Many articles can be found online on how to clean and upkeep your jewelry, so rather than recreate more words on the topic, I'll be delving into the spiritual and energy cleansing steps you can take to clear out negative energies your beauties may have collected and recharge them with your personal positive energy and intent.
Most stones are hardy by nature, some more than others, and before you clean them with anything chemical, and especially if they are set into jewelry, do a little research to see if yours can hold up against the exposure.
There is a chance some of these methods may discolor or dull your stones, and for one of a kind pieces that can't be replaced, this would be pretty disheartening. A few stones don't do well when exposed to water (angelite for example) or hot water (malachite), and some like Ethiopian opals can alter appearance when they get wet. Others love a good bath (turquoise) and do better when they get some moisture. Again, a little bit of research about your particular stone will help you choose the best method to cleanse it so it will remain beautiful for years to come.
If you're not sure, stick with a white sage, moonlight or earth cleansing which are the gentlest and shouldn't damage the crystals, metal and other parts of your jewelry.
Stones can collect energy from the people and situations they are exposed to. It's good practice to cleanse and charge them every so often, clearing away any negative energies they may have collected and re-aligning them with positive and powerful intent.
Here are a few ways you can clean and charge your special jewelry pieces:
White Sage Smudging
Light white sage and pass the jewelry through the smoke to clear away the negative and pull in the positive energy. I place a few leaves of sage on a fireproof plate with a bamboo screen over it, placing the jewelry or stones on top so they are enveloped in incense smoke as the leaves burn down.
White sage is a powerful spiritual herb often used in cleansing rituals and processes, dating back to ancient times. The first recorded use is by the Native Americans who used it frequently in spiritual rituals, and has since been adopted around the world for cleansing.
on a cool note, using an abalone shell for your sage cleansing creates a synergetic energy pulling in the four elements of water (shell), earth (sage), air (smoke) and fire (lighting the incense)
Sunlight
Sunlight burns away negative energies that may have been stored up, and recharges your stones with a high energy. Place your piece in natural daylight for a few hour or under direct sunlight for about 30 minutes. And it's free! All you need is a sunny day.
Note: there are stones that may fade if exposed too long to direct sunlight. If you choose to use this method, make sure to retrieve the stones before long so they won't be damaged.
Full Moon
A full moon is another powerful cleanser, gentler than sunlight. Place your stones outside overnight under the full moon to clear away negativity and charge your pieces with the gentle calming energy the moon offers.
It's best to lay your pieces out out on a natural surface like wood or the earth. A wooden or ceramic (earthenware) plate would serve well for this, even glass, but avoid plastic which is manmade and not a good synergy of energy. If there's a chance of rain, it would be good to put them under a covered spot so they won't get wet. In the morning bring them indoors and wipe them down if they've collected dew.
Water
Water washes away built up negative energy, leaving your stones ready for you to charge up again. Filtered water, rain water, sea water, well water are all good choices. Pour the water over your pieces and allow it to run off into the earth (or down the sink), to pull out the negative energy and remove it far from your beautiful stones. You want to avoid tap water that has many chemicals added for cleaning purposes. I have a charcoal filter on my tap which works well to filter out chlorines and mold, but when I can collect some rain water I like to use that too.
caution: Water can damage some stones (opal, angelite to name a few), or your jewelry settings may not like to get wet. Please research this if you choose to use water for cleansing.
Earth
Raw earth pulls out negative energies and absorbs them back into nature, recharging your stones with the grounding healing energy of Mother Nature. If you feel a little at odds with life, this is a good way to re-connect your Power Stones to the present.
Burying your stones under some clean dirt is the best method, but you may not want to do that with jewelry. Instead, lay the pieces on top of the earth and leave for a day or so, then dust them off for wearing. Stones and most metals shouldn't be affected by earth.
Use a plant in the house or gather some earth from outdoors into an earthen ware dish.
After cleansing and charging your stones, it's time to infuse them with your personal energy or intent. The processes above will also help do that, but my favorite way is to hold the stone for a few seconds throughout the day as I meditate upon the intent and positivity I want it to carry. If you practice affirmation work or meditation, if you pray or if like me, you like to take a walk to clear your mind, these are good times to infuse your crystals.
Doing this helps create a mental pattern of focus and going forward whenever I touch or see the stone, it brings back to mind the energy I imagined on it. During the day when I am feeling especially challenged, I like to hold my stone in my closed palm then open it towards the sky as a symbol of releasing the negativity creeping in.
Even years later I have specific stones that still work to bring my mind back to that specific purpose I used them for.
Your stones will be happy to get cleaned and recharged regularly, and bring you happiness and positivity in your daily life and spiritual practices.
Erinn is the Jack of All Trades and wears all the hats at Off on a Whim, a small independent jewelry business in Japan that focuses on natural stones, crystals, and custom made pieces and gifts for her customers.
If you'd like to get started on your own custom piece of jewelry, shoot us a message, or check out the Off on a Whim Catalogue for inspiration and ideas!
