Some of the functions of the individual minerals are rather broad, such as the metallic mineral known as iron. Iron is one of the most important substances upon this world. It is the carrier for the magnetic fields within the Earth's crust. It is an essential mineral for all plant life to grow and flourish. Each mineral and gemstone, likewise, performs or assists with some function of life here.
All gems have their niche that they fulfill and support, in some unique way.
Like the plant and animal kingdoms, the gemstone world is filled with life-force energy. Crystals and minerals grow as the other species of lifeforms do, but on a totally different level of reality. Gemstones and minerals grow very slowly, and often take hundreds of thousands, to millions of years to develop. The gemstone realm is a living one, full of a vast variety of colors, forms, and sizes. Those who have worked closely with crystals and gemstones may have sensed or experienced their 'living' energy within them.