Useful Crystal Info
Beautiful & toxic Realgar on Quartz
I would just like to start off by saying that most of the information contained on this page is just my thoughts and ideas. You may or may not agree with me but after years of working in the crystal industry these concerns address a lot of the enquiries I get over the counter in our shop.
It is really important when buying a crystal for healing purposes that you understand what the crystal is, not just what its healing properties are. Some stones are very soft, like Selenite, and will not do well when using it for an elixir. If you place Selenite into a container of water for a period of time it will break down and dissolve. It is extremely soft with a hardness of just 2 on the Mohs scale of hardness (see below chart). Some crystals like Cerrusite are lead based and need to be handled carefully and hand washing is always required after working with these crystals, also it is very important to know this information if there are young children or pets around, or you are breastfeeding etc....
You really should do your homework when buying crystals that are not run of the mill, eg; Realgar on Quartz, as some of these stones may not be handled in the way you first envision using them.
I am not saying that these crystals are unuseable but you should know what you have so you can adapt to using them in the safest and most efficient manner possible.
First you should check out the hardness and chemical composition of the crystal, this will save on errors or problems later on.
Secondly I never recommend using salt or salt water to cleanse your crystals. Salt is corrosive and will damage your softer crystals so avoid this if you can. There are many ways to cleanse your crystals that will not damage them in any way. (click here for Crystal Care page)
Thirdly if buying lead, mercury, zinc, arsenic or mildly radioactive crystals make sure that you have somewhere safe to keep them, especially if you have children or pets in the house that are curious about your crystals.
Fourth item is when in doubt always make gem elixirs by remote method, placing the crystal into a glass jar and sitting the jar in the water instead of placing the crystal into the water directly, this may save you stomach upset or worse!
If you are unsure about anything when you arrive at your chosen crystal shop, ask lots of questions about the stones, the people who work there should be able to answer all your questions or at least have the relevant information at hand so you can look it up together. Always remember THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A STUPID QUESTION so ask as many questions as you need to - knowledge is power! Empower yourself.
And lastly, if you end up at your crystal shop and they do not have the particular stone you are looking for, or it may contain a toxic component that you are not comfortable taking home, there is nearly always an alternative stone for whatever situation you are dealing with.
Just remember the healing writeups in the crystal books are just the authors experience, you may experience the crystal energies differently or you may find a crystal in a book that sounds exactly right for you only to find yourself drawn to a different crystal, don't feel bad or confused by this just go with your intuition. You almost never lead yourself astray......................................Mandy
I hope this information is helpful for you :)
It is really important when buying a crystal for healing purposes that you understand what the crystal is, not just what its healing properties are. Some stones are very soft, like Selenite, and will not do well when using it for an elixir. If you place Selenite into a container of water for a period of time it will break down and dissolve. It is extremely soft with a hardness of just 2 on the Mohs scale of hardness (see below chart). Some crystals like Cerrusite are lead based and need to be handled carefully and hand washing is always required after working with these crystals, also it is very important to know this information if there are young children or pets around, or you are breastfeeding etc....
You really should do your homework when buying crystals that are not run of the mill, eg; Realgar on Quartz, as some of these stones may not be handled in the way you first envision using them.
I am not saying that these crystals are unuseable but you should know what you have so you can adapt to using them in the safest and most efficient manner possible.
First you should check out the hardness and chemical composition of the crystal, this will save on errors or problems later on.
Secondly I never recommend using salt or salt water to cleanse your crystals. Salt is corrosive and will damage your softer crystals so avoid this if you can. There are many ways to cleanse your crystals that will not damage them in any way. (click here for Crystal Care page)
Thirdly if buying lead, mercury, zinc, arsenic or mildly radioactive crystals make sure that you have somewhere safe to keep them, especially if you have children or pets in the house that are curious about your crystals.
Fourth item is when in doubt always make gem elixirs by remote method, placing the crystal into a glass jar and sitting the jar in the water instead of placing the crystal into the water directly, this may save you stomach upset or worse!
If you are unsure about anything when you arrive at your chosen crystal shop, ask lots of questions about the stones, the people who work there should be able to answer all your questions or at least have the relevant information at hand so you can look it up together. Always remember THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A STUPID QUESTION so ask as many questions as you need to - knowledge is power! Empower yourself.
And lastly, if you end up at your crystal shop and they do not have the particular stone you are looking for, or it may contain a toxic component that you are not comfortable taking home, there is nearly always an alternative stone for whatever situation you are dealing with.
Just remember the healing writeups in the crystal books are just the authors experience, you may experience the crystal energies differently or you may find a crystal in a book that sounds exactly right for you only to find yourself drawn to a different crystal, don't feel bad or confused by this just go with your intuition. You almost never lead yourself astray......................................Mandy
I hope this information is helpful for you :)
Mohs' Scale of Hardness
The Mohs' scale of hardness uses numbers 1 - 10 to define the different degrees of hardness of minerals and crystals.
1 Talc Easily scratched by a fingernail
2 Gypsum Scratched with difficulty by fingernail. Will not scratch a copper coin
3 Calcite Scratches copper and is scratched by copper. Not scratched by a fingernail
4 Fluorite Does not scratch apatite or glass. Scratches copper
5 Apatite Scratches glass with difficulty and is scratched by glass with difficulty. Does not scratch feldspar
6 Feldspar Scratches glass easily. Scratched with difficulty by a knife blade.
7 Quartz Not scratched by a knife blade. Scratched with difficulty with a file
8 Topaz Will scratch quartz. Will not scratch corundum but is scratched by corundum
9 Corundum Will scratch topaz. Will not scratch diamond.
10 Diamond Not scratched by any known natural substance. Will scratch other natural substance
1 Talc Easily scratched by a fingernail
2 Gypsum Scratched with difficulty by fingernail. Will not scratch a copper coin
3 Calcite Scratches copper and is scratched by copper. Not scratched by a fingernail
4 Fluorite Does not scratch apatite or glass. Scratches copper
5 Apatite Scratches glass with difficulty and is scratched by glass with difficulty. Does not scratch feldspar
6 Feldspar Scratches glass easily. Scratched with difficulty by a knife blade.
7 Quartz Not scratched by a knife blade. Scratched with difficulty with a file
8 Topaz Will scratch quartz. Will not scratch corundum but is scratched by corundum
9 Corundum Will scratch topaz. Will not scratch diamond.
10 Diamond Not scratched by any known natural substance. Will scratch other natural substance