How to Store Crystals & Crystal Bracelets

As our interest in crystals and crystal healing grows, so does our crystal collection! Eventually, many of us come to a point where we have more crystals in our personal collection than what we can use in a single session. At this point, we have to start to find proper storage for them that will protect them from the elements while still being accessible.

People use crystals all over the world as tools for healing. They are used to cleanse the body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Many people believe that the healing energy of crystals hold the power to heal many ailments. It’s therefore important that we try to keep our crystals safe and protected. We’ll discuss how to do that shortly.

Why is It Important to Store Crystals Away

We need to understand that not all crystals are the same. Some crystals are much more sturdier than others. They are able to withstand the external elements while retaining it’s vitality. Others may lose its luster and vibrancy if they are exposed to certain elements for an extended period of time. Here are some reasons why it’s important to keep our crystals away in certain situations.

Avoiding Water

Certain crystals do not like being in contact with water. One example is selenite, where it’s known to be soluble in water. By exposing selenite to water for too long, we may actually dissolve the crystal!

There are also other crystals that are perfectly fine coming into contact with water. Generally these are crystals with a Mohs Hardness of around 5 and up. To understand more about Mohs Hardness and which crystals should avoid coming contact with water, read our blog post where we explain whether can you shower with your crystal bracelet.

So if you have crystals that are placed outdoors, or where they may come into contact with water, be sure to store them away after you are done with using them.

Tip: Never ever expose malachite to water. The high copper content when reacted with water can produce toxic fumes. If you handled a wet malachite, be sure to pat dry with a soft disposable tissue and wash your hands thoroughly right after.

Avoiding Humidity

I’ve decided that I should talk about avoiding humidity separately even though it’s pretty similar to avoiding water. This is because many people think they are in the clear avoiding their crystals with water, but overlook the humidity side of it.

Moisture in the air is similar to water. It is essentially water vapour. So even though your crystals are not coming into contact with the liquid form of water, they may be still exposed from the humidity.

Apart from water-soluble crystals, we also need to be careful with crystals with iron elements and iron oxides, such as:

• Hematite
• Magnetite
• Pyrite
• Lodestone

Crystals with iron content in them may oxidize when come into contact with water. This is why it’s very important to store these crystals away from moisture. You don’t want to leave your crystals out open in the bathroom where they could get damp from the high humidity. Instead, place them in a dry place.

Avoiding Sunlight

Plenty of crystals are absolutely safe being out under the sun, while certain others are best kept out of direct sunlight due to the occurence of tenebrescence, which fades the colors of the crystals. These crystals that fade will slowly lose its color and vitality when exposed to sunlight for an extended period of time. The effect of tenebrescence is permanent, you won’t be able to get the color of the crystal back! Here are some common crystals that should not be exposed to direct sunlight at all:

• Aquamarine
• Fluorite
• Sodalite
• Topaz

And here are some common crystals that should not be exposed to sunlight for an extended period of time:

• Amazonite
• Amethyst
• Apatite
• Calcite
• Celestine
• Corundum
• Gypsum
• Kunzite
• Lepidolite
• Morganite
• Rose Quartz
• Smoky Quartz
• Tourmaline

Avoiding Dust Particles & Contaminants

This generally applies for crystals that are left out in spaces for an extended period of time. Dust is a natural part of our lives, and they collect around anything that’s left open in our houses.

It’s easy to dust polished crystals that have a wide surface. However for raw crystals, especially those that are jagged and have lots of nooks and crannies, you’ll soon realize that you’ll have a much harder time dusting them.

Dust on itself doesn’t harm our crystals. But by avoiding it, you’ll just have an easier time when it comes to cleaning up.

How to Store Crystals

There are several ways to store your crystals safely. We have so far discussed that not all crystals are the same. Some crystals are much more sturdier than others and they are able to withstand the external elements while retaining it’s vitality.

For those that need to be kept and stored away, here are some ways to do so.

