📌 🔒 Material Qualities

No matter your material, colour can have a major effect on the spell being cast.  Colours bring both positive and negative influences to spells, and can be used to guide a result in a favourable direction, or offset an unwanted effect of a material being used.  Meanings and interpretations of colour can vary from culture to culture, and as such different characters may also have different reasons for choosing different colours to use in their spellcraft.

RED 
Positive: Love, passion, good luck, importance, happiness, heat
Negative: Anger, danger, warning, death

ORANGE
Positive: Energy, amusement, fire, intensity, the changing of seasons, attention, enlightenment
Negative: Exhibitionism, obnoxiousness, hunger

YELLOW
Positive: Joy, peace, knowledge, sunshine, wisdom, positivity
Negative: Fear, sickness, contamination, warning

GREEN
Positive: Nature, healing, youth, relaxation, stability
Negative: Greed, sickness, jealousy, inexperience

BLUE
Positive: Serenity, stability, wisdom, respectability, grace, trustworthiness
Negative: Sadness, depression, mourning

PURPLE
Positive: Power, royalty, devotion, mysticism, spirituality
Negative: Excess, exclusivity, arrogance, over-emotionality

PINK
Positive: Love, softness, playfulness, kindness
Negative: Immaturity, delicacy, unseriousness

BROWN
Positive: Earth, stability, humbleness, warmth
Negative: Poverty, dirt, emptiness

WHITE
Positive: Cleanliness, innocence, softness, power, purity, happiness
Negative: Death, absence, mourning, emptiness

GREY
Positive: Maturity, reliability, professionalism, refinement
Negative: Blandness, loneliness, pessimism, indecisiveness

BLACK
Positive: Elegance, sophistication, authority, mystery
Negative: Death, grief, mourning, depression 

Sources: 1, 2

There are more kinds of crystal than could ever be practical to list here, so instead I've included a small list of some of the most commonly available kinds, and strongly encourage you to dip further into the fascinating field if you're looking for something more specific!

Mohs Hardness Scale: 3.4-5

Colour: Azure blue

Spiritual Associations: Wisdom, healing, psychic ability, balance

Mohs Hardness Scale: 2.5-3.5

Colour: Cyan

Spiritual Associations: Communication, calm, teaching, empowerment

Mohs Hardness Scale: 4

Colour: Inherently colourless, however easily takes on various colours due to impurities.

Other Qualities: Often fluorescent under ultraviolet light.

Spiritual Associations: Focus, clarity, cleansing, mental achievement

Mohs Hardness Scale: 6.5-7

Colour: Various shades of green

Spiritual associations: Harmony, dreaming, protection, good luck

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jadeite

Mohs Hardness Scale: 6-6.5

Colour: Various shades of green

Other Qualities: Known locally as Pounamu, this stone has extremely high cultural significance to Māori and is legally classified as taonga.  All naturally occurring pounamu in the country is legal property of the Ngāi Tahu/Kāi Tahu iwi, meaning that characters who are not members of this iwi should not be working with this material unless it is imported from another country.

Spiritual associations: Mana, strength, pride, connection to the land

Common Varieties: Agate, Amethyst, Carnelian, Chalcedony, Citrine, Clear Quartz,  Jasper, Milky Quartz, Onyx, Rose Quartz, Smoky Quartz, Tiger's Eye

Mohs Hardness Scale: 7

Colour: Various

Spiritual associations: Too many to name, due to the multitude of varieties

Mohs Hardness Scale: 3.5-4

Colour: Various shades of red/pink

Spiritual associations: Joy, playfulness, love, inner peace

Mohs Hardness Scale: 5.5-6

Colour: Royal blue, green, yellow, violet, often with white veining

Spiritual Associations: Logic, awakening, mindfulness, understanding

Common Varieties: Dravite, Elbaite, Schorl

Mohs Hardness Scale: 7-7.5

Colour: Most commonly black, but can come in a variety of colours.

