavite, you can find petalite, azeztulite, danburite, and phenacite. (powerful stones) Covellite is another power stone. I wear a combo petalite & covellite piece and a moldavite ring 24/7. Update, March 2009: I bought this book for a friend recently. She makes jewelry from stones. This book lists a lot of stones not found in Melody's Love Is In The Earth Book, so it is a great compliment to my and to my friend's library. I also found a nice pair of moldavite and danburite earrings on the heavenandearth (the author's) website. The energy in these earrings is very beautiful and loving. I have another friend who owns a New Age store. She looks at me and shakes her head. She says with the stone combination I am wearing, she cannot believe I am still standing upright. (My energy friends will understand that one.) If you can only buy 2 books on stones, make this one of them. The other should be Melody's original "Love Is In The Earth".

I do not own the first edition of this book, so I am unsure of what exactly is different about this edition. Either way tho, I am most pleased with having purchased this book. It has stones and crystals that I have read about on various websites but have NOT seen in other books, for example Heulandite is one of them. My mother had found a chunk of it at a crystal shop and had wanted me to find out what it was used for. I could not find any information on it except on the internet, but I was most pleased to see it listed in the Book of Stones! I have also found some other stones/crystals I had heard of, but never found a good description of them anywhere but the internet. In this book I really like that they give you some key words for each stone/crystal. Key words for Heulandite are: Dreams, Visions, Emotional healing, etc. They also list the element that the stone is with, for example Heulandite's element is Wind. Also the chakras in which the stones would work with, Heulandite works with the Heart, Third Eye, and Crown chakras. I very much enjoy the pictures they have added, they vary from natural formations, cut, tumbled, and spheres. Both Robert Simmons and Naisha Ahsian give descriptions about each stone, so instead of one person talking about the stone you have two. Naisha also likes to list down the spiritual properties, emotional, physical, and affirmation of most stones, which I find is most helpful as well. It is a long read but definatly a wealth of information.

I call this the Bible. Best book written on stones you can find. Details EVERY stone you can think of, giving metaphysical breakdown in an easy to read and understand 3-5 paragraphs by two very educated writers on this subject. Every stone description is accompanied with a picture of the stone, so I use as a quick reference where I can figure out the name of a stone based on the picture. This book has taught me so much about the stones I am drawn to and why I am drawn to them at particular times in my life. I feel that it has expanded my knowledge on the subject. I have three versions of this book - an updated version, with newly discovered stones and slightly modified descriptions and a pocket book of stones that I can literally put in my purse and use as a quick reference no matter where I am. This book has changed my world and has provided me an in depth understanding of the minerals in this world. Keep these books coming! Every rock lover should have this book!

There is a lot of information in these pages! If you have a game plan on how to browse this book, you'll get a lot of use out of it. Take the time to read the introduction. The authors suggested a tactic that I often use with my angel cards: Meditate, or just focus and get into a peaceful place. Think of an intention, or just clear your mind and look for guidance. Open the book and start reading about the first crystal that you can see. This works really well for me. Chances are, if you own this book or are thinking about owning it, you dabble in the metaphysical. That is why I especially appreciated this book- the variations on the meanings of the crystals by the authors. You could also just use it the normal way which I would assume would just be to look things up. Whatever works for you. Crystals and their energy can be a very personal thing, and this book allows room for interpretation while giving the basics as well as giving some opinions based in experience. I was at a gem show two months ago and I saw one fellow crystal lover carrying this book around. The pages were dog-eared, bent and scraggly, and the cover/binding was very well-loved. He had notes sticking out of the pages and carried it around with him to the different booths. He would ask someone if they had a particular stone after rifling through the pages. It was like he had a grocery list! I think that is definitely a testament to how valuable this book is. I give it 4 stars because of the story at the end of the book. I consider myself to be very open-minded, but I also trust my intuition. The authors speak about a rare crystal that they "found" and their customers' reactions to its particular vibration. The story had me absolutely convinced while I was reading! I had to find this azeztulite for myself. I had to know the azez people. After I had finished reading, I wasn't so excited. I thought about what I just read and it really didn't resonate with me. I had my doubts, and apparently the internet did, too. Whatever floats your boat...take what you love and leave the rest! The rest of the book was so great that I didn't mind the ending too much.

This book is absolutely wonderful! Not only are the pictures stunning, but the information on each of the stones is amazingly complete. It starts with the scientific properties, and then covers all of the metaphysical as well as medical properties.An additional benefit is that each of the two authors contributed their own version to each stone. That, in a sense, gives it a more objetive feel than if written by only one individual. This will definitely be my main reference book when it comes to my healing crystals and gemstones. Great work!

I buy stones from time to time and am always intrigued when I come home and read about the spiritual energy of what I have chosen. This book explains the origin, the history, the heart value. I highly recommend this book. I have bought extra for gifts.

I was familiar with this book and the authors before buying, so I knew I would like it. It's a thorough reference book. I find that the book works well as an oracle - flip to a random page to receive a stone's message. I own (and love and would recommend) the authors' Crystal Ally Cards as well, but there are more interpretations/messages available from the book since it lists many more stones. The authors delve into the meaning/energy/message of each stone. They do not provide a simplified, short or cursory summary of the stone and its potential uses. For those who do not use stones, this book works well as oracle providing insight into your spiritual and psychological landscape.