Making a Gem Essence

Working with Crystals

Amethyst is a wonderful all-rounder to create a gem essence with; see my mini mediation with Amethyst HERE on the wonderful Astrum Opus site

A gem essence holds the energy vibration signature of the crystal or crystals you like to work with. Here is a simple guide for creating an essence if you have not created one before.

A gem essence can be made from all crystals, but caution should be taken as not all crystals are safe to immerse in water and ingest; please check your chosen crystal is suitable. For example, Malachite and Sulphur, though wonderful healing crystals, are toxic. You can still make an essence, but only indirectly, by placing the crystal in a smaller glass bowl and then adding that to your large bowl of water, as you would a Bain-marie. Some crystals, though not toxic, are friable, meaning they disintegrate in water, which we also do not want. The indirect method can be used for these too.

Creating an essence can be done either on a sunny day or at a specific time in the Moon's cycle. It is especially good at the Taurus New Moon, as Luna is exalted.

While creating your essence, be mindful of your thoughts and try to keep them light and positive; the crystal and essence will pick up the energies you are emitting.

Before embarking on the essence creation process, it's crucial to cleanse the crystal. This step is not to be overlooked, as it ensures the purity of the final product and enhances its effectiveness. You can use several methods for this: Run the crystal in clean water—a stream is ideal, but mineral or, ideally, distilled water works, too. Alternatively, you can place it in a salt or brown rice bowl for 24 hours or sound cleanse with bells or a singing bowl.

After cleansing the crystal, the next step is to programme it with your specific intentions. This is an important part of the process, as it aligns the crystal's energy with your desired outcome and maximises its healing potential. Hold the crystal in your cupped hands and concentrate on what you would like the crystal to assist with. Make it something that resonates with each crystal's energy. For instance, with Amethyst, you could ask for a calm mind, restful sleep, help to rebalance the hormones, etc.

All the apparatus should be cleaned thoroughly before being used to remove any energetic debris.

Picture credit

You Will Need

Crystal of your choice

A glass bowl (or two, one large and one small for the indirect method)

A muslin cloth or paper towel is used to cover the bowl.

Distilled water

Three single-point Clear Quartz crystals

Alcohol or glycerine to preserve.

Two glass bottles with droppers for your Mother and Stock, brown or blue, to protect the contents from light.

One spray bottle for your dosage bottle

Now, let's move on to the essence creation process. Find a quiet place where the bowl will not be disturbed and receive the sun or moonlight. If using the Sun's energy, place this in the morning for around 3- 12 hours, or overnight if capturing the Moon’s energy.

Place the distilled water in the large bowl, enough to cover your crystal, and either use the indirect method mentioned above or, if your crystal is safe, immerse it in the water.

Then, place the three Clear Crystal points around the bowl in a triangle. This keeps the energy within the bowl contained while protecting it from outside energies. Cover the bowl to stop insects and impurities from getting in.

Once the time is up, you make a Mother Bottle first. When you come to decant the essence, place the preservative (brandy, alcohol, glycerine) at two-thirds of your storage bottle and then add the essence as the last third. Label this bottle, Mother Essence, with the crystal name and the time and date. Alcohol-based glycerine will last many years, and it can last 2-3 years if you store the bottle away from heat and direct sunlight and keep the lid tight. Be careful when decanting from this bottle; any unsterilised item touching the contents will taint your Mother essence.

Once you have your Mother Essence, you can create your Stock bottle. This is another bottle with one part preservative and one part distilled water. Add 7-12 drops of your Mother essence to this bottle. Mark it as a Stock Bottle with all the details. If stored correctly, it will also keep. Use this to make all your following Dosage bottles until empty, then create more Stock from your Mother bottle.

Lastly, in your Dosage bottle, which can be completely distilled water, add 7-12 drops from the Stock Bottle. This will only last a few days, but you can add a third preservative if you want to keep it longer. This is the essence that you will use to spray around the home or above your head in a fine mist to cleanse your space. Carry it with you, and spray this around you whenever you feel that you require an energetic boost or that the energies around you are getting heavy.

You can use this essence with a dropper bottle and put seven drops under the tongue three times daily. It may seem that this tiny amount cannot combat much, but give it a go and see how you feel, I would love to hear how you get on with your new gem essence.