I will be the first to admit that I know next to nothing about crystals (and lots of other stuff, too, for that matter) and I was always hesitant to post here because I don't want to come off as a noob (as my kids would say).  But the people on M-B are friendly and we don't come ready made with all the knowldege in place, so what the heck.  Anyway, about 8 years ago I was in a pewter curio shop (that also sold crystals I found out) when I felt called by a crystal.  As a person whose sole spirituality at the time was running D&D campaigns, I didn't qualify as spiritual or crystal aware.  Anyway, I felt like the amethyst geode (I believe that's what its called) was calling me.  It looked something like this but with a darker purple and thicker (less clear crystal quartz (?)):



I didn't buy.  I couldn't buy it.  It sold for something like $195 and I did not have that much money or available credit.    I look back now and remember that I thought it was sooooo weird that I would feel a compulsion to such strange (and uncharacteristic) behavior.  Next time I visited the shop (and uncharacteristically had the money) the geode was gone. Now I think I understand a little better that there was some syncing of energy between the crystal and me (I think, I really know very very little of this).  I still don't own a crystal to this day.  Since the geode disappeared I have not found anything so magnificent.  The local "new age" shop sells dyed amethyst, which seems dead to me energy wise.  I would love to recreate the feeling that I had 8 years ago.  It was my favorite crystal.

Oh amethyst is beautiful!!  I can see why you were drawn to it it is know as one of the master healers and has so many wonderful benefits!

The caves/geodes are just gorgeous, I promised myself one for my thirtieth birthday last year and saved $250 for one.  I went to a market that I always go to buy my Cave from a lady that knows me by sight as I have spent quite a lot of money there already.  she knew I was there to buy my Cave and had brought in her own as she was wanting to move it on she is in her late 80's and was about to have a pacemaker put in and thought it was time to move her (The cave) into a new home.  so she took me aside and showed me the amethyst cae and said should I want it it was $450.00.  I said I only had $250.00 saved for one and that I couldnt afford it.  

She took my hand and said "Darling if you want it i'll take the what you can pay now and you can pay it off before christmas in your own time"  Then she handed me the cave and said take it home today, you can pay me the installments whenever I next see you at the markets!"   I nearly fell over.  I couldnt believe she was willing for me to pay it off let alone take it home that same day and still owe her $200.  I refused but she insisted so here is my gorgeous amethyst cave 'Bernie' that I named after her.  She is over 25 kilos and I cant lift her and she has spirit quartz at the base also and is just a dream come true!!

To buy her normally without Bernies generous help the cave retails at over $2,000 here in Australia.

WOW!! That is georgeous! and i am told you can energise all your crystals by putting them inside a cave crystal such as this...is that true?

Yes amethyst caves and beds are great for cleansing crystals.  I also have a 3kilo amethyst bed that I lay my crystals on permanently so they can be cleansed before each use.  I tend to use my bed though I didnt really think to put them into the cave....I wonder why that never crossed my mind??  Caves are great for rooms as with all the different terminators it projects energy all around reaching every corner......I dont know many people who aren't drawn to geodes/caves they seem to have a gravity about them that draws you in.

Once the crystal has been on the bed for a day and night I can then programme my crystal for my intent on healing a specific thing, or to retain memory, or just to give me a smile when I hold it etc.  I also have a large selenite slab that I use for cleansing the crystal also.

I LOVE seeing the beds etc littered with other stones especially with other quartz as it just vibrates beautifully.  They just look stunning also with the energy and color!

That is one amazing Amythest Cave you have there, it is great when things like that happen.  Something similar happened to me which I think I posted under the title Moon Stone if you want to read about it.

I have never owned anything that big, I have a small box for my crystals which suits me fine now.  I also heard you can put all your crystals in there to be cleansed.

As for Crystals calling you, that is the way I pick my crystals.  If I am looking for a particular crystal I will wave my hand over where that type of crystal is and the one that jumps out at me I will choose.