Goldstone Healing Properties and Meaning

blue goldstone tumbled stones on a round white ceramic dish

Goldstone is often considered a healing crystal, although it's a man-made glass with sparkling metallic inclusions. This article answers some of the most common questions. For its history and how it's made, see our main article on goldstone.

Is Goldstone a Real Crystal?

No. Goldstone is glass, and the sparkle comes from tiny metallic crystals that grow within molten glass as it cools. The sparkle looks more impressive when the metallic crystals grow larger. If the molten glass cools too quickly, they remain relatively small.

The claim that glass-making monks in Venice discovered goldstone is a widely circulated myth. It's believed to have been created by the Miotti family of glassmakers on the Venetian island of Murano in the seventeenth century.

With most goldstone being produced in China, quality can vary widely. Cheaper stones show minimal sparkle because they either contain less copper or the glass cooled too quickly for the crystals to grow.

Blue and green goldstone tend to be more expensive, but the optical effect is particularly striking against the darker coloured glass.

The orange-brown variety is far more common and generally cheaper. The glass used for this material is colourless. Its colour comes from the copper.

Blue goldstone is made with glass coloured by cobalt. Green goldstone contains reflective chromium oxide crystals. The glass is also coloured by chromium.

The 'twinkle' in goldstone, which is best seen in ambient light, comes from light reflecting off the metallic inclusions.

Goldstone Healing Properties

Being man-made doesn't prevent goldstone from being used as a healing crystal. Some practitioners prefer natural stones, but many are happy to work with goldstone because the sparkle comes from crystallised copper. Copper has a long history in healing.

Goldstone is said to revitalise the mind and body. It's also believed to improve circulation and support tissue regeneration.

Orange-brown goldstone is known as the stone of ambition. It's used for confidence, drive and courage, and for staying positive when working towards a goal. Its warm colour links it with the sacral and root chakras, so it's also used for energy and grounding.

Blue goldstone is associated with the throat and third eye chakras. It's used for tranquillity, clear communication and intuition. Its resemblance to a starry night sky has made it a favourite for meditation and is often placed by the bed.

Blue goldstone is often recommended for those who feel deeply and want a crystal that soothes rather than energises.

Goldstone, Sunstone and Aventurine

Goldstone was originally called aventurine glass. The mineral aventurine is believed to have been named after goldstone because of the way it reflects light.

Before it became widely known that goldstone was synthetic, it was often used to imitate natural sunstone and very occasionally still is.

Sunstone is aventurine feldspar.

The three materials are easy to tell apart. Goldstone's sparkle is dense and uniform throughout the stone. In sunstone and aventurine, the mineral inclusions form naturally so are random.