Does anyone else use gems?

I'm not sure if this is best in the Rubik's Cube or the Speakeasy. It honestly can go both ways. I figure that this is more suitable for a conversation topic rather than extensive philosophies. If not, feel free to let me know.

I'm not exactly talking about just decorative jewelry, I mean actually using gems, for healing and so forth. I believe that stones and minerals can carry and transfer certain energies. My main interest is healing and furthering one's self, rather than all that, "Rubies bring money into your life!!", type of hoo-ha. My main stone would be amethyst. It is considered the best all-purpose stone next to quartz, and does a number of tasks like healing, preventing nightmares, enhancing your Inner Mind, and in general, helps me feel calm whenever I'm stressed. Keep in mind, I don't practice any nature religions, nor am I really honestly religious, I'm purely dabbling. It could be worse; can you imagine a nib with a Ouija board?

 Spoiler

It all started when I liked the stone amethyst. It really wasn't special, went for the purple color and it stuck. It did feel a little strange in my hands when I got it, but I figured it was just cold. Told my friend, and she told me that amethyst was pretty much thought of for healing. Bored, dealing with an identity crisis, I figured I could give it a shot. All I remember is that it made me tired as all hell, and I fell asleep. The one thing I didn't know, is that it enhanced how sensitive I was to any stone that wasn't plastic and/or glass. You figure that wouldn't be a bad thing, right? What could stones listed as healing, good for the heart, etc, do wrong to someone? Well, for one thing, some types of rocks actually hurt. Sandstone makes my arms itch, a couple stones make me feel bruised and sore, and others give dull, painful pulses.

The thing is, it's not all in my head. I know there's a fine line between focusing on an energy and making it up, but I certainly don't make myself feel pain for the jollies of it. That, and I've completely sapped all the energy of my three stones. I can hold them for hours and get nothing but a cramp from closing my hands for so long. They're also a muddy, dark purple instead of the clear purple they used to be. The only time I got a reaction today was when I held my new piece of amethyst my mother bought me for vacation. It was weird to actually have a working rock again. :/ I need something to clean them, darn it.

Sorry for the auto-biography. Is anyone else into this sort of thing? I know it's considered BS by some people, but I find it interesting, and have personal experiences with it. I also need help making a charm for my boyfriend who's having bad nightmares, and while research is nice, I'd like to get additional advice from people as well. I don't know if mixing certain stones will overpower each other, cancel each other out, or put him in a coma. Y'know, all that calm and simple stuff. No pressure.