Caring For Your Charming Perfections Crystal Gems
Like all expressions of life, gemstones need and deserve care to retain their vitality.
As therapeutic gemstones help us release energetic impurities and blockages, some of these released energies cling to the surface of the gems. These disharmonious energies quickly build up, inhibiting the gemstones’ ability to work at peak capacity. Regular cleansing clears these energies and restores the gems to their naturally vibrant state. Several minutes of care given regularly will keep therapeutic gemstones vital and ready to help us take our next step in growth and healing.
Cleansing Methods
Salt Bed
(Recommended for all gems)
Salt absorbs the disharmonious energies that accumulate on the surface of therapeutic gems. Lay the gemstones in about a half-inch of salt (we recommend plain table salt without iodine) in a bowl for at least an hour or overnight. For softer or more delicate gems, place a thin, natural-fiber cloth between the salt and the gems.
Replace the salt about every two weeks.
Plant Rejuvenation
(Recommended for all gems)
Plants generate a living energy field that can absorb and transform the disharmonious energies we release. Wrap a gemstone necklace around the base of a healthy houseplant, or lay the necklace in its branches. For a deeper cleansing and rejuvenation, place the gemstones outside in the branches of, or underneath, a shrub or tree for several days.
Water Rinse
Rinsing gemstones in water gently washes away many of the gems’ accumulated energies. Hold the entire necklace under alternating hot and cold running water for about 60 seconds. Test the water temperature; if it’s too hot for your fingers, it may be too hot for the gems. Once a week, use a small amount of mild, natural soap to remove oils from the gems’ surface.
Sunbath
Sunshine clears, energizes, and revitalizes therapeutic gems. Unless the gems are water-sensitive, first rinse them as described above. Then lay the gems in direct sunlight for 5 to 20 minutes. Ideally, expose the gems to the sun directly, rather than through a glass windowpane. If possible, lay the gems directly on the earth, grass, or branches of a plant. Avoid excessive exposure to the sun.
Two Clay Cleanses
(Not Recommended for all gems. See individual gemstone pages to see which gems cannot be cleansed with clay)
Soaking gems in a mixture of bentonite clay and water can provide many gems with an exceptionally deep and thorough energetic cleansing. The clay absorbs the unwanted energies, which are then washed away with the clay. The clay bath is less intensive than the clay pack, which is designed specifically to remove radiation from gems. (Bentonite clay powder is available in most natural foods stores.) Important Note:The clay cleansing methods are not appropriate for all therapeutic gemstones, because it may prematurely dull the surface of softer or more porous gems.
Clay Bath
| 1. | In a bowl or jar, mix ½ teaspoon bentonite clay powder with ½ cup distilled or well water. Use a plastic or wooden spoon to stir the clay into the water. |
| 2. | Place the gemstone necklace in the bowl, and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes. |
| 3. | Remove the necklace from the bowl, and rinse the necklace thoroughly. |
| 4. | Discard the used clay water. |
| 5. | If any clay is stuck between the beads, return the necklace to the clean bowl and add fresh water. Let it sit for another 15 minutes and then rinse again. |
Clay Pack
As needed to clear gems of radiation
Use the clay pack to clear solar, x-ray, and electromagnetic radiation from gemstones. Please note that this technique does not clear the radiation applied by the jewelry industry to non-Gemisphere gemstones to enhance their color or clarity.
| 1. | Place your gemstone necklace in a small bowl or jar. |
| 2. | Cover the necklace with two (2) tablespoons of bentonite clay powder. The necklace should be completely buried in the clay powder. |
| 3. | Add about one-half cup of distilled or well water. Do not stir. |
| 4. | Let the mixture rest without stirring until the clay has completely absorbed the water, about an hour. |
| 5. | To remove the clay from the necklace, add at least a cup of additional water to the clay pack. Let the mixture rest for another hour, and then pour off the clay water. |
If possible, discard the clay water outside in your garden or yard. If you must pour it down a sink drain, be sure to run plenty of tap water to dilute the clay and prevent it from accumulating in your pipes.
To avoid breaking the thread, do not pull the necklace from the clay pack or try to pry the clay from the gems.
Gently jiggle the clay pack with your finger or a plastic spoon to encourage the water to take up the clay particles.
Repeat Step 5 until the gems, clasp, and thread are free of clay residue. Allow time for the water to dissolve the clay. However, with each repetition of Step 5, you will be able to replace the water in shorter intervals. Removing the last bits of clay from the necklace requires patience.
Basic Care Guidelines
Your Gemisphere necklaces are sensitive energetic tools. With proper care, most therapeutic gemstones will continue producing their therapeutic benefits indefinitely.
Handle all therapeutic gemstones with care. Some are particularly fragile, such as Purple Rainbow Fluorite, Malachite, Mother of Pearl, and Rhodochrosite. Because they naturally break, scratch, and chip more easily than other gemstones, store them separately.
Practices to Avoid
Avoid storing gemstones near strong electromagnetic fields, such as those emitted by televisions and computers, which can disrupt the gemstones’ energies.
Avoid exposing gemstones to x-rays, such as at the dentist, in a hospital, or at an airport security station. X-rays will be absorbed by the gemstones and released later into the user’s aura. See our FAQ page for more information.
Avoid wearing gemstones in the shower or bath. When the thread is wet, the weight of the gems will tend to stretch it, making it more likely to break. (This is why, when cleansing gemstone necklaces with a water rinse, we recommend laying them flat to dry.) Also, especially for the more porous gems, it is best to avoid exposing them to shampoos and conditioners.
Avoid wearing gemstones in chlorinated swimming pools or hot tubs. Chlorine adversely affects the surface of certain gems.
Avoid smoking and wearing synthetic perfume when wearing therapeutic gemstones, especially porous stones. The fumes can interfere with the free flow of a gemstone’s energy.