When you start collecting gemstones, one of the things most people forget to research, is how to care for your crystals. It’s one of those things that might not cross your mind, until you’ve accidentally dissolved one of your pieces while trying to cleanse it, or cracked a stone that you’ve left in the sun. This is more common than you think.
It’s best to research the stones you have at home, but here is some information to give you some basic pointers to increase their longevity.
Stones that should never be left in water:
Some stones will be damaged by water, while others may dissolve. Keep the below mentioned stones away from water and they will last longer in your care.
★ Kyanite
★ Angelite
★ Selenite
★ Desert Rose
★ Calcite
★ Celestite
★ Scolecite
★ Vanidinite
★ Barite
★ Azurite
★ Aragonite
Stones that shouldn’t be left in the sunlight:
There are some stones that may be damaged by excessive sunlight. Some will crack because they can’t be exposed to heat for extended periods of time, while others will be bleached by the sunlight and lose their beautiful colour.
★ Rose Quartz
★ Australian Opal
★ Amethyst
★ Citrine
★ Super 7
★ Ametrine
★ Smoky quartz
★ Turquoise
★ Morganite
★ Kunzite
Stones that are soft/fragile and should be handled carefully:
Some stones, such as those listed below, need a little extra care. They can easily scratch, crack or shatter if dropped. To further reduce damage they should be kept in a separate box/bag from your other stones so they don’t ding against the others.
★ Opal
★ the tips of crystal points
★ Selenite
★ Celestite
★ Fluorite
★ Turquoise
★ Aragonite flowers
★ Azurite
★ Kyanite
★ Hemimorphite
★ Amber
How to clean your mineral specimens:
If you’ve collected high-quality, unpolished specimens, we recommend you display them in a glass cabinet to keep them safe. If they get dusty you can clean them with an aerosol air duster (the kind you use to clean your computer keypad or camera lens).
If your collection is mostly made up of tumbled stones, you can keep them clean by keeping them in a velvet bag together. If they’re displayed in a bowl, you can clean the dust off with room temperature water (check if those stones can get wet first) or an aerosol air duster on the porous stones.
These are not exhaustive lists. Research the stones in your collection if you don’t see them mentioned here and take care of those crystals you love.
