How to: Crystal Care

When you start collecting gemstones, one of the things most people forget to research is how to take care of their crystals. It's one of those things that might not cross your mind until you've accidentally dissolved one of your pieces while trying to cleanse it, or cracked a stone that you've left in the sun. 

It's best to research the stones you have at home, but here is some info to give you a head start.

Stones that should never be left in water:
Some stones will be damaged by water, others may dissolve. Keep these stones away from water and they will last a lot longer in your care.

• Kyanite
• Angelite
• Selenite
• Desert Rose
• Calcite
• Celestite
• Scolecite
• Vanidinite
• Barite
• Azurite
• Aragonite
• Hemimorphite
• Dolomite
• any other stones that appear brittle or porous. 

Stones that shouldn't be left in the sunlight:
There are some stones that may be damaged by excessive sunlight. Some will crack because they can't be exposed to heat for extended periods of time, others will be bleached by the sunlight and lose their beautiful colour.

• Rose Quartz
• Australian Opal
• Amethyst
• Citrine
• Super 7
• Ametrine
• Smoky quartz
• Turquoise
• Morganite
• Kunzite

Stones that are soft/fragile and should be handled carefully:
Some stones, such as those listed below, need a little extra care. They might be easily scratched, may crack or shatter if dropped, or should be kept in a separate box/bag from your other stones so they don't ding against the others.

• Opal 
• Druzy crystals
• the tips of crystal points 
• Selenite 
• Celestite
• Fluorite
• Turquoise
• Aragonite flowers
• Azurite
• Mineral Clusters with points
• Kyanite
• Hemimorphite
• Amber

NOTE: Stones that can be toxic:
Some stones should never be used when making crystal elixirs, massage oils or any other consumable. Some are completely toxic, some will be toxic over time and others may be harmful to those with already existing illnesses, such as metal poisoning. While the stones in their rough form are the most dangerous, even polished pieces should be handled cautiously. 
I was going to list these but on second-thought I've decided not to, as I don't want to send anyone into a panic. So I'll say this instead - Be SMART when using your crystals for healing and use caution when making elixirs and other consumables. As a general rule of safety, I use the indirect method for all of my crystals, toxic and non-toxic alike. I see no point in risking my health when the indirect method is just as effective...

 How to clean your mineral specimens:
If you've collected high quality, unpolished specimens we recommend you display them in a glass cabinet to keep them safe. If they get dusty you can clean them with an aerosol air duster (the kind you use to clean your computer keypad or camera lens)

If your collection is mostly made up of tumbled stones you can keep them clean by keeping them in a velvet bag together. if they're displayed in a bowl, you can clean the dust off with room temperature water (check if those stones can get wet first) or an aerosol air duster on the porous stones.

Protecting your stones while travelling: 
Wondering what to do if you need to take your crystals on a trip with you? 
If your crystal has points on it, cover them up with blu-tack, then wrap the whole crystal in bubble wrap. If it NEEDS to go in a luggage bag, wrap the crystal well and then put it into a larger-than-necessary Tupperware container. Fill the remainder of the container with scrunched up paper towel/newspaper/bubble wrap so that the crystal is in the center and the extra packaging is surrounding it. The Tupperware creates a hard shield around the crystal and the extra packaging will stop the crystal from sliding around. 

 These are not exhaustive lists. Research the stones in your collection if you don't see them here.

For suggestions on ways to cleanse your crystals that don't involve water, check out the blog post How to cleanse your crystals

I hope this has been helpful! - Jessa x