Has there ever been a time when you thought that crystals are getting a bit too expensive for your meditation sessions? Well, you may be happy to know that you can get them for free with just a bit of work in the backyard.
You never know what kind of treasure lies under the ground, and your property’s yard is no exception. In this blog post, you’ll learn how to find crystals in your backyard, the different kinds you might encounter, and how you can locate them.
The Different Kinds of Crystals You Might Find
Crystals are crystalline minerals that have hardened, are often translucent, and have minimal flaws. When looking for crystals, you’ll find that they can be found as a single piece on their own or they can be part of a parent rock.
There are many kinds of crystals in the ground and this will generally vary depending on where you live. Before digging through your backyard, it’d be beneficial to research which rocks and crystals are the most prevalent around your region.
Below is a table of the most common crystals people may find in their backyards.
| Crystal | Color |
| Quartz | White, pink, purple, citrine yellow |
| Amethyst | Rich purple or violet shade |
| Agate | White, pink, lilac, black, gray, yellow, red, brown, |
| Topaz | Blue, yellow, green, orange, pink, red, |
| Opal | Yellow, white, black, gray, brown |
| Peridot | Wide variety of green, from blue-green to yellow-green |
| Obsidian | Black, green, tan, or brown occasionally |
| Garnet | Deep red |
| Tourmaline | Deep brown, black, bluish-black, deep blue, green, yellow, pink, purple, red |
| Malachite | Green or dark green |
| Turquoise | Green, blue, or a mixture of both |
| Jade | Mostly green |
The most common crystal specimen found across the country is quartz, and certain regions like Arkansas are more abundant than others. Outside the country, Brazil is also known for producing beautiful and bountiful quartz crystals.
Even if you don’t live in these areas, you may still be happy to know that there are many crystal-like stones and geodes that you can potentially find in your backyard. Below, we discuss some of the more common gems and stones you might discover.
Quartz
This crystal can be found in many different places, including your backyard. Because it’s so common, quartz has been widely used to create home decor, ornaments, and many other artistic products.
Quartz also has a wide range of great attributes that make it such a useful stone, which include the following:
- Beautifully transparent body and electrical conductivity
- It has enough strength and hardness that it can be used in the construction of buildings
- Quartz has a delicate beauty that makes it suitable for creating sculptures
- Smaller pieces can be used for various forms of meditation
Types of Quartz
Here are just a few kinds of quartz crystals you might encounter during your search.
- Rainbow Quartz
- Amethyst Quartz
- Cactus Quartz
- Rose Quartz
- Other types
Tourmaline
Tourmaline is an exceptional gem that can be found in a wide array of colors which provide a gorgeous display when hit by light. The cost of tourmaline depends on certain features of the gem, such as its size and color.
People usually come after this stone due to its unique qualities — every time you see the gem from a different angle, you’ll see various shades of color. This crystal can be used in a number of ways, including pieces of jewelry. Bigger stones can be used to create unique shapes and decor.
One of the most unique and potent gems used for meditation is the black tourmaline: its beauty is highly attractive and its rarity makes it most precious.
Opal
The opal gem is a delicate and colorful gemstone valued for its beauty. Its glimmering colors are great for making unique pieces of jewelry such as opal pendants, rings, and watches. Because opal gems have a water content of around 3% to 21%, these gems require a lot of rain before they form and it usually takes years (or even decades) to create a small piece of this gem.
This crystal is mostly found around Oregon and California and, depending on its quality, some opals can be even more valuable than a diamond.
Garnet
Garnet is a gem with a long history but, these days, it can be rarely found and is more expensive compared to other stones. There’s also a wide variety of garnets available which come in many colors.
Some of the most attractive forms of this gem include the following:
- Red pyrope garnet, which has a rich and deep red color, has a strong resemblance to ruby.
- Orange spessartite garnet, a bright yellow to orange gem that’s reminiscent of oranges and is sometimes called mandarin garnet.
- Pink rhodolite garnet, a name that means “rose stone” in Greek due to its pink and purple undertones. It is sometimes called the raspberry garnet.
Topaz
This solid gem is available in a variety of colors and is also much more affordable compared to many other gems. Topaz can be found inside bigger crystals and is also one of the harder stones because its minerals are often developed within volcanic rocks.
There are both colorless and colorful kinds of topaz available, and this gem is mostly available in the United States. You may notice that almost any kind of ornament can contain topaz. It is also commonly used in jewelry making, such as in pendants, rings, and earrings.
