Healing Crystals Co.

13 Best Crystals for Depression (Updated 2024)

different color and types of small crystals and stones placed on a mirror

In this post, we reveal the 13 top crystals to help fight depression. From Amber to Rose Quartz, and everything in between, we have you covered. Let's dive in!

Introduction

Sometimes the best aid to depression is simply the right companion. This is how crystals work to heal those who are suffering: by introducing the physical world to the metaphysical. If you, or someone you know, is suffering from depression, these are the top 13 energetically charged rocks that you need to know about.

In this article we discuss the following:

  • How Can Crystals Help Depression?
  • How to Use Crystals for Depression
  • 13 Best Crystals for Depression
    • Carnelian for Depression
    • Rose Quartz for Depression
    • Sunstone for Depression
    • Smokey Quartz for Depression
    • Kunzite for Depression
    • Citrine for Depression
    • Labradorite for Depression
    • Amber for Depression
    • Tigers Eye for Depression
    • Lepidolite for Depression
    • Fire Opal for Depression
    • Pyrite for Depression
    • Lapis Lazuli for Depression

How Can Crystals Help Depression?

purple and red smooth stones arranged in a circle with a clear crystal in the center

Depression has been a silent pandemic plaguing the world for centuries. There seems to be no standard catalyst for this condition, leaving its trigger open to everything from existential crisis to something as basic as the weather. 

Those who suffer from this disorder will know that in the darkest moments there are few things they aren’t willing to try, even just to gain five minutes of solace or relief. Even though there is little to no scientific evidence to back the validity of crystals used for healing, there are mass communities of people who seek out these energetically charged objects in hopes of attaining wellness.

Crystals are types of rocks that occur naturally in the Earth. They are charged with electromagnetic energy stemming from the Earth’s core, as well as energy from all other minerals and elements that they come into contact with during their formation phase. This gives the stones unique vibrations that are measurably higher than the vibrations of most physical things in the world: namely, humans and other physical objects. 

Science may be yet to give crystals the time of day, but it has never disagreed that vibrations can have an influence over matter that comes into contact with them. And this is exactly how crystal healing works. 

The myriad of stones found in the Earth’s crust means there is basically a crystal for everything. Some use specific stones to dispel negative energy as a form of protection. Others use stones that amplify love and attract opportunity. There are stones that can neutralize physical pain in the body, and there are even crystals that seem to have a positive effect on symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

If you need hard facts and data before you’re able to believe in certain types of healing, then perhaps crystals are not the treatment for you. Crystal healing requires a level of surrender to the unseen: a belief in the powerful existence of energy, and its ability to affect our mind, body and spirit. Without an open mind, you’re likely to block any form of benefit from crystals from coming your way. 

Crystals work by affecting the energy of objects and beings within close proximity to the stones themselves. When you select a stone for personal use, it starts to attune to your energetic body, and through the process of intention it will be able to attract, repel or neutralize the things you most desire it to. 

All crystals work within the light spectrum. They absorb and refract light, and  the different colors are experienced as wavelengths, just as they are to plants. These same wavelengths are found in the human body through what are known as the chakras. Chakras are our energy centers, and are responsible for creating flow in the body. Different crystals resonate with different chakras, making some more effective at healing certain ailments than others. 

When we introduce these zone specific crystals into our personal vibratory field, we can attract relief from various conditions, including depression. 

How to Use Crystals for Depression

Whether you’re looking at Western, Eastern or metaphysical medicine for healing from depression, the first thing anyone needs to adopt is an open mind. Look at any medicinal trial where placebo drugs were used and you’ll see the major role that the mind plays in the process of healing. Subjects unknowingly fed the placebo medicines often heal better and faster than those subjects taking the actual drug. 

left hand holding a large clear crystal potted plant underneath

It’s what we brush off as miracles, but really it’s the power of the human mind. Tapping into it is one of the most life changing things a person can do, and with the aid of crystals your potential is uncapped. It’s simply up to you to adopt this as truth, as and when you feel ready.

How and when you choose to use your crystals for depression will depend on your personal point of view when it comes to this kind of treatment. It will also largely depend on your individual lifestyle and how the stones are able to fit into your days. 

All crystals come with a unique list of properties that make them effective or ineffective to different ailments. There are some stones with powerful energetic properties that would simply have no effect on someone suffering from depression, simply because that specific stone may be more concerned with attracting monetary wealth, or making the physical body more agile. 

There’s a world of possibility in the crystal healing world, which is why we’ve put together a more concentrated list of just 13 stones that we think work well for individuals living with depression. As you read through their unique properties, you’ll likely feel more drawn to certain ones, and less to others. This is intuitive knowledge, and a good indication of which crystals you should probably look at investing in. 

