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What Are Crystal Towers, Spheres and Tumbled Stones? A Guide to Crystal Shapes

By Digital Towns Crystals ยท Last reviewed October 7, 2026

Short answer: crystals are sold in two broad kinds of shape. Natural forms, such as raw pieces, points, clusters and geodes, show the mineral as it grew. Cut and polished shapes, such as towers, spheres, wands, palm stones, hearts, pyramids and tumbled stones, are made by lapidaries who grind and polish rough stone. A crystal tower, for example, is usually cut and polished to look like a point, rather than grown that way. Neither kind is better; they suit different uses.

Natural shapes vs cut shapes

Every mineral has a crystal habit, the shape it tends to grow in. Quartz typically grows as prismatic, six-sided crystals ending in a six-sided point. Pyrite grows as cubes and fluorite as cubes and octahedra. Natural specimens show those shapes, along with the rock they grew on.

Lapidary is the craft of shaping stone, minerals and gems by cutting, grinding and polishing. Its three broad branches are tumbling, cabochon cutting and faceting, and carving shapes such as spheres, towers and hearts uses the same tools. A cut shape shows off a stone's color and pattern, and it can be made from material that never formed good crystals, such as jasper, agate or labradorite.

Raw crystals

Raw or rough crystals are pieces left as they were found or broken, without polishing. They range from single crystals and fragments to chunks of massive mineral. Raw pieces show natural texture, luster and crystal faces, and many collectors prefer them for that reason. Some minerals, such as selenite and celestite, are mostly sold raw because they are too soft to polish well.

Points and clusters

A natural point is a single crystal with its own faces and termination, such as a quartz or amethyst point. A cluster is a group of crystals still growing from a shared base. Double-terminated crystals, with a point at each end, grew without being attached on one side; Herkimer diamonds are the famous example. Geodes are hollow rocks lined with crystals, covered in the geodes guide.

Crystal towers

A crystal tower, sometimes called a polished point, is a column of stone cut and polished with flat sides and a pointed top, so it stands upright. Towers are usually cut from larger pieces, not grown that shape, which lets them be made from almost any stone, including opaque ones such as jasper and agate. An obelisk is a related tall, tapering shape.

What to look for: a stable, flat base; a clean, symmetrical point; and the stone's pattern or color running attractively up the column.

Crystal spheres

A crystal sphere, or crystal ball, is stone ground and polished into a ball. Spheres show patterns, flash and inclusions from every angle, which suits stones like labradorite, ocean jasper, agate and banded calcite. Spheres are usually displayed on a stand or ring.

Crystal balls also have a long history in fortune-telling. Made of crystal or glass, they have been used since antiquity for "crystal gazing", or scrying. That is a tradition and belief, not a property of the stone.

Crystal wands

A wand is a long, slender shaped stone, often pointed at one or both ends, or a long natural crystal used the same way. Wands are made from many stones, from clear quartz, often faceted along their length, to opaque stones such as jasper and agate. In crystal traditions, wands are used to direct attention or intention, as a tradition rather than a measurable effect.

Palm stones, worry stones and hearts

  • Palm stones are smooth, flattened ovals sized to sit in the hand.
  • Worry stones are small, flat stones, often with a shallow thumb-sized dip in one side.
  • Hearts are carved and polished heart shapes, popular as gifts. Rose quartz hearts are among the best known.

All three are made by shaping and polishing, which makes them good choices for showing color and pattern in a form people like to hold.

Pyramids, eggs and carvings

Pyramids, eggs, cubes and figurine carvings are all lapidary shapes. Carvings range from simple animals and skulls to detailed sculptures, and hard, tough stones carve best.

Tumbled stones

Tumbled stones are small pieces smoothed and polished in a rock tumbler, a process much like the natural action that turns broken glass into sea glass. A rotating, rubber-lined barrel is loaded with stones of similar hardness, abrasive grit and water. As it turns, the stones slide past each other with the grit between them.

A full tumble from rough rock to polish usually takes 3 to 5 weeks in at least three steps. It starts with a coarse grit, often silicon carbide, which rounds the stones, followed by finer grits. The last stage uses a polish such as cerium oxide or tin oxide, often with small plastic pellets that cushion the stones and spread the polish. Stones of very different hardness are not tumbled together, since harder stones would wear the softer ones down.

Tumbled stones are the most affordable way to collect many kinds of stone, and they are easy to hold, carry and display in bowls.

How to choose a shape

  • To see the mineral as it grew, choose raw pieces, points, clusters or geodes.
  • To show color and pattern, choose spheres, towers, palm stones or hearts.
  • To start a collection affordably, choose tumbled stones.
  • For soft stones, choose raw or display pieces rather than tumbles or pieces that will be handled a lot.

How do you care for shaped crystals?

  • Use a stand for spheres and eggs so they cannot roll.
  • Protect tower points and edges from knocks; they chip more easily than rounded shapes.
  • Store polished pieces apart, since harder stones can scratch softer ones.
  • Check a stone's own guide before washing it. Some, like selenite and celestite, should stay dry.

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Frequently asked questions

Are crystal towers natural?

Usually not. Most crystal towers are cut and polished from larger pieces of stone. Natural points have their own crystal faces and often a rough or broken base.

What is the difference between raw and tumbled crystals?

Raw crystals are left as found or broken, with natural texture and faces. Tumbled stones have been smoothed and polished in a rock tumbler over several weeks.

How are tumbled stones made?

In a rotating barrel with abrasive grit and water, moving from coarse grit to fine grit and finally a polish such as cerium oxide. A full tumble usually takes 3 to 5 weeks.

What is a palm stone?

A smooth, flattened oval stone sized to rest in the palm of the hand.

What is a crystal wand?

A long, slender shaped stone or natural crystal, often pointed at one or both ends. In crystal traditions, wands are used to direct attention or intention.

Are crystal balls made of real crystal?

They can be made of crystal, such as quartz, or of glass. Check the description, and the stone's guide for how to tell the difference.

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