Peridot
Peridot is a curious stone. It only occurs in one color, green, but there are many variations to the shade and tone it comes in. Since the earliest civilizations, peridot has been a prized possession as it’s believed to have protective powers against nightmares and fears.
People also believe that this gem has the power to provide “inner guidance” that helps to sharpen the mind and enter new levels of growth and awareness. While this gem is sometimes mistaken for an emerald, peridot is an equally beautiful and precious gem.
Jade
Another green-colored gem, Jade can also be found in other colors such as white, yellow, and purple. Since ancient times, this gem has been used by early civilizations to create sculptures, jewelry, and even tools.
While China is known to make various products out of jade, this gem is actually most commonly found around Washington and California.
Supplies Needed To Get Started
Before you get to digging holes in your backyard, there are a few things you might want to gather to maximize productivity and ensure you get good results. It’s recommended that your digging kit contains:
Shovels for Digging Crystals
The most important tool for finding crystals in your backyard is a shovel. The kind of soil you have in your backyard, along with the amount of area you need to cover, should point you toward the right shovel for your needs.
You can work with a trowel or a small hand shovel that either has a pointed or round cutting edge to help you break the topsoil. To make your life easier, using a round digger shovel will allow you to penetrate through soft and hard topsoil without too much strain on your hand.
Other Tools Needed for Digging
- Gardening gloves
- Comfortable clothing
- A rock hammer or pick
- A Pickaxe: This T-shaped tool can help you pry crystals out of the ground
- A Garden Spade: This should have a flattened and long blade and should be different from your rounded shovel
- A bucket: This open container will allow you to carry the crystals you find in the ground, and can be made from plastic or metal
- A sifter: This tool will help you separate your crystals from dirt and other organic materials
Where To Find Crystals
Now that you’ve organized your supplies, it’s time to start digging. So, where’s the right place to start? Well, crystals can typically be found anywhere in your backyard, and they can be mixed with gravel or in a rocky area aside from the soil.
If you’re looking for a specific type of crystal, this will depend on where you live. Some crystals can be found in various locations while others are limited. Places like Arkansas or North Carolina, for example, are common places to find crystals.
It’s recommended that you do research for your region to determine which crystals you’ll likely find in your backyard.
Common Locations for Crystals in the Backyard
Generally, any location or place where the soil was previously dug up or used for building can have great potential. This is precisely why a backyard can be the ideal area for digging crystals. However, you’ll need to remember that searching outside of your property boundaries and into public land may not be allowed.
Using a Sifter To Find Crystals in Dirt
Sifters come in a wide range of sizes to help you sieve through the soil, making your job much easier. Because smaller sifters are handheld, they’re easy to use and can quickly sieve through the dirt.
If you’re looking for a more DIY approach, you can make your own sifter using wood and hardware cloth. You can also make a bigger sifter if you want to cover a larger area in your backyard or want to dig deeper.
Looking for Crystals Near Water or Rocks
If your backyard has access to a creek or another body of water and you live in an area where crystals are common, be sure to look through pebbles and small rocks in these places using a pan and sifter, much like you would do if you were carefully sifting dirt.
Bringing a rock hammer or rock pick to help you chip away at rocks that have hardened is beneficial. You may also notice that certain wet areas will have caused water corrosion, so it may be easier to free up stones and crystals that are seemingly stuck to the ground.
Things To Avoid While Digging
For your safety, do some research ahead of time and check out the areas where you plan to dig — make sure they’re clear of any water lines or electrical lines. Here are some other things you should ensure aren’t in the areas you plan to dig:
- Sewer systems
- Cables
These areas are best avoided so that you don’t accidentally burst through or rupture anything. While your water, electric, and sewer lines are typically buried deeper in the ground, your cable lines could be closer to the surface.
Caring for Your Crystals
Once you find a few crystals and have stored them in your bucket, it’s time to get them ready for use. With a fiber cloth, start wiping down your crystals and thoroughly check them to see what kind they are. When they’re nice and clean, be sure to store them in a display case or place them around your home according to your needs.
Final Thoughts
While looking for crystals in your backyard may not be easy work, it can certainly be rewarding once you find a beautiful gem that you can use around the home or for any purpose that you see fit. Whether you want to use crystals for meditation or even sell them on to others, your backyard might just have a few beautiful pieces for you to collect.
