It's a popular topic in the crystal cleansing world: what crystals can go in water, or more importantly, what crystals cannot go in water? There's tons to examine with each individual stone; from iron content to whether it contains asbestos, you don't want to make a mistake when putting minerals in water.
There's often a lot of confusion surrounding water safe crystals, salt water cleansing, and drinking from a crystal water bottle or other form of crystal water. The internet can provide mixed signals and some crystal experts might not even know themselves.
The truth is: choosing crystals that are safe in water will require you to research the individual gemstone (you can do that in our Crystals and their Meanings guide).. While there are some generalizations, there are plenty of exceptions!
A Quick Guide: What Crystals Cannot Go In Water?
- Use the Mohs hardness scale. If you want a quick and general rule for water safe crystals, then the Mohs hardness scale is your friend. Stick with crystals that are a 6 or higher and you should be fine. These are broadly considered water safe.
- Avoid iron ores or crystals that contain copper. A mineral such as Pyrite can rust when it comes into contact with water. Water could even cause some crystals to dissolve. An iron ore crystal should never get wet, especially not for a prolonged period of time, or by being completely submerged.
- Crystals ending in "ite" are generally water unsafe crystals. This might be another generalization but it's right more often than not. The actual reason crystals end in the suffix, "ite," is because there's a push to standardize mineral names officially. It just so happens that the crystals that retain this name tend to be water unsafe crystals. Stones like Malachite, Calcite, Hematite, Fluorite and Selenite should avoid water. They have a low water tolerance and are usually softer on the Mohs hardness scale too. This makes them easy targets to sustain irreversible damage.
Toxic Crystals you don't Want in your Crystal Water Bottle
Not all crystals are safe to use in crystal-infused water. The last thing you want to do is ingest chemicals from toxic crystals. Not only will water potentially damage the gemstone, a natural stone elixir from these crystals could be extremely harmful to you and your well-being. Toxic crystals can cause sickness, allergic reactions, or even death.
17 Stones your should NEVER Put in your Crystal Water Bottle
Here are some of the most common crystals to avoid putting in your crystal water bottle or crystal elixir.
- Actinolite: fibrous form of asbestos
- Amazonite: contains copper which is toxic
- Angelite: contains lead and sulfur
- Azurite: contains copper
- Chrysocolla: contains copper
- Garnet: contains Aluminium
- Hematite: contains iron and will rust when submerged
- Labradorite: contains Aluminium
- Lapis Lazuli: contains sulfur
- Lodestone: contains iron and will rust
- Malachite: contains copper
- Pyrite: contains iron and traces of sulfur
- Serpentine: fibrous form of asbestos
- Stibnite: contains lead and antimony
- Tiger's Eye: raw Tiger's Eye is a fibrous form of asbestos
- Unakite: contains Aluminium and may also contain Zirconium, which is radioactive
- Zircon: contains Zirconium (radioactive)
This is by no means an all-encompassing list and you should always check out your individual stone to double check before creating gem elixirs.
You can also create a perfectly safe crystal elixir with any of these stones by placing the gem outside the water bottle. This indirect method is possible because it's thought that the water is able to absorb the healing properties of the crystal even if not in direct contact.
The main things to look out for are whether the crystal contains copper, lead, sulfur, asbestos or any other toxic or harmful chemical that you wouldn't ordinarily want to ingest.
Water Safe Crystals for Making a Crystal Elixir
Be sure to use water safe crystals before making any gem elixirs or homemade crystal water bottles. Ensure that the stones are natural and not artificially altered in any way. Also, make certain they are clean before placing them in a water bottle.
8 Common Crystals that are Safe to Put in Drinking Water
Here is a list of crystals that can go in water, and more specifically, that are safe for a crystal water bottle or other form of ingestion.
- Amethyst
- Black Obsidian
- Carnelian
- Citrine
- Clear Quartz
- Rose Quartz
- Rutilated Quartz
- Smoky Quartz
As with the water unsafe crystals, this list is not extensive. You can create water bottles with crystals that are not on this list, just make sure you research them before drinking any crystal-infused water.
The Quartz family stones, namely Quartz crystal, Amethyst, Citrine and co, are all generally safe to put in crystal water, so start with Quartz crystals if you're looking for water safe crystals for your gem elixirs.
Cleansing Crystals
While all stones need to be cleansed to eliminate any build-up of negative energy, not all crystals can be purified in the same way. As mentioned earlier, the Mohs hardness scale is a great way to differentiate hard crystals and soft crystals. The softer the material, the safer it is to assume that it shouldn't be cleansed in water—especially not salt water.
Check your precious stones individually before cleansing to ensure you don't damage them. Check out the complete guide on how to cleanse crystals if you want to learn about alternative methods such as basking in the light of a full moon, direct sunlight, smudging, sound, rice, salt or by sitting them besides other cleansing crystals like Selenite.
How to Cleanse Crystals with Water
If you're wondering how to cleanse crystals with water, one great cleansing technique for water safe gems is to leave a bowl of tap water outside on the night of a full moon. This water is thought to absorb lunar energy, a powerful force that can remove negative energies from certain minerals. Place your stone inside the moon water to banish unwanted energies. This works even better if spring water is used with harder crystals from the Mohs scale of hardness.
Place a Quartz crystal in a bowl of drinking water under a new moon to replenish its energy and recharge it. This is absolutely ideal for intention-setting as Quartz crystals have healing properties that amplify your manifestations, while the new moon is thought to be the best time to start new ventures and set new goals.
