Crystal Cleansing.
Also known as: Cleansing Crystals, Clearing Crystals
The practice of clearing a stone of accumulated energy or imprint before use, by smoke, water, sound, moonlight, or earth.
Crystal cleansing is the small ritual most practitioners perform when a stone arrives, after heavy use, or when something feels off. The idea is straightforward: a crystal kept close picks up the residue of its surroundings, and from time to time it benefits from being reset.
The methods vary because the tradition is not single. Smoke from sage, palo santo, or sandalwood is common. So is running water, though only for stones that tolerate it (selenite, malachite, and most softer minerals do not). Sound from a singing bowl, bell, or tuning fork is gentle and safe for everything. Moonlight on a windowsill, especially around the full moon, is a favourite for stones that fade in sun. Burying a stone in earth or in a bowl of dry rice or salt for a day works for the more robust pieces.
There is no agreed mechanism, and that is fine. The honest framing is that cleansing is a practice for the practitioner as much as the stone. Pausing to wash, smudge, or set a stone in moonlight is a small ceremony that resets attention and signals a fresh start.