Once you own the stone, it’s time to incorporate it into your life so that the properties can begin to attune to your energy field. Most people find that keeping the crystals as close to their physical body as possible is the way to reap the optimum rewards. Crystal jewelry has become very popular for this reason; it places the stones on your ears, neck or fingers at all times during the day. Some crystal jewelry, known as anxiety jewelry, also has the ability to help slow your breath, restoring calm and serenity to your mind and body.

Not everyone is partial to crystal jewelry, and you don’t have to have your stones on your person all day long in order to receive their energetic benefits. Placing your chosen crystal for depression nearby is good enough; this may be next to your computer at work, or in the console of your vehicle. You can also keep these stones in your pocket, or handbag, which means you’ll make frequent contact with them without much thought. 

If you’re really looking to work one-on-one with crystal healing, then there are different techniques that can be adopted in your free time. You might find that laying in bed and placing your crystal over its corresponding energy center on the body works wonders for your depression levels. It’s even possible to invest in seven different crystals (one for each energy center) and form a personal grid over your entire body once a day. 

Holding healing crystals in the palm of your hand during meditation is a great way of absorbing the benefits they have to offer. People suffering from severe depression might find it difficult to quiet the mind for 15 minutes a day, but once it becomes a habit the rewards truly are boundless. 

You can also place your healing crystal in your water bottle or drinking glass, allowing it to change the liquid energetically. This can result in the crystal charge being carried out to the rest of the body with every swallow. 

Crystal healing is somewhat of a Pandora’s box; once you dip your toe into it it, is very difficult to stop. This is mostly because the benefits are actually tangible once you figure out how to work with them. 

Clean Your Crystals

All energetic entities are capable of contamination, and certain crystals (with some exceptions) can become ridden with negative energy after long periods of use. This may be a build up of energy that they have been absorbing on your behalf, or energy that has been placed onto them unknowingly. 

As a standard rule, make time to cleanse your healing crystals at least once a month. Leaving them out under the light of the full moon is one way of doing so, but you can also bury them in the Earth for 24 hours, or soak them in salt water for the same effect. Some crystals dissolve in water, so make sure yours is not one of them prior to doing so. 

The goal is to allow your crystal to become attuned to its most optimum vibration, and thus able to better attune to you. Try not to allow friends or strangers to handle your crystals for fun, as they will be unconsciously leaving their own energy and intentions in the rocks, rendering them less effective for your needs. 

different types of crystal rocks herbs sticks placed on a wooden plate

13 Best Crystals for Depression

Everyone experiences depression differently, and to varied degrees of severity. Depression can manifest as mild imbalance, or it can be a debilitating condition to the point where an individual is unable to engage with the outside world. 

Depression and anxiety often go hand in hand, and users of crystals have found that alleviating the one often brings relief to the other. That being said, the physical location of anxiety differs between beings. Some feel it more in the chest, whilst others might experience their heaviest angst in the stomach, lungs, head or even knee caps. There is no blueprint for how this condition expresses itself, especially when in the midst of depression. 

The following are all crystals with the ability to address anxiety and depression. They have properties that can possibly work to alleviate the more general symptoms associated with both conditions, namely stress, panic, a racing mind, displacement, mania, physical trembling, difficulty breathing, sensory overload and lack of concentration/focus. 

Some of the best stones for depression will be more effective for certain symptoms, and less for others. Read through the description for each one, and feel which properties of which stones ring most true to your unique experience. 

Something to keep in mind: some crystals are more scarce in the Earth, and therefore more difficult to source and mine. This drives the retail prices up, and some suppliers instead choose to manufacture mock stones made out of cheap materials such as dyed glass. 

Not all retailers are acting out of integrity; they’re on the crystal healing train to make a quick buck and are not concerned about who gets duped in the process. Quality is important when investing in crystals. Do your research and, when in doubt, opt for raw stones that have not been polished; it is not possible to recreate raw, unpolished stones with fake materials. 

Carnelian

Carnelian is a powerful healer in that it works to shift the human mind and help achieve a bold, motivational point of view. It does this by first eradicating all symptoms of fatigue, which is instrumental for individuals who are battling the kind of depression that makes one want to remain bed-ridden all day. 

If your depression is rooted in a lot of anger and resentment, this is a stone that works to counteract these feelings quite directly. It’s a promoter of forgiveness, even in the worst cases of abuse or neglect. 

Living with depression is a game of endurance, and carnelian resonates with this. The stone is all about life’s toughest endurance and finding ways by which to meet these experiences with passion and action, as opposed to simply becoming bogged down by them. 

Rose Quartz

pink crystal rock placed on a deck of tarot cards

Rose quartz is a gentle pink stone, and another one that can be found in abundance. This is the stone of love, and people use it to amplify the levels of love being presented in their personal relationships, and even in the workplace. 

Rose quartz is one of the most affordable crystals for depression. You can place a piece of this stone in every corner of your house and create a sort of healing grid in your personal space, without spending too much money. There are bags of raw rose quartz that retail for under $10. 

