Why you need to cleanse crystals regularly, and how to cleanse crystals

Why do I need to cleanse my crystals?

Crystals naturally "collect" energy from the places and people they have come into connection with. And, as crystals have the ability to store, amplify and transmit energy, you want to make sure that they energy being amplified and transmitted is positive!   

How do you know you need to cleanse a crystal?

Signs its time to do a cleansing:

• New crystals. Its important to ALWAYS do a clearing on crystals when you receive them, as before you received that crystal, it has likely passed through many hands and collected all kinds of energy before it found its way to you! Its a good idea to "reset" the stone's energy through clearing before working with them, much like if you received a new phone or computer you would want to make sure the disc is clear and no previous data or viruses are stored that you are unaware of!
• Crystals you work with or carry regularly. Once again, crystals collect energy and depending on your emotional and mental state when you carried the crystals, or the places that you have been with them, you want to regularly reset their energy to make sure they are omitting harmonious and positive vibrations. 
• Crystals you wear. If it's a crystal you wear regularly, its a good idea to cleanse at the end of the day or every few days, especially if you have been feeling stressed out or emotional. You may notice when you are wearing a crystal that needs cleansing that you feel anxious, angry, stressed or other imbalanced emotions, or you may be attracting people or situations that are not positive. If you notice this, immediately remove the crystal and cleanse as soon as possible as the crystal may be amplifying stored energy that is out of balance! 
• Crystals used for healing. It may seem obvious, but any crystals used in healing work should be cleared at the end of each session as they will have accumulated energy from the client, and from you through your intentions of what energy is being directed through them.
• Crystals around the home. If you have crystals displayed around the home, they can collect energy from their environment. If there have been arguments, or other disharmonious situations, its a good idea to do a space clearing with some sage, palo santo, or other house purification incense, making sure that you consciously clear the crystals in the space too.

Cleansing and Clearing Crystals

The act of cleansing crystals energetically can be as simple or complicated as you want to make it! Some people may like to do a form of ritual around cleansing, others may simply place their crystals outside on the earth and leave the rest to nature! There is not one single right way to cleanse, there are many... however, there are certainly wrong ways to cleanse crystals that you should be aware of!

When I first started working with crystals many years ago, I always heard people say to "cleanse your crystals in salt water" but through trial and error, I realised that some stones really don't like being cleansed this way and actually become permanently damaged! Both salt and water can weaken the structure of some stones, dull their lustre and also in some cases, cause toxicity of the water which makes the crystal unsafe to handle!! So basically, if you're not sure, don't use salt water, or salt, or water! Sound vibration and smoke are two ways that are generally safe an very effective.

To ensure that the energy you receive from the crystal is of a high and pure vibration, keep your crystal’s energy healthy through regular cleansing! There are many ways to cleanse crystals, and depending on what crystal it is and what its structure is, different methods may be more appropriate than others. Whichever method you use, always have the intention of clearing the crystal of its built up energy, and restoring it back to its natural balance.

There are a few crystals that never require cleansing: selenite, kyanite, super 7, and citrine, as they are self-cleansing due to their high/positive vibration, or that they don't store energy, it just passes through them. Some people may still choose to cleanse these crystals. 

Different ways to cleanse gemstones:

• SOUND VIBRATION. I love using my quartz crystal singing bowl for crystal clearing! I place the crystals inside the bowl and the sound vibration instantly shifts the energy of the crystal (and me too!). You can also use tibetan singing bowls, bells, tuning forks or other instruments that create a relatively strong sound vibration. This is a safe and effective method for all crystals.
• SMOKE/SMUDGING. Use the smoke from sage, palo santo or other purifying herbs or resins. Use your intention to ask the plant spirit to carry away any energies that are not part of the gemstone's natural vibration, and two restore harmony. This is also a safe and effective method for all crystals.
• EARTH. Placing your crystals on the ground for 24-48 hours will help them restore their natural vibrations, using the earth's natural electromagnetic energies. The earth will naturally connect with crystals, since this is their natural element! If you can't place directly on the earth safely, you can use another method. This is a safe method for all crystals.
• SALT. Placing your crystals in a bowl of salt for 24 hours helps to draw off any unwanted energies. Salt relates to the earth element, and can be used in place of direct earth connection, however not all crystals like direct contact with salt as it can be abrasive. If you are unsure if your gems like salt or not, you can indirectly place them on salt by placing them in another bowl inside the bigger bowl of salt and leave for 24-48 hours. 
• BROWN RICE. Much safer than salt, brown rice is absorbent of energies. Soak crystals in brown rice for 24 hours. It is best to dispose of the rice after use, place in your compost bin or sprinkle in the garden to give back to the earth.
• SALT WATER. Personally I only use this method with quartz crystals or agates, and don't use it with any other type of crystal as it is often the fastest way to ruin the lustre of many gemstones! It also weakens the structure of some stones (see list of stones not to put in water below) and is the quickest way to ruin stones if you don't know which ones are ok to put in or not! 
• WATER. As above, I cleanse some crystals in water without salt, only ones that are known to be safe in water. Malachite, Turquoise, Chrysocolla, Azurite must NOT be placed in water as they can release toxic minerals that could be absorbed through your skin.  Other gemstones to avoid contact with water include: all calcites, gypsum & selenite (all forms), angelite, halite, pyrite, hematite, magnetite or lodestone, as they may dissolve or weaken. Water safe crystals include: Quartz, Tiger’s Eye, Agate, Aventurine, Jasper, 
• CRYSTAL CLUSTER. Use large quartz, citrine or amethyst cluster to cleanse smaller gemstones.
• REIKI/PRAYER. Some people may simply use the energy of their intentions or of healing energy to pass this through their stones. 

I'd love to hear about your favourite way to cleanse your crystals, or experiences or maybe lessons you've learned along the way! Please comment below :)