Cleansing Your Gemstones

In the introduction of this site, we talked about choosing the right stone or crystal that feels right for you. It is important to keep this checks and balances at bay. Sometimes gemstones or crystals don’t feel as good as they did when you first purchased them. Gemstones and crystal need to be cleared of unpleasant energies that they attract once this happens. Some gemstones such as Kyanite have natural properties that allow them to clear themselves of negative energies. Clearing is necessary before using any stone for healing. Clarity of the stones and crystals of negativity directly affects the degree of power of its healing properties. Be mindful that crystals and healing gemstones must be cleared as soon as they are purchased as well after every time that they come in contact with those other than the proposed owner. They also need to be cleared after each healing session if they are used for that purpose only. Otherwise, if healing stones are also used as jewelry to be worn all the time, weekly clearing is recommended. . Once the crystals and gems are cleared, they should feel light, bright and vibrant by touch. Hot and heavy gemstones indicate need for clearing. Ways to clear crystals and gemstones are described below.

Sea Salt

Sea salt is the easiest and most practical way of purifying crystals. Sea salt dispels disease and negativity.

Here are the two ways of sea salt treatment:

1. Dry: Place crystals in a glass jar with enough sea salt to cover the entire body of the gem (no plastic or metal). If crystals are pointy (spheres), place them in the jar point down. Cover the jar and bury it in the ground at least one full day over night (make sure you know where you bury it so that you can find it later). If heaviness of crystal does not diminish, continue burying for a day or two more.

2. Wet method: Add one tablespoon of sea salt to 16 ounce glass of cold spring water (no plastic) Place the gems in the glass and allow to soak overnight. For clearing gemstone jewelry, I recommend dry method. Ocean water is a perfect substitute for the solution as it contains the sea salt.

Moonlight

Place the gems outdoors from the Full moon phase to the New Moon. Although any moonlight is effective in clearing the crystals, Waning Moons are believed to be more effective in dispelling negative energies. The amount of time used varies with the sensitivity of the healer and the amount of material from which the stone needs cleansing.

Herbal Burial

Place the crystal in a jar of herbs such as sage, rose petals, myrrh, and sandalwood for a few days. A test of feeling the gem’s lightness will determine amount of time to leave the gem in herbs.

Burying in Earth

For deep clearing, cleansing of the crystals, this is the best method. Place the crystal in a hole in the ground for as long as it needs to release the negative energy. This is something that healers need to learn through experience and closeness to the crystals as if the crystal and the healer speak to each other. Again, if the using pointed crystals such as spheres place it point downward. Cover the entire item with soil and mark the ground for future reference.

Other Ways of Cleansing the Crystals

Smudge with burning cedar or sage: Run the crystal through the smoke created by burning sage or cedar for a few times.

Tap water cleansing: For a quick clearing and cleaning the crystals, simply hold the gem under cold running tap water holding the point down toward the drain for a few minutes. Place the drain screen in the sink to avoid accidental loss of the gem.