How to Care for Your Crystals: Water Safety, Food Safety & Sun Safety

​Crystal Care & Crystal Safety

Did you know that some crystals are not water-safe or sun-safe?

Why is this important? Because washing your crystal in water or taking your crystal on an outing can damage it. And, if you wear a crystal in the sunshine, not only will it release its energies too quickly (in my experience!), but sunlight can change a crystals' colour.

Being mindful of crystal safety comes in handy too when deciding how to cleanse your crystals. Some people cleanse them with water, others with moonlight, others with smoke - either white sage or palo santo. But what if your crystal isn't water-safe?

In this article, you’ll read everything about crystal care and crystal safety. By the end of the article, you’ll know which crystals are safe and know how to take care of your crystals.

Common Uses of Crystals 

Crystals can be great allies in your spiritual practice, so it's important to care for them. Caring for them includes protects them from damage, dirt, dust, scratches or stains. 

Some of the most common uses of crystals (that can cause damage) are listed below:

• Cleansing or washing crystals in water
• Infusing water with a crystal’s energy
• Leaving crystals outside in the sunlight
• Using crystals for food (bowls, mugs, platters etc)

Getting to know which crystals are sun-safe, water-safe or food-safe can prevent you from accidentally damaging your stones. It will also help you choose the correct crystal cleansing method so you can make the most of your crystals.

Crystal Care: Why it’s Important to Cleanse Your Crystals

Crystals absorb the energy of the environment. When you use your crystals for spiritual practice, they charge from your energy. Cleansing allows the crystal to renew its energy and eliminate any negativity.

Some crystals never need cleansing, but most do. Crystals that don't need cleansing include citrine, kyanite, and selenite. These stones are the only three that are known to be self-cleansing.

What Crystals Are Water Safe?

One of the most popular and easy cleansing methods involves using bodies of water. For instance, you can cleanse your crystals in the river, the sea, or even salt water in a glass. But first, you need to know what crystals are water safe and what crystals are not.

Water Safe Crystals

Generally speaking, crystals that have a hardness of 6 or more (according to the Mohs scale) are safe to put in water.
Here are some of them.

Quartz

All crystals from the quartz family have a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, which makes them water safe. That includes rose quartz, clear quartz, amethyst, tiger's eye, and citrine.

Agate

Agate is a type of silicon dioxide. It has a 7 on the Mohs hardness scale. That makes it safe to put in water.

Aventurine

Aventurine is a very hard crystal. It has a 7 on the Mohs scale. It's okay to place it in water or saltwater.

Bloodstone

Bloodstone is a polycrystalline material. It is resistant enough to put in water. It has a hardness of 6-7 on the Mohs scale.

Carnelian

Carnelian is water-safe, and it has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale. You can place it in regular water. But If you put it in saltwater, it will damage the crystal.

Jasper

Jasper is a hard mineral with a Mohs hardness scale of 6.5-7. That makes it safe to put in water.

Black Obsidian

Black obsidian is formed by cooled volcanic lava. Although it's easy to scratch, obsidian is hard and smooth and it's safe to put in water.

However, you should know that obsidian can BREAK If you expose it to extremely hot or extremely cold water.

What Crystals Are Not Water Safe?

Some of the crystals mentioned below can break or even dissolve when you put them in water. Be careful and pay attention to your crystals.

As a general rule of thumb, the stones that end with 'ite' are not safe to put in water. Also, stones with a high iron content are not water-safe. They tend to rust.
Those crystals with a Mohs hardness scale that is less than four are too soft. They can dissolve or disintegrate over time.

Selenite

Selenite is very porous, which makes it more water-soluble. It's very soft since it rates 2 on the Mohs scale. If you soak Selenite in water, it will dissolve.

Other stones that should not go in water include fluorite, apophyllite, azurite, apatite, halite, malachite, and celestite.

Amazonite

Amazonite will not dissolve if you put it in water. But It will absorb water, which will damage it over time.

Black tourmaline

Soaking black tourmaline is not safe because it can cause it to disintegrate.

