storing gemstones/crystals

[Ferne]

Hi Everyone...

Yesterday I had purchased many new gemstones and crystals. The ones I purchased are Agate, amethyst, blue onyx, Kyanito, dolomito, quartz crystal and rose quartz.

I have never used gemstones/crystals before, this is a first.

How should I store them? I would like to store them all in one place, I was thinking of keeping them a small wooden box, but I'm not sure if that is the best thing to do.

Also I have questions about cleansing and clearing the stones..

Some say to pass them over a flame. Is this a good method?, and how many times should I pass it?..2-3 times? And does it have to be right in the flame, or just above it?

Another suggestion was smudging, but I would hate to do that in the house. Some people are sensitive to the smoke/fumes. Is it possible to smudge outside?

How often do I cleanse my stones? Twice a month?...Everytime I use them?

I have searched the internet...and it's all confusing to me, so I thought I would ask the pros.

Any advise/suggestions or additional information that you think I should know would be really appreciated right now.

Ferne

[SilverCloudedWolf]

Hi Ferne,

congrats on your new crystals!

There is a lot of information out there, and it can be confusing, but most people will tell you to go with what feels best for you. There are many people more knowledgable than me on the forum, but I can tell you what I do with mine, and why.

I store most of mine in wooden jewellrey boxes as they come lined to stop the softer stones getting scratched, I also found a small (about 12 inches high) chest of drawers that I lined and keep some in there. I tend to keep tumblestones and polished stones separate from rough and uncut stones just so they don't scratch each other. Some types are separated out (e.g. quartz) and have their own box but that's because I have too many to fit in all together.

I cleanse mine using a small glass bowl and some (dry) sea salt for 24 hours. I always cleanse new stones as soon as I get them home but after that I tend to leave them alone, especially if I haven't used them. Many people love to smudge but I can't because any smoke makes me cough terribly and a bonfire gave me laryngitis last year, so there's no point in doing something that just doesn't agree with you. I use sea salt because it feels right to me. Maybe you could try a few methods and see which works best?

If you were interested in a book, I would recommend The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall as it is has lots of information, but is very well laid out, and easy to read.

I hope I've been of help,

Silver

[ThunderWolf]

Silver has some good suggestions, but some stones don't do well in water and especially salt water. For example, I would most definitely check about the wisdom of cleansing the kyanite in this fashion. I strongly suspect it would not be a good idea.

Another way to cleanse them is by placing them in the sunlight. (A sunny windowsill will do.) But, again, be careful which ones you use this method with. (The colored quartz such as rose quartz, amethyst and citrine tend to get their color washed out of them by sitting them in the sun. Fortunately, quartz is quite impervious to saltwater. )

Smudging would be fine too, and there's no reason you can't do it outside if it's an issue inside. Some people also like to charge their stones and crystals in the moonlight (most preferably during the full moon), but I've never found this to be necessary.

Also, they do tend to accumulate energy, so once you've been actively using them for a while it's a good idea to cleanse them. I also prefer to cleanse mine if I'm done using them for a period of time and am just going to store them with other stones and crystals for a while.

And another method I just thought of for cleansing them that I've used in a pinch (I recommend this only for a quick pick me up type of cleansing.) is to hold the stone under running water. (The kitchen or bathroom tap is fine for this.)

[Ferne]

Thank you Silvercloudedwolf and Thunderwolf for your replies.

Silvercloudedwolf: I've heard that tablesalt is not good but the course sea salt should be safe and effective. I think I will get some and give that a try. (though I will keep the Kyanito out of that as Thunderwolf suggested.)

Thanks for recommending Judy Hall's book. It's a good place to start. Wished I had thought of that before I started shopping. I went to different shops and the staff were telling me different opinions/uses...I felt totally ignorant and confused.

Thunderwolf: Thanks for your input! I heard about putting them in sunlight/moonlight, I wish I could do that, but my two cats are so curious, I just know they would not leave the stones alone and would proberly lose them somewhere.

Thanks for the running water tip...that will come in handy!

Have a lovely evening both of you.

Ferne

[Lotus Padma]

here is another way to effectively cleanse your crystals...after using them a few times, or after an especially emotionally draining ordeal, I use sea salt - but I do not allow it to touch the stones. I place them in the middle of a circle of sea salt, to cleanse them; then I remove the salt that has absorbed the negativity, and flush it down the sink. I then put a fresh circle of sea salt around my stones, and leave them for at least 24 hrs before using them again. You can also recharge them by placing them on a large chunk of amethyst or clear quartz.

