There are many methods today for cleaning crystals and gemstones in order to increase the effects of their metaphysical energies.

Gemstones are believed to have an extensive memory, remembering where they’ve been, who they’ve touched, and all forces and energies that have surrounded them. A crystal or gemstone can pass onto others any energy that it has stored within it.  Often, gemstones need to be cleansed of any unwanted energies that they may have collected from you, from others, or from the environment.

Healers, Light workers, take care to clean their healing stones after each use because the stones might take pain (both physical and emotional) into themselves and pass it onto others if they have not been cleansed of those energies between uses. If a stone has absorbed negative energies, it may not work well for whatever purpose.

Methods for cleansing stones:
Fire – carefully pass the stone through the flame of a candle several times until you intuitively feel it has been cleared. The fire will burn away any negative energy. (Always use care when dealing with fire to ensure safety for yourself and environment).
Smudging – carefully pass the stone through the smoke of a white sage smudge stick several times until you intuitively feel it has been cleared. Read more about smudging gemstones here….
Water – rinse the stone in moving water. This can be done in one of three ways:
by holding the stone in a river or brook (placing it into a mesh bag will make it easier to hold onto) for several minutes,
by leaving it out in the rain for several hours,
by holding it under the faucet for several minutes. The water will wash away negative energy and return it to the Earth where it can be neutralized.
DO NOT USE WATER on soft stones such as angelite, some calcites, howlite, aragonite, azurite, dolomite, malachite, selenite, sulphur, etc. as it may dissolve the stone to a greater or lesser degree.

Earth – bury the stone in the ground for one full day, placing a marker over it so as to be able to find it later, or bury the stone in a pot of ground soil. (Do not use potting soil as it has been treated.) The soil will absorb negative energy, disperse it, and transmute it into positive energy. Stones feel very comfortable in the earth as it is where they formed and grew.
Air – smudge the stone on all sides with a sage smudge stick, or with dried sage or cedar, or pass it through the smoke of sandalwood or sage incense. Sage is a very effective cleanser, neutralizing negative energy and transmuting it into positive energy.
Sea salt – the most common method of cleansing stones is with water and sea salt. You can do this by placing the stone in a mesh bag and rinsing it in the ocean for several minutes, or by soaking the stone for several hours in a glass of water with a pinch of sea salt. CAUTIONS: *Salt may damage the finish on some stones. * Water may damage soft or friable stones. *Placing a stone in dry sea salt (without the water) may damage its electromagnetic field.
Light – place a stone in bright sunlight, either outside or on a windowsill, for at least an hour. NOTE: solar energy may be too violent for some stones, having been formed within the Earth devoid of any light. CAUTION: over time, sunlight may fade the color of some stones. An alternate, and gentler, method is to place the stone in moonlight for at least one night under a full moon, longer if the moon is not full.

Good luck! All cleansing methods are compatible with each other; so use whatever combination feels right for you and your stone. Intuitively, using a combination of methods is especially good for cleansing new stones, clearing stones for programming, and cleansing and recharging heavily drained stones. Combinations cleanse the stones more effectively and sometimes more quickly.

love, #krishna