Turquoise

Turquoise is not water-safe. The water can fade the colour of the stone and even cause it to dissolve.

Moonstone

Experts recommend avoiding putting moonstone in water because it will permanently damage it.

Pyrite

Pyrite has a high iron content. That can cause it to rust If you put it in water for extended periods.

Other stones that should not go in the water for their iron content include hematite, magnetite, and goethite.

Lapis Lazuli

Lapis lazuli is made of calcite, which can cause it to dissolve in water.

What Crystals Are Sun-Safe?

Some people decide to charge crystals with sunlight, but this can permanently damage some crystals. That’s because the sun can make a crystal's colour fade. Some stones can also get brittle in the sun. To prevent this, know which stones are sun-safe and which ones are not.

Sun Safe Crystals

Black Tourmaline

This glassy volcanic stone has a dark colour that will not fade in the sun.

Onyx

Black onyx has a dark colour, and therefore, it won't fade in the sun.

Moonstone

You can safely charge this crystal in the sun. It will help it to rebalance its masculine-feminine energies.

Sunstone

Sunstone, like most orange stones, is sun-safe.

Howlite

It's sun-safe as the colour won't fade.

Citrine

This stone is almost always cut into a clear arrangement to reveal its golden colour. It won't fade under the sun.

How to keep your crystals safe in the sun? Always check which crystal you're leaving outside, and if it's not on this list, consider an alternative spot for it. 

What Crystals Are Not Sun Safe?

Here are some common crystals that are not safe in the sun.

Fluorite

If you keep fluorite under the sun, it can overheat and crack.

Amethyst

Sun exposure can dramatically affect the colour of amethyst.

Topaz

If you keep topaz under direct sunlight for too long, yellow topaz can turn brown.

Aquamarine

Direct sunlight can dramatically remove its blue colour.

Other crystals that are not sun-safe include:

• Coloured quartz
• Opal
• Celestite
• Ametrine
• Calcite
• Aventurine
• Beryl
• Chrysoprase

What Crystals Are Food-Safe?

Of course, you can totally use crystals in everything. Many people choose to infuse their water with crystals. Crystal water is okay, most of the time. Water is a receptive compound, and it charges from the energy of the crystal. It allows you to receive all of the benefits of your gems in a more potent way.

Most crystals are safe for this method. These include common crystals such as the following.

Food-Safe Crystals

• Red jasper
• Citrine
• Obsidian
• Amethyst
• Lapis lazuli
• Clear quartz
• Smoky quartz
• Shungite
• Carnelian
• Rose quartz

Tip* When cleaning food-safe stones, do not clean them in the dishwasher or with any bleach products. Do not expose food-safe crystals to extreme heat or prolonged periods of direct light. When storing food-safe crystals make sure they are stored away from sunlight.

Crystals That Are Not Food Safe

Not ALL crystals are safe to infuse in your water. Some crystals are toxic, and you should NEVER use them for crystal water. Here are some examples:

• Amazonite. Contains copper.
• Black tourmaline. Contains aluminium.
• Boji stones. Contains sulphur.
• Emerald. Contains aluminium.
• Moonstone. Contains aluminium.
• Pyrite. Contains sulphur.
• Topaz. Contains aluminium.
• Fibrous Tiger's Eye. Contains Asbestos.
• Sodalite. Contains aluminium.
• Sapphire. Contains aluminium.
• Ruby. Contains aluminium.
• Malachite. Contains copper.

Crystal Care and Crystal Safety | Final Thoughts

Always check if your crystals are water safe, sun-safe or food-safe before exposing them is a good idea.

It is also a good idea to do research to find out what metals or minerals your crystal contains that can cause problems if your body absorbs them. If you feel that something is off with the way your crystals are physically responding to you, consider not using them anymore.

Be careful. We have listed some common crystals, but there are thousands of crystals around. Always remember to research a crystal before working with it.

And, please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about crystals, crystal care or crystal safety. 

Have a beautiful day!