Looking after your crystals
MOHS SCALE OF HARDNESS CHART – CRYSTALS THAT CAN BE DAMAGED BY WATER:
According to the Mohs Hardness Scale, any crystal with a hardness rating of SIX OR MORE maybe cleansed in water, but if the hardness rating is LESS THAN SIX you should avoid contact with water – see the section on Ways to Cleanse Your Crystals’. Generally, and to be on the safe side, crystals ending in ‘ite’ are NOT water friendly. Here is a list of the most common crystals – though this list is not exhaustive:
| Crystal / Gemstone | Hardness |
| Agate | 7.0 |
| Amber | 2.0 – 2.5 |
| Amethyst | 7.0 |
| Ametrine | 7.0 |
| Angelite | 3.5 |
| Apatite | 5.0 |
| Aquamarine | 7.5 – 8.0 |
| Aventurine | 7.0 |
| Azurite | 3.5 – 4.0 |
| Bloodstone | 7.0 |
| Calcite | 3.0 |
| Carnelian | 7.0 |
| Cat’s Eye (Quartz) | 7.0 |
| Celestite | 3.0 – 3.5 |
| Citrine | 7.0 |
| Fire Opal | 6.0 – 6.5 |
| Fluorite | 4.0 |
| Garnet | 6.5 – 7.5 |
| Gypsum Desert Rose | 2.0 |
| Haematite | 5.5 – 6.5 |
| Halite | 2.0 – 2.5 |
| Howlite | 3.5 |
| Jade | 6.5 – 7.0 |
| Crystal / Gemstone | Hardness |
| Jasper | 7.0 |
| Labradorite | 6.0 – 6.5 |
| Lapis Lazuli | 5.0 – 5.5 |
| Lepidolite | 2.5 – 3.0 |
| Malachite | 3.5 – 4.0 |
| Moldavite | 5.5 – 7.0 |
| Moonstone | 6.0 – 6.5 |
| Muscovite | 2.0 – 2.5 |
| Obsidian | 5.0 |
| Onyx | 6.5 – 7.0 |
| Opal | 5.5 – 6.5 |
| Peridot | 6.5 – 7.0 |
| Pyrite | 6.0 – 6.5 |
| Quartz | 7.0 |
| Rhodonite | 6.0 |
| Ruby | 9.0 |
| Sapphire | 9.0 |
| Selenite | 2.0 |
| Sodalite | 5.5 |
| Tigers Eye | 6.0 |
| Topaz | 8.0 |
| Tourmaline | 7.0 – 7.5 |
| Turquoise | 5.0 – 6.0 |
| DO AVOID EXPOSING THE FOLLOWING CRYSTALS TO TOO MUCH SUNLIGHT |
| Amethyst, Ametrine, Apatite, Aquamarine and Aventurine |
| Calcite, Celestite, Citrine and Cyrsoprase |
| Kunzite |
| Fluorite |
| Rose Quartz |
| Smokey Quartz |
| Clear Quartz – because it can heat up. |
Please also see the section on: ‘WAYS TO CLEANSE YOUR CRYSTALS & CRYSTAL JEWELLERY’.