Storage Container / Acrylic Boxes

Storage containers are great for storing crystals. They’re cheap, durable, and can be used for other purposes too.

Acrylic boxes may cost a little more, but doubles as a nice display that still provides protection from dust or itchy fingers.

They are both easily accessible whenever you need them.

Glass / Mason Jars

Mason jars are great for displaying your crystals. They look pretty and add a touch of elegance to any room. An airtight mason jar also helps to minimize exposure to moisture in high humidity areas, making them wonderful for our water-sensitive crystals.

Glass Display

This option is usually reserved for the bigger collectors!

If you’re looking for something a bit different, glass displays are perfect for showcasing your crystals. They provide a clean, elegant appearance and are ideal for displaying smaller crystals like selenites and aquamarines, but make sure to keep them away from direct sunlight.

Drawer

Crystals don’t have to be always in use. You can always put them in drawers and store them away while you rotate between your other crystals. It’s a good way to protect them from dust and scratches, while still being easily accessible whenever you need them.

Boxes

Just in case you don’t have a dedicated drawer or compartment for your crystals, you may keep them inside a box so that they do not get scratched or damaged by any other sharp objects that they may come into contact with.

You can even choose to decorate your crystal storage box with beautiful artwork if you want to give it a personal touch.

Cloth Pouches

Strong your crystals in cloth pouches gives them added protection against dust and scratches. These are available at most craft stores or Etsy shops.

These are very useful for keeping your crystals safe and sound until you decide to use them again.

You can also store each crystal in their own cloth pouch, and use it as a carrying case whenever you feel like bringing them out.

Can I Store My Crystals Together?

It’s generally fine to keep crystals together, as long as you handle them with care. However there could be some concerns where the crystals are not compatible to be kept together. Here are some of them.

Your Crystals Getting Scratched

Tumbled stones when kept together are less susceptible to this issue, as they rough edges have been polished off, making it less likely they they’ll scratch each other.

However, placing your tumbled stones or fragile crystals together with raw crystals are usually a bad idea, as the sharp edges of the raw crystals are likely going to scratch up the polished ones.

Crystals and stones on the lower end of the Mohs Hardness Scale also more likely tend to be scratched by those on the higher end of the scale.

So if you are keeping a variety of stones together, be sure that you are handling them with care, or else it’s just best to isolate them to their own containers or pouches.

Your Crystals Fading from the Sun

If you keep your crystals near sunlight, be sure that you do not mix them with light-sensitive ones (as we discussed earlier in this post). Let those set of crystals busk in the sunrays, but keep the rest elsewhere so that they do not fade and lose its vitality.

Crystals that Cancel Out Each Other’s Energy or Cannot Be Stored Together

Certain healing crystal pairs cancel each other’s energy out, and it’s not a good idea to put them together because of this reason. An example will be carnelian and amethyst. Carnelian is an energy booster, while amethyst calms you down. Putting them together will either just cancel each other out, alter energy flow or confuse your chakras.

The same goes to putting an amplifier crystal such as clear quartz, together with a crystal that isn’t suitable for you at this point in your life. The negative energies will be amplified instead, which is just unhelpful to whatever you are facing in life.

So be sure to group your crystals together based on their healing properties or crystal family, putting high energy ones away from calming ones. There’s not exact formula, so go with what feels right for you. If a pairing does not seem to work effectively, or seems to be emitting unwanted energy, then just avoid pairing them.

Final Words

Crystals are made up of minerals and water. The minerals make up the structure of the crystal, while the water is what gives it its energy. When you store your crystals, you generally want to keep them dry and away from direct sunlight or heat. You also want to be sure they are stored somewhere that won’t get wet. If you live in an area with high humidity, you may need to consider storing your crystals in a dry room, or a an airtight container or one that has some sort of desiccant material inside.

As mentioned above, there are many ways to store your crystals safely. The method you choose depends on how much space you have, the type of crystals you own, and how much money you’re willing to spend.