Staurolite is a dark brown mineral whose crystals grow twinned, so two prisms cross each other and make a natural cross. People call it the fairy cross. We do not carry it.
Silicate (nesosilicate)
Staurolite
Estaurolita
- Palette
- Brown Black
- Mined in
- United States, Switzerland, Norway
- Hardness
- Mohs 7.0–7.5 ?
- See-through
- opaque
- Known since
- 1792
- Named for
- Greek stauros and lithos, cross stone, for its cross twins
- Also sold as
- fairy cross, fairy stone, cross stone, lapis crucifer
- Intention
- Protection Abundance
- Looking for
- Luck Protection
- Water
- Fine with water and mild soap
- Dye or finish
- Staurolite crosses are sold as natural crystals; no dye or heat is described by the pages we read.
Not in our pieces now
60° AND 90°
Staurolite crystals commonly twin at 60 degrees and, less often, at 90 degrees, which makes the cross shape.
4,741 ACRES
Fairy Stone State Park in Virginia, named for the local cross-shaped stones, covers 4,741 acres and opened in June 1936.
JUNIUS FISHBURN
Junius B. Fishburn, a former bank president and newspaper owner, donated the land for Fairy Stone State Park in 1933.
What it is
Dark reddish-brown to blackish crystals that grow twinned, so two prisms cross each other at right angles, or sometimes at a slant, to make a natural cross. The faces are matte and rough, and it is sold as whole crystals, not beads.
Where it comes from
Staurolite crosses are most often found in Fannin County, Georgia, and Patrick County, Virginia, with classic European finds in the Swiss Alps, Brittany in France, and Norway.
In history
Staurolite's natural cross-shaped twin crystals gave Fairy Stone State Park in Patrick County, Virginia its name, from a local legend about the stones. It is the official state mineral of Georgia and New Mexico.
What's said about it
In crystal lore today, staurolite is kept for luck and protection. A crystal is set on an altar or in the middle of a labyrinth or medicine wheel.
Older European folklore made it a charm. In Brittany people wore the crosses and said they fell from the sky, and in Basel they served as amulets at baptisms.
A Virginia legend says fairies wept at news of the crucifixion and their tears turned into crosses. The crystals are still kept as pocket charms.
How people wear or keep it: In a pocket, on an altar, or in the center of a labyrinth or medicine wheel.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, staurolite is paired with the root and heart and third eye chakras, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: in a pocket, on an altar, in the center of a labyrinth or medicine wheel. People reach for it when they want luck, protection, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraRoot, Heart, Third Eye
ZodiacPisces
ElementEarth
Also calledfairy cross, fairy stone, cross stone
Care
- It is hard, about Mohs 7 to 7.5, so everyday wear is not a problem, but a natural crystal has rough faces that can snag fabric.
- Rinse in lukewarm water with a drop of mild soap and dry with a soft cloth.
- Chiastolite is also called cross stone but is a different mineral, so keep labels straight when storing both.
- Store loose so the crosses do not rub against softer stones.
How to tell what you have
- A real fairy cross is a dark reddish-brown to black twinned crystal with rough matte faces, hardness 7 to 7.5, heavy for its size (about 3.7 to 3.8 times water). Crosses meet at about 60 or 90 degrees.
- Be suspicious of a batch where every cross is the same size and shape, or of crosses with air bubbles; some are cast tourist models and some are not staurolite at all.
Questions people ask at our table
What is staurolite?
It is an iron aluminum silicate whose crystals often grow in twinned pairs. The twins cross to form a natural X or plus-sign shape.
Why is it called a fairy cross?
The name comes from folklore, most famously a Virginia legend that fairy tears fell and turned into crosses. The mineral's own name comes from the Greek word for cross.
Is chiastolite the same stone?
No. Chiastolite is andalusite with a dark cross inside each crystal, and it is also sold as a cross stone. Staurolite's cross is the crystal shape itself.
Where is it found?
Well-known sources include Patrick County in Virginia, Fannin County in Georgia, the Swiss Alps and Norway.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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