Crystals can be used for a variety of purposes. They are used in spiritual and wellness practices, religious ceremonies, meditation, prayer, healing sessions, psychic readings, or simply as adornment. Whether you are wearing them, or they are decorating your home, it’s important to know how to care for them so they last as long as possible. Crystals are so much more than rock; they are sacred vessels of energy. Treat your precious stones the way you would treat yourself, with patience, care, love, and respect. How do you do it? We’ve provided you with an in-depth guide on how to care for crystals.
How Do I Care for My Crystals?
First, it is important to establish exactly what kind of crystal you have. There are soft stones (turquoise, mica, selenite, alabaster, opal) and hard stones (quartz, diamond, emerald, agate, sapphire). Each type requires slightly different care instructions.
Soft stones do best when kept dry and away from other extremely hard surfaces. When traveling, make sure each soft stone is wrapped individually to avoid chipping and cracking. Also, make sure your hands are dry and free of oils and lotions before handling your soft stones. Moisture can break down and dull the outer surface of the stone.
Hard stones are more durable, but it’s still wise to wrap them individually while traveling. A soft stone cannot damage a hard stone, but other hard stones can scratch each other, so wrap accordingly. Hard stones can be cleaned with fresh and saltwater and are not negatively affected by moisture.
Some stones are sensitive to sunlight and lose their color when exposed to the sun’s rays for prolonged periods of time. For example, most stones in the quartz crystal family (amethyst, citrine, rose, and smoky) should not be left in the sun for too long. It’s ok to charge them outside or on the windowsill for a day, but do not place them in direct sunlight permanently. They are comprised of trace minerals such as iron and magnesium and these components are prone to fading easily. It’s important to keep the crystal’s precious color as vibrant as possible to ensure potency.
Cleanse Your Crystals
There are many effective ways to cleanse your crystals. It’s important to make sure your crystals are periodically cleansed so that their energies are continuously positive and powerful. You can place them outside or on a windowsill to soak up sunlight and/or full moonlight. Smudging them with sweetgrass, white sage, or palo santo helps to remove any unwanted energies. Spraying them with salt water, rainwater, or moon water is a great way to purify them. You can also use sounds such as bells or singing bowls to ensure negative vibrations are released and positive energy is called in.
When Should I Cleanse Them?
Crystals are like energetic sponges. They soak up energy around them, so it’s important to know when you should cleanse them. It’s imperative you cleanse your crystals when you first purchase them. You never know how many hands touched them and all the energy it soaked up before coming into your home. Clear them after you travel, after you used them in a ritual, or if you’ve had a stressful week. If your stones are feeling heavier than normal, it’s probably a good idea to give them a quick cleanse. A good schedule to keep is clearing them once a month.
Crystal Programming: How Do I Charge My Crystals?
Charging crystals is a lot of fun! You can set them under the sun or full moon for 12-24 hours to imbue them with celestial energy. You can hold each one and visualize and verbalize what you want the crystal to do for you. For example, while holding a fluorite stone you can visualize your mind sharpening and you can say, “I dedicate this stone to positive thinking and mental clarity”. Next time you need a mental boost, you can pick up your charged fluorite and feel the brain fog dissipate.
You can even place an assortment of strong stones next to each other for a few days, so their energies charge each other. Another great way to charge a crystal is to wear it. You can wear it as jewelry or in your pocket to fuse it with your own positive energy. Wearing it for 3-7 days should do the trick!
How Do I Know When a Stone is Cleansed?
If your stone appears more vibrant and feels lighter than usual, it is officially cleansed. If you’re more sensitive to vibrations, the stone can feel tingly or electric when it’s fully cleansed and at the height of its power. Sometimes, crystals that are clean can emit a mild warmth. A good way to test this is to use the back of your hand to feel any minute temperature changes when you’re near it. These are all good indicators that your crystals and cleared and ready for action!
How to Store Your Crystals: Can You Keep Them Together?
Yes, it’s fine to keep them together if they are not being jostled about causing damage to each other. In fact, some stones can be paired together to enhance their benefits. Citrine and carnelian boost mental clarity and creativity. Rose quartz and malachite open the heart chakra and are great for love intentions. And let us not forget the money manifestation power duo jade and peridot!
Putting crystals together for the sake of travel requires attention and care. Refer to earlier in this article to determine which crystals are considered hard and soft. You will need to pack them according to their hardness. For example, it would not be wise to put hematite, which is very brittle, in a bag with hard agate. While traveling, make sure the stones are individually wrapped and in a secure place in your luggage to prevent too much movement.
Storing them together in your home is much easier. Avoid prolonged direct sunlight and find natural fabrics or woods to place them on. Avoid surfaces and fabrics that contain a lot of artificial dyes, perfumes, polishes, treatments, etc. While dusting and cleaning the display surfaces, use salt or freshwater before placing your stones back down. Harsh chemical cleaners will slowly eat away at the mineral face of the crystal.
Crystal Care is Essential
If you treat your precious crystal collection like a beloved houseplant, you can’t go wrong. Make sure you are familiar with the specific properties of each stone. Clean and store them accordingly. Well-maintained stones can last decades and bring continued positivity, healing, and peace into your life. Get those prayers, rituals, and manifestations ready because your crystal collection is ready to assist you on your journey. Crystals that are loved and cared for most definitely return the favor!
