I'm not into mystical stuff but I do like shiny rocks. We have a HUGE gem show in Tucson that lasts for about two weeks out of the year and the minerals are just amazing. Some sources say it's the biggest gem show in the world, and others just say it's one of the biggest.
I always say that the most wonderful time of the year isn't Christmas, it's the gem show. I only buy inexpensive things, mostly small pieces that I can put in a piece of jewelry. Here are some of my amethyst pieces, along with some quartz, citrine, and an African opal (the blue one). The biggest piece is about 2 1/2 inches across. I got two pieces of amethyst stalactite this year that I like very much, and they were ridiculously cheap ($3 each) because they were broken. They're the ones with green circles in the middle. I wanted to buy a whole piece too which would have cost a lot more, but I didn't see one that I liked as much as the broken pieces. So I'll wait and see what I can find next year. A good jewelry design can take advantage of the fact that the ones I already have are flat on one edge.
