The use of stones & crystals as amulets & talismans date back the Palaeolithic Era.  Beads, made of mammoth tusks, were found in an ancient burial site in what is now Russia.

Amber has been used as amulets for over 30,000 years.  Humans have been using gems, stones, bones and seeds for thousands of years for a variety of different purposes such as protection, healing, good crops, etc.

In Ancient Sumeria. crystals were used in magic formulas. Ancient Egyptians used stones for protection and health.  Galena, lead ore, was ground into a fine powder and uses as eye shadow known as kohl.