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Treat her right.

Crystal, Care

WaterSunScratches

Crystal care comes down to three things that damage stones: water, light and other stones. Know the mineral and you know which of the three to worry about.

Read on.

Crystal care guides

Crystal care guides for water, sun, cleaning and the few minerals that need gloves.

How to Cleanse Crystals?How to clean crystals safely by stone type, and what the cleansing rituals are, labeled as lore.Dust firstWater Safe CrystalsWhich crystals can go in water, which cannot, and why: soluble, soft, porous or rust-prone.SolubleCrystals That Fade in the SunWhich crystals fade in sunlight and why, plus the sun safe crystals that keep their color.Color centersToxic CrystalsWhich crystals contain copper, lead, arsenic or mercury, and how to handle them safely.Copper

How to care for crystals

How to care for crystals starts with the label: the mineral name tells you its hardness, whether it dissolves and whether its color is stable. Every geoslut label names the mineral and its locality for exactly that reason. These habits cover almost everything.

  • Dust with a soft brush, and rinse only the stones that are water safe.
  • Keep color-sensitive stones out of direct sun and away from heaters.
  • Store soft and hard stones apart, because quartz at 7 on the Mohs scale scratches anything softer.
  • Pick up clusters by the base, not by the points.
  • Skip household chemicals, ultrasonic cleaners, steam and sudden temperature changes.

Crystal care around water

Crystal care around water is where most damage happens, because some minerals dissolve, some soak it up and some rust. Selenite and desert rose slowly dissolve, opal and turquoise absorb it, and pyrite rusts. The water safe crystals list sorts the common stones by reason and says how to clean each one instead.

Crystal care in sunlight

Crystal care in sunlight matters most for purple, pink, smoky and pale blue stones, whose colors come from tiny defects that light and heat can undo. Amethyst, rose quartz, kunzite, fluorite and celestite all fade with enough sun. The list of crystals that fade in the sun covers each one, plus the stones that keep their color.

Crystal care and safety

Crystal care and safety go together, because a few minerals should stay away from mouths, pets and drinking water. Copper minerals like malachite, lead minerals like vanadinite, and arsenic or mercury minerals are fine to display, but their dust is not safe to breathe or swallow. Wash your hands after handling raw pieces, and read up on toxic crystals before you cut, grind or soak one.

Crystal Care FAQ

What two crystals cannot be together?

The two crystals that cannot be together, in practice, are a hard one and a soft one in the same pouch: quartz will scratch fluorite, celestite or selenite. Lists of stones that clash energetically are lore, not chemistry.

How do you store crystals?

Store crystals apart from each other in padded boxes or on shelves out of direct sun, and keep soft stones like selenite and celestite away from quartz.

Can crystals get wet?

Many crystals can get wet, including quartz, amethyst and agate, but selenite, desert rose, halite, pyrite and malachite should stay dry.

Sources