While shopping at Dancing Cranes (scrumptious store in Salt Lake City, Utah that sells crystals and lots of cagey imports) I bought a book on crystals that I had not seen for sale anywhere else.  The title is The Crystal Lotus Handbook by Margherita.  Margherita is a graduate of Katrina Raphaell's Crystal Academy located in Hawaii.  The book is absolutely stellar (as I have come to expect now from Crystal Academy grads).  The price is spendy at $29.95 but completely worth the outlay.  It is a slow read with lots of exercises some of which will take longer to complete that it would take to finish reading the book. A serious practitioners book for sure, but could be a splendid first overview of the metaphysical work surrounding crystals for a deeply passionate novice.
Overall recommend level +A.  Here is a link to Margherita's extensive website The Crystal Lotus