Stands and Lighting

[darwinia]

I don't know if I'm veering too much off topic, but I was interested in what other people do with regard to display and lighting for crystals.

I went to a shop to pick up two tarot decks I had ordered and she had a lovely 2-inch sphere of chrysocolla that I wanted but alas, it was $150 CDN. I did however pick up some tiny polished bits of rose quartz, rhosochrosite, chrysocolla, Botswana agate (which is very pretty) and some flourite in a purple/green/clear mixture.

I couldn't afford the book she had--the Melody book, but I did buy a real beginner's book by Simon Lilly which had nice pictures and was only $5.

My question concerns stands for crystal and gemstone spheres. I know some of the stands have lighting, some are wood, some are more decorative. Does anyone here make their own? Or has anyone here used a found object to make a stand? What are your opinions are using lighting or coloured lighting for your crystals?

Just planning ahead ;-)

Edited to add: I've seen some lovely small ceramic pots, some hand painted, and I thought if you glued a scrap of velvet around the inside to prevent scratches that it might work as a decorative stand for a crystal without being tacky. That's kind of what I mean by "found" object. At the shop I go to, she had a small wine glass with a pewter holder depicting a dragon and the glass broke so she put a crystal shere on the metal--very sharp looking and the stand wasn't too tall since the glass was small in the first place.

I'm not sure if there is some kind of rule about only using metal or wood for stands, so your comments would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Kyrielle]

I don't know of any rules about what materials to use for display stands. As far as I know, you can use what you want to. The rules I have heard of mostly are ideas on what materials to use or avoid when setting crystals in jewelry or in tools such as wands or athames. Silver is the best metal for setting stones in, as it magnifies the natural power. Copper is also good for a more active, masculine energy. Avoid gold, as its makeup interferes with the forces of the stones.

Uma Silbey notes that whatever material is touching the crystal will impart a bit of its influence onto the stone. Thus, wood gives a woodsy, natural influence, copper conducts energy well, etc.

There are lightboxes made especially for displaying crystals, although I have never really sought one out. If you light a crystal with colored light, be aware of the qualities of that color, as the crystal will pick the qualities up and project them. Some crystal healers use this method for color therapy. Clear the crystal before you use it with another color of light.

I have some little, inexpensive, hematite rings that work very well as simple and inobtrusive stands for any size of sphere (except maybe for the very large ones, the ones over 3 inches or so in diameter, which are out of my budget anyway). They are the same rings that you can wear on your fingers, and they cost about $1 (US) here at the shops right now. Or you could use any other kind of finger ring as well.

The idea about the pots sounds like a good one. Another thing you could do is display spheres on small cushions. The ones I have are velvet and made especially for displaying objects. They have an extra corner that the object nestles into so it doesn't roll off. Certain candleholders are another possibility.

People sometimes post in the tarot sections about their decks "demanding" to be put in a particular bag or box. You could listen to your spheres and see if you feel they prefer to be displayed in one way or another.

-- Kyrielle

[darwinia]

Originally posted by Kyrielle
[B]I have some little, inexpensive, hematite rings that work very well as simple and inobtrusive stands for any size of sphere (except maybe for the very large ones, the ones over 3 inches or so in diameter, which are out of my budget anyway).

Way out of my budget too. The girl in the shop had them on these rings--hers looked like jasper, so this is a good idea at least until I could come up with something else. I have several different kinds of gemstone chips for jewellery and love the agates and jaspers.

The idea about the pots sounds like a good one. Another thing you could do is display spheres on small cushions. The ones I have are velvet and made especially for displaying objects

Oh, I never thought of this. I make my own bags so this might work. So you have five corners? I wonder if filling/stuffing it with fine quality sand would also help the sphere nestle in? Or perhaps put the gemstone ring under the sphere on the cushion as well. Great idea.

I had thought of candleholders as long as they weren't too tall, but I live in a rural area and don't have access to gift shops or specialty shops that would carry such things. I really like your idea of a beautiful cushion.

People sometimes post in the tarot sections about their decks "demanding" to be put in a particular bag or box. You could listen to your spheres and see if you feel they prefer to be displayed in one way or another.

Those wild and wacky tarot people!! (Ooops, I am one of them.) Mine seem to favour intense colour coordination of silk ribbon and embroidery silk with their bags. Those Victoria Regina cards demanded I sew a fancy 22-hour insert for their bag. You'd think the tassel would be enough, but not for them they had BIG ideas.

Thanks, great ideas. Every time I go in a store I'll be looking for spherical holders that are a bit different. I think you'd have to be a bit careful of a stand that overdid it and competed with the loveliness of the sphere itself.

[Kyrielle]

A little clarification about the five-cornered cushions: They look just like a regular square cushion. If you set it down on a table without anything on it, the fifth corner sticks straight up, unstuffed. When you put something on the cushion, you tuck the extra point into the middle underneath the object. The cushions are stuffed with sand, loosely, like a beanbag. I got them at a rock show. They are made by a small company, so I don't think they have a website or anything, but you might find something on the internet if you look hard. Or try to make one?

-- Kyrielle

[darwinia]

Originally posted by Kyrielle
A little clarification about the five-cornered cushions: They look just like a regular square cushion. If you set it down on a table without anything on it, the fifth corner sticks straight up, unstuffed. When you put something on the cushion, you tuck the extra point into the middle underneath the object. The cushions are stuffed with sand, loosely, like a beanbag.

Right, I'm sure I've seen something like this. I don't much like the other kind of raised fabric cushions that are very high like a crystal ball thing. Forgive my nomenclature, I don't know what else to call it, but they look kind of like the standard gypsy ball-gazing setup which I find a bit tacky.

I was looking online and I saw a couple of retail stands that are interesting and they look like Art Nouveau which is appealing. One had the sphere in a metal oval at the bottom and then rising above it at the back was a fairy, and they managed to pull this off without looking cute or twee. The other was slightly taller and had 3 human figures holding the crystal. It was 7 inches tall though and I think I'd worry about it being knocked (by pets) and then rolling off.

Thanks!
(p.s. how come the chrysocolla sphere I want seems to be the most expensive? Why oh why couldn't I like something cheaper? <g>)

[coldsuns]

I saw a nice circle with a David Star in the middle with 7 shallow holes for putting sphere crystals. It is unique and nice. I think red jasper is a very nice crystal. It looks so heartwarming!!

[cricket]

Don't forget to do the simplest thing of all (for some of us) and just take a hike. My sphere was quite content on the little stand I bought with it until I took it with me on a walk the other day. Now it seems much happier on a couple of branches that had fallen during the snowstorms and had formed a sort of stand when they landed together.