If I feel the stone is really drained, I gently tuck it in the earth of a potted plant, or put them outside under my flowers - and on top of the soil - in the garden - as crystals come from the earth, they will recharge when they come into contact with it. You can just leave them sitting under your flowers for a day, and then bring them back in in this way, nothing - not sun or cats or anything else - will harm them.

In regard to storage, I keep mine in a velvet lined wooden box - but I leave the lid open, as I have read that crystals prefer air and sunlight...lol...I never asked them their prefs so I don't know if this is right!

Congrats on your stones, and have fun discovering their vibrations and characteristics!

[ThunderWolf]

Lotus' suggestion about the ring of salt reminded me of something I do. Some stones can deal with water but not salt. Others can't deal with either. So if they can deal with water but not salt I use a pyrex ramekin/custard cup and put them in water. Then I put the salt in another one of the ramekins and put the one with water into the one with salt. If they can't deal with water I just leave the water out of the top ramekin.

As for sea salt vs. table salt... Sea salt is really only important if you feel that the fact that it occurs naturally is a benefit. They are chemically alike, and therefore share the same properties so either one will work just fine.

[Ferne]

Originally Posted by Lotus Padma

here is another way to effectively cleanse your crystals...after using them a few times, or after an especially emotionally draining ordeal, I use sea salt - but I do not allow it to touch the stones. I place them in the middle of a circle of sea salt, to cleanse them; then I remove the salt that has absorbed the negativity, and flush it down the sink. I then put a fresh circle of sea salt around my stones, and leave them for at least 24 hrs before using them again. You can also recharge them by placing them on a large chunk of amethyst or clear quartz.

If I feel the stone is really drained, I gently tuck it in the earth of a potted plant, or put them outside under my flowers - and on top of the soil - in the garden - as crystals come from the earth, they will recharge when they come into contact with it. You can just leave them sitting under your flowers for a day, and then bring them back in in this way, nothing - not sun or cats or anything else - will harm them.

In regard to storage, I keep mine in a velvet lined wooden box - but I leave the lid open, as I have read that crystals prefer air and sunlight...lol...I never asked them their prefs so I don't know if this is right!

Congrats on your stones, and have fun discovering their vibrations and characteristics!

Hi Lotus Padma...Thank you for the suggestion. I just have one question though...the first time you circle the stones with salt, how long do you leave them like that? A few hours??..then circle them again for 24 hours?

And thank you for the garden tip...I'll keep that in mind. I might have one more month and then it snows here.

Ferne

[Ferne]

Originally Posted by ThunderWolf

Lotus' suggestion about the ring of salt reminded me of something I do. Some stones can deal with water but not salt. Others can't deal with either. So if they can deal with water but not salt I use a pyrex ramekin/custard cup and put them in water. Then I put the salt in another one of the ramekins and put the one with water into the one with salt. If they can't deal with water I just leave the water out of the top ramekin.

As for sea salt vs. table salt... Sea salt is really only important if you feel that the fact that it occurs naturally is a benefit. They are chemically alike, and therefore share the same properties so either one will work just fine.

Hi Thunderwolf...Next time I'm in the city, gonna find a couple of custard cups. I guess the main thing is not to let the salt come in contact with the stones?

Thank you for saving me alot of time and confusion.

Ferne

[Lotus Padma]

Originally Posted by Ferne

Hi Lotus Padma...Thank you for the suggestion. I just have one question though...the first time you circle the stones with salt, how long do you leave them like that? A few hours??..then circle them again for 24 hours?

And thank you for the garden tip...I'll keep that in mind. I might have one more month and then it snows here.

Ferne

I usually do this on my kitchen counter, and leave them overnight. And then I use the second, clean circle of salt to charge them over about 24 hours. In regard to using the earth in the garden to charge them, you can also use a potted indoor plant

I live in Alberta too, so I know that winter comes fast hereabouts...

Good luck!

[exotik1]

Darice and "Bead Landing" make the exact same 32-compartment plastic bead organizer that is perfect for tumbled crystals-i own 4 of them.

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Love and Light and happy collecting!
farida