Cleansing Crystals

This refers to the practice of cleaning off any external dust and clearing away any negative energy the crystal has absorbed.  It is a way of being sure that the natural qualities of the crystal will be clear and fresh, both on the physical and on the metaphysical level, ready for healing use.

How to cleanse crystals

To clean the surface of most crystals (tumble stones or ones that are not fragile or contain loose points), wash any dust or natural matter with tepid, soapy water and leave to air dry.

To clear the crystal, there are several tried and tested methods, and it is best to choose the one that you are drawn to because it makes sense or resonates with you – aiding the process, as your intent and conviction will be stronger. 

We recommend four methods, one for each element:

Methods for cleansing crystals

Earth – Bury the crystal in soft, dry earth that will not damage it by scratching or releasing water to susceptible minerals.  This method is used for deep cleansing, when other methods have not fully worked.  Leave the crystal buried for a length of time that makes sense to you – a week, a month, a moon cycle, between full and new moon, etc.  The crystal will need physical cleaning after and recharging underfull moonlight.

Sound – Neutralise the crystal by sound vibration of the voice or an instrument, like a drum, singing bowl, bell or tingsha.  We place items for cleansing into our crystal singing bowls played with the intent of cleansing.

Smoke – Pass the crystal through rising smoke of cleansing/purifying incense eg sage or sandalwood.  Either pass the crystal through several times or hold it in the smoke for around 5 minutes. When using large sage, smudge sticks, you may need to cover any smoke alarms.

Water – Hold the crystal in fresh running water for a few minutes.  Suitable for crystals with that are not water soluble, (as a general rule, this means with a hardness of 6+ on Mohs Scale).  Choose to do this in, or with water from, a place that it special to you because of your connection with the landscape.  We use the streams of Bodmin Moor, putting the tumble stones into a clothes washing detergent tablet bag after several experiences of the water’s flow resulting in us gifting many crystals to the stream!

Be careful with salt or salted water, because it can damage crystals that are not as hard as quartz.  An alternative is to use uncooked brown rice and immerse the crystal in the dry rice for 12 hours, compost the rice afterwards.

With each of these methods, it is helpful to visualise the gentle release and transmutation of the negative energy and focus on achieving cleansing with the highest intention for good.

Recharge the crystal after cleansing by placing it in full sunlight or moonlight for 12 hours.