A crystal wand is a stone cut into a length you can hold. That is the whole of the physical definition, and the variety underneath it — hexagonal, rounded, faceted, single point, double point, seven-stone chakra — is about shape and intent rather than material.
Single point, double point
A single-terminated wand has one shaped point and a flat or rounded base. A double-terminated wand comes to a point at both ends. The conventional reading is that a single point directs outward and a double point moves in both directions at once.
Whether or not you hold with that, the practical difference is real: a single point has an obvious way round, which makes it easier to use consistently, and a double point rolls off tables. Choose accordingly.
Hexagonal versus rounded
Hexagonal wands are cut with six flat faces, echoing the natural crystal habit of quartz. Rounded wands are polished smooth. Neither is more authentic — both are cut from rough by machine — but they feel entirely different in the hand, and since the point of a wand is that you hold it, that is the thing to decide on.
Rounded wands are the ones used for massage. A faceted edge on skin is not comfortable.
Chakra wands
A chakra wand carries seven stones in the conventional colour sequence. It is worth saying that the seven-colour chakra scheme as it is now used is largely a twentieth-century Western synthesis rather than a direct inheritance — the colour assignments in particular were standardised comparatively recently. The object is still a nice object; the history is just shorter than usually implied.
Choosing one
Weight matters more than people expect. A wand you find pleasant to hold for ten minutes is worth more than a rarer stone you put down after two. If you can, go by size and heft first and stone second.
Check the point. Machine-cut points chip easily, and a chipped tip on a clear quartz wand is very visible. Points on softer stones — selenite, fluorite, calcite — will not survive being carried loose in a bag.
Selenite wands → · Choose by stone → · Not sure? Take the quiz →