There are several ways to interact with minerals and crystals. One way is to see the stones with powers that can effect change within you. Putting Amethyst around the neck for a headache is one of those. Adding lavender and peppermint can also help take the headache away. Another way is to understand them as chemicals and grind them up and take them like cell salts. The Eastern approach is to use them as energy modulators and lay them on the body at certain energy points like chakras. Still another way is see them as part of the color spectrum and use them as color therapy. Green or pink is good for the heart so green or pink stones could be used with heart issues. Healing a wounded heart with rose quartz can help heal heart break or damage from a heart attack.
There is another approach that is more metaphysical and sees crystals as a link between earth and the cosmos. Crystals have the ability to transmit and receive energy. They can align our intentions with our greater purpose. Crystals are then given psychic and health properties. Rose Quartz is good for creating loving and gentle energy. It can be used for stress and heart problems. Not everyone is in agreement on what each mineral or crystal does. Some books can have completely different ideas for the same stone. It is up to you what you want to believe.
It is very important to keep your stones clean. They get dusty but more than that they seem to collect energy so the stones become energetically dirty. There are many ways to clean stones. Putting them under running water can clear them of dust and energy. Care must be taken that the mineral is not water soluble as sandstone or halite (salt) is. Taking them to the beach and allowing the ocean water to wave over them can also clean them. The sun can purify and remove negative energy from the stones. Sitting them in a sunny window with the idea that they will be clean and happy can do the job. Putting minerals in salt or sea salt can clear them. You can also use your mind and focus on the stone bringing your attention to the base of the stone and allowing your mind to move through the stone with the intention of cleaning it. You can also imagine a waterfall falling onto the crystal and taking any unwanted or negative energy away. Large crystal clusters can act as a cleaning chamber if you place smaller stones on them; they can take away unwanted energy.
Then you can always just program a crystal to clear or clean itself after it is used. Programming is a way of focusing a crystal's intention on what you want it to do. Minerals already have a program from where they were born or mined. Arkansas quartz is different in energy from Brazil quartz. Hold a crystal or mineral in your hand and allow it to become familiar with you. You may not be comfortable with a crystal and may find the same mineral from a different location works better for you. Take the thought that when you put the stone into a window, it will energize and clean itself. The picture could be a smile on the crystal as it sits in the sun letting go of negative or dark energy. As you give the stone this picture and this thought, you are programming it. Some will hold it in their left hand to attune the stone to themselves and then put the stone in their right hand as they program it.
To clear the room's environment from any unwanted energy, you can smudge, spray or diffuse essential oils, mentally clear the room, or meditate it clean. One way we use here is to put a little Epsom salts and high proof alcohol in a heat proof measuring glass. Light the salts. Let them burn and take this through the room. Once you have completely traveled through the room, blow out the flame or smother it. A few of your favorite oils, can be placed on the hot salts and they will quickly diffuse through the room. This is a very simple and lovely way to clear the environment.
If you want to use crystals in a bath with essential oils, it can be a great experience but will dull the shine of the crystal. It is better in bath work with essential oils to use rough cut or polished stones. You can put your crystals on the side of your tub. It all works.
Using essential oils as perfume can also be helped by wearing a crystal or stone necklace. You are under a lot of stress. You wear an amethyst necklace and put lavender behind your ears and at your pulse points. Now it is much easier to walk calmly through your day while you look and smell nice.