Rose quartz works on the emotions, which for some is the leading trigger of their depressive spirals. If this sounds like you, then you’ll find rose quartz works to balance said emotions, making the follow up reactions more controlled and conscious. This can reduce the onset of depressive spells over time. 

If your external relationships tend to contribute to your depression (perhaps you have a complicated partner, or are a mother to a child who is not coping), then rose quartz can be a powerful means of helping to balance the amount of influence you give others over your mood. 

Sunstone

Some forms of depression are seasonal, meaning they get triggered by the change in seasons and emergence of less than desirable weather. People living in places with extreme weather patterns (intense summers, below freezing winters) are more likely to experience this form of depression. 

Sunstone is a crystal that comes up often as beneficial for patients with seasonal depression. These crystals are charged by the light of the sun, and they radiate it outward even in the darkest of times. 

It’s a high vibrating stone, and it has an undeniably soothing effect on the user, pulling them back into their own presence every time there is temptation to spiral. 

Smokey Quartz

All dark stones are powerful forces against negative energy. They are able to absorb the negativity on your behalf, limiting how much is able to penetrate your personal being and affect your mood stability. 

Smokey quartz does just that. Not only does it absorb said negativity, it also diffuses it within the rock itself. This works to ease symptoms of depression, stress and grief. 

All forms of quartz work closely with the physical body. They absorb and diffuse physical pain, which is a symptom of some individuals suffering from severe depression. Certain depressive states can give the illusion of pain in the body, despite there being no actual ailment. Smokey quartz becomes an ally in this sense; place it directly onto the body for best results. 

Kunzite

Kunzite is a less common stone, but avid users make a point of sourcing it as they know there are few other stones that compare to the vibrations of this one. 

Depression is the opposite of tranquility, so kunzite works to introduce this opposition into the life of the user in the most gentle way possible. When the heart and relative channels of communication become blocked, it’s unsurprising for an individual to become depressed. Kunzite can provide an unblocking of these channels, allowing for communication to flow and healing to take place. 

Depression often feels like a lack of love, but kunzite knows there is no such thing as lack in all of existence. Being guided to learn this, through direct experience, makes kunzite a powerful teacher in how to better navigate the physical works from an abundant mindset, and not from a scarcity one. 

Citrine 

Anyone who has ever laid eyes on a piece of raw citrine knows that it is a magnetic force. Citrine is alluring, yet cheeky. It communicates with everyone who looks its way, inviting them into the world that it has to offer. 

These are gentle orange and yellow stones. Some will exhibit darker patches of orange embedded in sporadic yellow. 

Citrine is all about enthusiasm and enjoyment; it seeks to amplify and attract both of these in all elements of the user's life. Depression can inhibit one from meeting instances of fear with great optimism, and if life’s fears are what fuel your unease, then this has got to be one of the most effective crystals for the condition. 

Anxiety and stress are also no match for citrine; it’s almost as though the stone simply rejects them, requiring little effort on the part of the user other than surrender and acceptance of what is happening. 

Labradorite

Often depression occurs as a result of change happening in the life of the individual in question. Not everyone is able to cope with change in the most optimal way, so it can cause our beings to become destabilized. 

Labradorite is one of our favorite stones because its sole focus is aiding in times of change. It becomes a crucial companion to the user, allowing them to meet the times with great strength and less inclination to become overwhelmed. 

During change, one’s aura can become compromised and even contaminated. If you’re carrying around an aura that is in a bad way, it can make everyday life feel a lot darker than it actually is. Labradorite works to nurture and protect the aura, which gives us the ability to face life head on without feeling like the weight of the world is on our shoulders. 

left hand grabbing black blue raw rock green background

More than this, labradorite is an aesthetically mesmerizing stone. There are holographic layers embedded in the dark greens and blacks that make up this rock formation; you’ll find yourself staring into it for hours. 

Amber

Sometimes amber is fondly referred to as “drops of the sun”, or “tears of the gods”. These stones carry energies far greater than what humans are able to comprehend, which is why working with them feels as though god-like energy is coming into play. 

Negativity is no match for amber; the crystal will set the mind free of even the most severe downward spirals involving negative thought toward oneself or others. 

Amber doesn’t come cheap, so if you find a seller whose prices seem too good to be true, they probably are. Amber is an easy stone to replicate with glass, so be aware of where and who you purchase from. 

Tiger’s Eye

Tiger’s eye is a stone that we’ve always had a soft spot for, which is ironic considering the very hard energy that this crystal embodies. It is one of the most pleasantly surprising stones in the crystal healing world.

This is a marbled stone of brown and gold, although it may sometimes exhibit streaks of black. It looks like the fur of a tiger, only more glossy and alluring, which explains the name. 

