STOP!  When cleansing crystals there are thing you need to know. 

1.  These Crystals WILL fade in the sunlight:

• Amethyst

• Rose Quartz, Aquamarine

• Smoky Quartz

• Kunzite

• Hiddenite

• Spodumene

• Fluorite

2.  These Crystals WILL dissolve in water:

• Halite

• Sulfates: Borates, Calcite, Gypsum

• Lapis Lazuli

• Turquoise

• Ivory

• Pyrite: degrades when stored at high humidity. (Place silica drying gel in the container to absorb moisture)

When In doubt, most crystals are water soluble if:

• End in “ite”

• Moh’s Hardness less than 6

• Scratches easily with a steel knife

 

3. These Crystals WILL dissolve in acid solutions (such as acetone & vinegar):

• Calcite

• Gypsum

• Limestone

• Marble

• Amber (acetone: contained in most nail polish remover)

 

4. These Crystals WILL produce POISONOUS gasses when HEATED:

• Cinnabar

• Realgar

• Stibnite

Wash your hands after handling them and do not eat while working with them.

 

5. These Crystals ARE TOXIC to INGEST:

Minerals and metals containing:

• Aluminum

• Arsenic

• Barium

• Cadmium

• Copper

• Lead

• Mercury

• Zinc

 

6.  These Crystals will get damaged by Salt:

Any raw, rough stone.  Any stone with hardness under 7.  If you are not sure, use another method.

• Amber

• Angelite

• Azurite

• ALL Calcites

• Dioptase

• Imperial Topaz

• Fire Opal

• Kyanite

• Kunzite

• Malachite

• Moonstone

• Opal

• Red Coral

• Selenite

• Turquoise

 

7. Please DO NOT make Gem Elixirs, Gem Waters, or Massage Oils 

& DO NOT Ingest, Consume, or Put in Your Mouth

• Adamite – zinc, copper

• Amazonite – copper

• Amber – toxic dust, fumes, possible ingestive toxicity

• Angelite – lead, sulphur

• Aragonite-

• Atacamite – copper

• Auricalcite – zinc and copper

• Azurite – copper

• Boji-stones/Kansas Pop Rocks (may contain sulphur)

• Bronchantite – copper

• Cerrusite – sulphur, molybdenum

• Chalcantite (aka “blue shit”) – copper

• Chalcopyrite (Peacock Stone, Peacock Ore) – copper and sulphur

• Chrysacolla (Chrysocolla) – copper

• Cinnabar – mercury

• Cobaltocalcite (Pink Cobalt Calcite) – cobalt

• Conicalcite – copper

• Copper – copper

• Coral – organic, may contain bacteria as well as pollutants from toxic materials in the water it forms in

• Cuprite – copper

• Diopside – copper

• Dioptase – copper

• Eliat Stone – copper

• Emerald – aluminum

• Garnet – aluminum

• Gem Silica – copper

• Galena/ Galenite – lead

• Garnierite (Genthite, Falcondoite) – nickel

• Hiddenite – aluminum

• Iolite – aluminum

• Kansas Pop Rocks – may contain sulphur

• Kunzite – aluminum

• Kyanite – aluminum

• Labradorite – aluminum

• Lapis Lazuli – may contain copper, sulphur

• Marcasite (Markasite) – sulphur

• Magnetite (Lodestone) – iron in large quantities

• Malachite – copper

• Meteorite – may contain many toxic substances

• Mohawkite – copper, arsenic

• Moldavite – aluminum

• Molybdenum – molybdenum

• Moonstone – may contain aluminum or other toxic substances

• Mother of Pearl – organic, may contain bacteria as well as pollutants from toxic materials in the water it forms in

• Opal – toxic dust for inhalation

• Pearl – organic, may contain bacteria as well as pollutants from toxic materials in the water it forms in

• Psiomelane – barium

• Pyrite (Fool’s Gold) – sulphur

• Quartz (Do Not Inhale Dust) – toxic dust for inhalation

• Realgar – sulfur, arsenic

• Rhodocrosite (Rhodochrosite) – lead

• Ruby – aluminum

• Sapphire – aluminum

• Sodalite – aluminum

• Spinel – may contain aluminum, zinc

• Stibnite – lead, antimony

• Smithsonite (Galmei, Zinc spar)- zinc, may contain copper

• Sulphur – sulphur

• Tiger’s Eye

• Topaz

• Tourmaline, Watermelon – aluminum

• Turquoise – copper

• Uranium – radioactive mineral

• Vanadanite – lead

• Variscite – aluminum

• Wulfenite – lead, molybdenum