Spiritual Associations: Too many to name, due to specific associations by colour.

Mohs Hardness Scale: 5-6

Colour: Turquoise

Spiritual Associations: Protection, friendship, wholeness, enlightenment

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turquoise

Overarching sources: 1, 2 

As with crystals, there are far more kinds of stone than it would be practical to list here, so this will be a partial list of most common kinds, alongside a few basic qualities.

Classification: Igneous

Mohs Hardness Scale: 6-7

Common Uses: Construction, sculpture, CO2 filtration, road construction, heavy engineering

Classification: Metamorphic

Mohs Hardness Scale: 6-7

Common Uses: Construction, road construction, flooring, ornamental works

Granite
Classification: Igneous

Mohs Hardness Scale: 6-7

Common Uses: Construction, sculpture, engineering, paving, countertops, rock climbing, monuments, memorials

Classification: Sedementary

Mohs Hardness Scale: 3-4

Common Uses: Construction, production of lime, pH buffering, road construction, glassmaking, calcium source, purification, cement, soil conditioning

Classification: Metamorphic

Mohs Hardness Scale: 3-4

Common Uses: Sculpture, flooring, decoration, interiors

Classification: Sedementary

Mohs Hardness Scale: 6-7

Common Uses: Construction, flooring, paving, tools, sanding

Classification: Metamorphic

Mohs Hardness Scale: 5.5-6.5

Common Uses: Roofing, flooring, insulation, bench tops, coasters, memorials

Overarching Sources: 1, 2, 3    

As with the two sections above, this is by no means an exhaustive list, merely a starting point to find inspiration.

Melting Point: 660.32 °C

Common Uses: Transportation, packaging, construction, electronics, household items, machinery

Melting Point: 900 to 940 °C

Melting Point: 950 °C

Melting Point: 1084.62 °C

Common Uses: Electronics, roofing, plumbing, industrial machinery, architecture, antimicrobials, folk medicine, alloying

Melting Point: 1538 °C

Common Uses: Machinery, cookware, household objects, alloying

Melting Point: 327.46 °C

Common Uses: Construction, weaponry, weight, sculpture, alloying, batteries, electronics, sound insulation, radiation shielding

Melting Point: 650 °C

Common Uses: Construction, alloying, transportation, electronics, as an additive

Melting Point: 1455 °C

Common Uses: Alloying, batteries, musical instruments, electronics, decorative purposes

Melting Point: 1414 °C

Common Uses: Alloying, electronics

Melting Point: 1,540 °C

Melting Point: 231.93 °C

Common Uses: Alloying, casting, pigments, soldering, plating, household objects

Melting Point: 1668 °C

Common Uses: Alloying, transportation, industrial machinery, sporting gear, architecture, jewelry, medical implements & implants

Melting Point: 3422 °C

Common Uses: Alloying, industrial machinery, tools, ballast, electronics, gold substitution

Melting Point: 419.53 °C

Common Uses: Alloying, galvanisation, batteries, anti-corrosive, industrial use, coverings

Due to biosecurity laws and limits on imports, the kinds of readily available wood in Aotearoa are likely not going to be the kinds of wood people in the rest of the world are used to encountering.  While this is not an exhaustive list of available wood types, the selection of available options is largely limited by what can legally be grown locally, and I strongly encourage you to double check availability before incorporating a specific kind of wood into your spells.

Common Exotic Hardwood

Colour: Neutral brown

Common Uses: Instruments, tools, furniture

Common Endemic Hardwood

Colour: Rich honey brown

Common Uses: Furniture, cabinetry, wood-turning

Common Exotic Softwood

Colour: Various browns, yellows, and reds

Common Uses: Exteriors, interiors

Common Exotic Hardwood

Colour: Rich brown

Common Uses: Exteriors, commercial use

Common Exotic Hardwood

Colour: Greenish brown

Common Uses: Exteriors, marine use, bridges

Rare Exotic Hardwood

Colour: Deep browns

Common Uses: Flooring, exteriors, furniture

Rare Native Softwood

Colour: Cream-white to yellow

Common Uses: Carving

Common Endemic Hardwood

Colour: Pinkish brown

Common Uses: Tools, firewood

Endangered Native Hardwood

Colour: Warm honey brown

Common Uses: Wood-turning, housewares, ornamentation

Note: Kauri is the second largest tree in the world, and the oldest living specimen is over 1500 years old.  Deforestation and disease has made them extremely rare in recent years, and there are restrictions on its use.