Leave the stone inside for a few hours to achieve the optimum effects. Longer periods are possible without damaging Quartz, but other crystals with a softer nature will need to be monitored a little more while they're submerged. A few minutes is all it takes for some.
Is there a Difference Between Cleansing in Mineral Water and Cleansing in Salt Water?
While some crystals are safe in water, they might be unsafe in salt water. This is because there are various minerals in salt water that can make certain crystals dissolve. While they may not completely dissolve, the structure that holds them together will become weaker and they will become much more prone to cracks and breaks.
When beginning your crystal journey, it's a good practice to keep track of where your crystal ranks on the Mohs hardness scale so that you can have a rough estimation of its performance in water.
For example, Rock Salt, which lies near the bottom of the scale, seems almost destined to completely dissolve in water of any kind. Diamond, however, could quite easily deal with long-term exposure to water and other elements that would destroy different stones.
Which crystals cannot be cleansed in salt water, you ask?
21 Common Crystals that should Avoid Salt Water at all Costs
As always, this is not an extensive list.
- Fluorite
- Malachite
- Tangerine Quartz
- Amber
- Black Tourmaline
- Tiger's Eye
- Opal
- Turquoise
- Labradorite
- Hematite
- Celestite
- Lapis Lazuli
- Carnelian
- Pyrite
- Selenite
- Kyanite
- Azurite
- Apatite
- Lepidolite
- Calcite
- Kunzite
A few crystals that can be cleansed briefly in water, cannot be cleansed in salt water. There are other factors at play as the content of the water is completely different.
It's also worth noting that Tangerine Quartz is the exception to the Quartz family rule. It contains iron and is therefore not advised to be used in crystal water of any kind. Even with its strength and high-ranking on the Mohs hardness scale, water is the Achilles heel of Tangerine Quartz.
So, which crystals are safe to cleanse in salt water?
11 Stones you can Cleanse in Salt Water without Issues
Some crystals can stay in salt water for long periods without any harm, while other minerals may prefer just a short period in salty water. No two minerals are the same with their water preferences.
- Clear Quartz
- Smoky Quartz
- Rutilated Quartz
- Rose Quartz
- Amethyst
- Citrine
- Agate
- Jasper
- Moonstone
- Aventurine
- Black Obsidian
Finally, which crystals cannot be cleansed in water of any kind?
18 Common Gemstones that you should NEVER Put in Water
There are some crystals that can't go in water at all. These crystals that can't be in water should avoid salty water, gem water, running water, spring water and everything in between. If your crystal is on the list and it upsets you, don't cry, as it might not be able to withstand your tears either...
Just kidding.
But for real, when you cleanse these stones, you should avoid getting them wet.
- Gypsum
- Selenite
- Celestite
- Pyrite
- Hematite
- Azurite
- Apatite
- Malachite
- Lepidolite
- Opal
- Fluorite
- Apophyllite
- Smithsonite
- Lodestone
- Jade (for an extended amount of time)
- Halite
- Ulexite
- Angelite
You might notice a bit of a pattern here, hence the earlier generalization. Most of the crystals that cannot be put in water end in -ite. A lot of the gemstones from this list will manage brief periods under running water for a quick clean, but you've been warned. Putting them in water for long periods of time could be their downfall.
While it's important to cleanse crystals and remove any negative energy they may be holding, it's even more important to keep your crystals safe. If they begin to dissolve it will reshape the entire atomic structure of the stone, changing their healing properties irreversibly. Not only will it be damaged physically, but you could say that it would be damaged spiritually too.
Frequently Asked Questions about Toxic and Water Safe Crystals
Can Rose Quartz go in water?
A lot of people ask: is Rose Quartz safe in water? As mentioned earlier, most Quartz stones are safe in water, including Rose Quartz.
Can Clear Quartz go in water?
Yep! Same thing here. In fact, one of the best methods to cleanse this Quartz stone is in water.
Can Citrine go in water?
Another type of Quartz, Citrine is a hard stone, ranking 7 on the Mohs hardness scale. This means that it's perfectly safe to put in water.
Can Amethyst go in water?
Yes, yes and more yes. Amethyst is yet another Quartz stone, and as such, it's fine in water! Amethyst crystal elixirs are some of the best!
Can Selenite get wet?
Unlike the four above, Selenite is not a Quartz stone, nor is it a water safe crystal. Selenite can get wet briefly, but it sustains damage if you leave it under water for too long. A soft crystal, Selenite should only go in water on rare occasions, and briefly, if at all. It can dissolve quite easily if left submerged for a long period of time.
The good thing about Selenite is that it's actually a self-cleanser. This means it doesn't hold onto energy like other gemstones do. If you're looking to cleanse your water unsafe crystals with Selenite, then get yourself a Cleansing Lamp.
Can Carnelian Go in Water?
Carnelian is a water-safe crystal. You can cleanse your Carnelian crystals in a water bath for a few hours and there shouldn't be any problems. However, Carnelian should never be used in conjunction with salt water. Learn more about Carnelian crystal properties in our complete guide.
Double Check Before You Put Your Crystals In Water
Always do your own research and ensure your crystals are safe in water before you cleanse them, and definitely before you use them to make crystal water bottles or elixirs. Take a look at our collection of healing stones to find yourself a new gemstone now that you know which ones can and can't go in water.
