Crystals

How do you cleanse crystals?

Short answer: The simplest ways to cleanse a crystal are to pass it through incense or sage smoke, ring a singing bowl near it, leave it on a selenite plate, or rest it in moonlight overnight. Running water works for hard stones such as quartz and amethyst, but keep soft or iron-rich stones like selenite, malachite, pyrite and hematite dry.

What 'cleansing' means

In crystal tradition, cleansing is a small ritual to reset a stone, especially one that is new to you, has been handled by others, or that you have used during a hard time. Physically, it is also a good moment to dust the stone and check for chips.

These are traditional and spiritual associations shared for interest, not health or medical claims.

Seven traditional methods

Smoke: pass the stone slowly through the smoke of a sage bundle, palo santo or incense stick for a few breaths. Open a window.
Sound: strike a singing bowl, tingsha or bell beside the stone and let the tone fade. Good for large pieces and collections.
Moonlight: leave stones on a windowsill overnight, traditionally at the full moon. Bring sun-sensitive stones in before morning.
Selenite: rest smaller stones on a selenite plate or beside a selenite wand overnight.
Earth: bury a hard, tumbled stone in a pot of soil for a day, then rinse and dry.
Breath: hold the stone, set your intention, and breathe out over it. Handy when travelling.
Water: rinse hard stones under a cool tap for a minute and pat dry. Not for soft, porous or water-soluble stones.

Stones to keep away from water

As a rule of thumb, stones below about 5 on the Mohs hardness scale, or those containing iron or copper, should stay dry. Water can dull, crack, rust or dissolve them.

Selenite and satin spar (dissolves and goes cloudy)
Malachite and chrysocolla (copper-bearing, never soak)
Pyrite and hematite (can rust)
Calcite, fluorite, lepidolite, kyanite, angelite and celestite (soft or brittle)
Raw or tumbled clusters with loose pieces

Stones that can fade in sunlight

Amethyst, rose quartz, citrine, fluorite, aventurine and celestite can fade with long, direct sun. Use moonlight or smoke instead.

How often to cleanse

There is no fixed rule. Many people cleanse a new stone when it arrives, then monthly at the full moon, or whenever a stone feels as though it needs attention. Charging is usually done straight after: see the charging guide.