Common Endemic Hardwood

Colour: Medium yellow-brown

Common Uses: Medicinal, construction, cabinetry, wood-turning

Common Native Hardwood

Colour: Warm reddish brown

Common Uses: Medicinal, tools, firewood

Note: Honey produced from the nectar of the Mānuka tree is known worldwide for its healing properties, and there are specific laws regarding its export and sale.

Common Endemic Softwood

Colour: Warm reddish brown

Common Uses: Furniture, carving, ornaments

Common Exotic Hardwood

Colour: Neutral brown

Common Uses: Interiors, exteriors, marine, culinary

Common Exotic Softwood

Colour: Light, soft browns

Common Uses: Exteriors, interiors, furniture

Common Native Hardwood

Colour: Rich reddish-brown

Common Uses: Tools, marine, medicinal

Other: While alive, often referred to as "New Zealand's Christmas Tree" for its bright red flowers which usually bloom in December.

Rare Native Hardwood

Colour: Dark greenish brown

Common Uses: Furniture, wood-turning, medicinal

Common Exotic Hardwood

Colour: Rich purple which degrades to light brown under UV exposure

Common Uses: Decking, architecture, musical instruments

Endangered Native Hardwood

Colour: Rich reddish/purplish brown

Common Uses: Construction, wood-turning, medicinal, firewood

Common Endemic Hardwood

Colour: Rich red-ish brown

Common Uses: Decorative, wood-turning, flooring

Common Endemic Hardwood

Colour: Pink-brown with red speckling

Common Uses: Decorative, furniture, musical instruments

Rare Native Softwood

Colour: Rich honey-brown 

Common Uses: Furniture, wood-turning, decorative, housewares

Common Exotic Hardwood

Colour: Rich reddish-brown

Common Uses: Commercial, exteriors, musical instruments, cabinetry, furniture

Common Endemic Hardwood

Colour: Neutral brown with natural dark heartlines

Common Uses: Furniture, flooring, decorative, wood-turning, spiritual

Common Endemic Softwood

Colour: Pinkish brown

Common Uses: Decorative, housewares, fencing, carving

Common Exotic Hardwood

Colour: Light brown

Common Uses: Exteriors, decking

Common Exotic Softwood

Colour: Pale brown

Common Uses: Large-scale construction, interiors, leather tanning, paper

Overarching sources: 1, 2, 3   

Fibrecraft is an extremely broad field, and this is an incredible surface-level spread of options.  Elements such as weave, pattern, blended fabrics, and so much more may play a part in spell design, and creativity is especially encouraged in this area!

Type: Seed Fibre

Common Uses: Textiles, fibre crafts, housewares, weaving, decorative

Type: Bast Fibre

Common Uses: Textiles, fibre crafts, housewares, weaving, decorative

Type: Leaf Fibre

Common Uses: Textiles, traditional weaving

Type: Leaf Fibre

Common Uses: Textiles, housewares, construction, insulation

Type: Synthetic Fibre

Common Uses: Textiles, housewares, furnishing, construction, electronics, outdoor supplies

Type: Animal Fibre

Common Uses: Textiles, furnishing, decorative, weaving, fibre crafts

Type: Animal Fibre

Common Uses: Fibre crafts, textiles, housewares

These are materials that while not fitting easily into any of the above categories may be of significant use in spell construction or are otherwise notable.  If you think of any additional components that would be a worthwhile or interesting addition to this list, please drop me a message!