Tiger’s eye is another powerful protector crystal; those who have directly experienced this effect usually keep the stone close by, either on a ring or hanging from their ears. You don’t need a very big piece of it for it to take effect, and even the smallest of pendants are powerfully protective over the individual wearer. 

Tiger’s eye is relaxing, and when it can’t directly reduce your fears or depression, it can influence you to receive them from a more relaxed physical state which, oftentimes, gives the illusion of reduction. 

If you could use a bit of luck, this is the stone for you. Tiger’s eye is a luck bringer and loves giving the user more opportunities, especially in terms of career. If this is a concern in life that contributes to your depression, then you may have found your match. 

Brown hued stones are generally great grounding forces. When depression and anxiety are making you feel like you’re floating in another realm, this stone can help to ground your energy back to Earth, bringing you back into your presence. 

Lepidolite

Lepidolite is another stone that attracts you with its dreamy aesthetic, and then pleasantly surprises you with some quickly noticeable effects. 

Lepidolite stones contain lithium, which is a compound used in anti-anxiety medication. Certain lithium-based medications are often prescribed to individuals suffering from depression. As far as crystals go, it doesn’t get more familiar than this. Lepidolite literally knows the vibration of depression and anxiety, and thus the best way to heal from them. 

People who tend to stress in excess find that lepidolite crystals bring them back into their most present states, allowing them to spend less time drowning in the lower vibratory realms. 

These rocks bear an uncanny resemblance to amethyst, though lepidolite is more of a lilac-gray color, whereas amethyst is a more regal purple. During the day, chaotic thoughts can hinder the stone’s ability to penetrate deeply, so we find that keeping a piece of it next to one’s bed is the most effective way of giving the stone access to the mind of the user as they sleep.

Fire Opal

Some ancient medical practices view depression as a manifestation that occurs as a result of lack of flow in the body. The flow of sexual energy is an important one that has been muted over time with shame and oppression (especially in women).  

Tantra speaks of a natural flow of sexual energy through all beings that is directly responsible for the flow one is able to experience in all facets of external existence. When this energy is blocked or compromised, life can feel less than opportunistic and depression becomes imminent. 

If this rings true to you, then fire opal may be the crystal you’ve been looking for. This stone is a powerful force in unlocking that tantric energy that may have been stagnant in your body for far too long. In the process, the stone will attract opportunities to the user, especially in the field of your career. 

This stone will balance your sexual organs and hormones, as well as the functioning of the adrenal glands. Adrenal dysfunction has been repeatedly linked to depression. 

Pyrite

If your solar plexus energy center has become blocked due to life experience, it could be contributing to the intensity of your depressive states. 

silver raw rocks placed on white surface close up view

Pyrite, also known as fool’s gold, works on this energetic hub and intends to rebalance whatever has gone wrong or cannot be released by the user themselves. The location of this energy center is between the rib cage and navel, so there is bound to be positive effects on the gut as well. 

There are many studies that link depression to imbalanced microbiota in the gut, so healing this zone in the body can bring drastic improvements to the ways in which depression is able to manifest outward. 

Lapis Lazuli

Any existential crisis is bound to bring with it some sort of depressive inclination; the two go hand in hand, and have for centuries. 

Lapis lazuli is a radical stone that wants everyone to identify with their innate truth. This is never intended in an unmanageable way, but rather from a place of overwhelming compassion and self acceptance. 

Lapis lazuli allows the user to remain clear headed, objective and creative, even in times of extreme despair. Confidence is key to navigating the external world, and when we feel a lack of this we can easily spiral into depressive states. This is the stone to restore lost confidence, helping one to take up space in the world without feeling the need to apologize for it. 

As with most blue stones, lapis lazuli will work closely with your throat chakra to allow you to communicate your needs and wants more significantly. 

hands cupping different color and types of smooth stones and gems

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this article! If you are interested in incorporating crystals into your life to help combat depression, you should consider a mindful breathing necklace made of a crystal that resonates with you. Mindful breathing jewelry made of crystals not only help provide the benefits of the crystal you choose to wear, but they can also be used to help slow your breath, leading to a greater sense of calm and serenity. Also, if you are interested in reading more about anxiety and crystals, check out our comprehensive blog post on the 15 Best Crystals for Anxiety!

Did You Enjoy This Article?

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this article, you might also like the following articles: 15 Best Crystals for Healing and Mindful Breathing: Complete Guide

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4 comments

Dec 14, 2022 • Posted by Davis John

Valuable information!

Dec 14, 2022 • Posted by John Davis

Very interesting! Excited to read more!!

Oct 18, 2022 • Posted by Lisa Hanson

Hi
Ive really enjoyed reading and learning about your information. Just pucked up Green Obsidian 4myself and loving it.

Aug 31, 2022 • Posted by Nicolas

good & informative … thankyou its good to have some actual historical information than just gut feeling ..bw

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