Most people who buy gemstones and crystals for more than just “aesthetics” know that they can get energetically dirty, with (negative) energy. It’s good practice to cleanse and charge your gemstones and crystals every once in a while. That way you’re guaranteed a good flow of energy and as an added bonus it also strengthens the band between you and your crystals! There are many ways to cleanse and charge and I’ll explain the most common methods below.
Cleanse
- Smudge
Just like you energetically cleanse a space, you can also use smudging (the cleansing power of smoke) to cleanse your gemstones and crystals. You can use incense, a smudge stick, dried sage or a dried stick of palo santo (holy wood). Make sure that the smoke envelops all sides of the gemstone/crystal. While doing this, keep in mind that you want to clear this gemstone/crystal of any negative energy or energies that no longer serve you. This is a very safe way to cleanse your gemstones and crystals, because there’s no risk damaging them.
- Singing bowl
A different method that is also suitable for any type of gemstone or crystal is using a singing bowl. After striking, the singing bowl will emit vibrations that help clear away any negative energies. If the gemstone/crystal is small enough, you can hold it in the center of the singing bowl. While doing so, visualize that the vibrations are clearing away any negative energy.
- Running water
Be careful: this method is not safe for poreuse gemstones and crystals. Always check the so-called Mohs Hardness scale, which you can find on this website. Gemstones and crystals with a Mohs Hardness scale of 6 or higher are safe to be cleansed with water. If your gemstone/crystal contains traces of iron or copper you should also avoid using water.
After you’ve made sure your gemstone/crystal is water safe, you will proceed as follows. Let water run from your tap continously, in a slow flow (lukewarm water is nice in this case). Hold your crystal or gemstone under the running water and make sure to cover every side. While doing this, visualize the water clearing away any negative energy. These negative energies will run down your drain, along with the rest of the water. Some say you need to hold the stone under running water for at least a few minutes, but I don’t really agree with this. Whenever you feel the stone is cleansed, you’re good to go.
- Selenite
Another handy way to cleanse your gemstones and crystals is by placing them on a piece of selenite. Selenite is a self-cleansing stone that cannot store any negative energy. Besides that it also helps clear negative energy from other stones and crystals. I’d like to keep my gemstones and crystals on there for a day or so. But that’s personal preference – just find what feels good for you.
Charge
After your crystals and gemstones have been cleansed of all negative energies and energies that no longer serve you, it’s important to charge them up. For this, too, are many ways of going about it:
- Sunlight
Just like us people, crystals and gemstones enjoy sunbathing for a little recharge! So whenever it’s sunny, just place your stones and crystals in the sunlight for a few hours. Do keep in mind that some stones tend to fade when placed in direct sunlight, such as amethyst. So please do check this in advance (Google is your friend!).
Bonus points if you are able to lay your stones out on a sunny patch of grass or soil, the connection with mother earth will give them an extra boost!
- Moonlight
Moonlight is a very beautiful and gentle way to charge your gemstones and crystals. Plus, no chance of harming their vibrant colors! Even though each phase of the moon has somewhat of a different energy (more on this in later blog posts), all moonlight is capable of recharging your gemstones and crystals. Just find a nice windowsill to place them on before you go to bed and keep your fingers crossed for a clear night.
- Clear quartz crystal
Just like selenite cleanses, there’s also a crystal counterpart that charges: clear quartz crystal! Clear quartz is readily available and oftentimes you can find a bigger piece or cluster for a price that doesn’t break the bank. Perfect for charging multiple crystals at the same time. Out of all methods, this is the one I use the most for charging my gemstones and crystals. Just leave them on there for a day or so and they’re good to go!
Specific intention
If you want to charge your gemstone or crystal with a specific intention (not just general positive vibes), then I would recommend doing the following, after you’ve generally charged your stone:
Hold your stone in your hands, close your eyes and visualize a small ball of light in the center of your stone. You can pick any color you like. In your head, repeat the intention you have for this stone (for example: “I attract abundance”, or “This stone calms me down”, or “This stone protects me from negative energy”). As you repeat the intention, visualize the ball of energy slowly growing until it’s as big as the stone itself. Then you’re done!
