Agate comes in many different colors, which means that there is an agate out there for everyone. Though each type has a different use, all stones are wonderfully calming. To keep that calming energy and take care of your agate, it is important you cleanse it regularly. Today we’ll have a look at whether you can cleanse agate using salt, as well as other was to safely cleanse and charge the stone.
Agate can go in salt, including saltwater. It is a 7 on Mohs scale of hardness, meaning it is hard enough to prevent surface damage. Be careful with raw agates and geodes, as these will break in saltwater. Other ways to cleanse your agate are by using sound, selenite and smoke cleansing.
This is true for moss agate, tree agate, snakeskin agate, and any other agate crystal.
If you want to know why agate is safe in salt and how to safely use it to cleanse your stone, keep reading! I will also explain some other methods to cleanse your stone and give you a quick overview of its properties.
Want more help or information? If you have any more questions after reading this blog post or want a personal answer for your specific situation, join the free Facebook group! We promise you’ll get an answer from either our team members or a community member.
Also Read: Can Agate Be In The Sun?
Can Agate Go In Salt? (Explained)
Agate is safe in dry salt, as well as saltwater. The reason for this, is that agate is a relatively hard crystal – a 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness. For those not familiar with this scale, it indicates how strong a stone is. The higher the number, the stronger the stone. As a reference, diamond is a 10 and a fingernail about a 2.
This is useful information as the stronger the stone, the more scratch resistant it is. Besides, any mineral can scratch a mineral with a lower number. For example, a diamond (10) easily scratches agate (7). Salt sits at about a 2,5, which means it will not scratch the surface of your agate.
Apart from scratch resistance, we also need to keep in mind that salt can get into the miniscule cracks of your mineral. This isn’t immediately a big problem, but overtime the amount of salt can build up and cause the stone to break.
For this reason, we make sure to rinse the stone after cleansing it with salt. I also never recommend placing raw stones or geodes in salt, as there are more cracks for the salt to get into. These stones are therefore more likely to crack when using salt.
If your stone does end up breaking, this won’t affect it’s vibrations. As the metaphysical properties will stay the same, you will be able to use the stone the same way as you did before.
Curious about how to cleanse your stone safely, with or without salt? Continue reading!
- Also Read: What Chakra Is Moss Agate?
Can Agate Go In Himalayan Salt?
As explained in “Can Agate Go In Salt?” it is perfectly fine to leave your stone on any form of salt. You can also dissolve Himalayan salt into water and use this to cleanse your stone.
Can Agate Go In Saltwater?
Agate can go in saltwater, but be aware of the risks.
As explained previously, the problem that arises with using salt is that it can go into the tiny cracks of your stone and cause breakage form the inside out. The issue with saltwater is that it easily fills the cracks. When the water evaporates, the salt is then left behind. This greatly increases the risk of cracking and is simply unnecessary – just leaving it on salt already works and has less risks.
For this reason, I personally choose to keep my agate away from saltwater.
Again, it is perfectly safe to use water and salt separately to cleanse your stone. As agate is essentially just a form of quartz, it loves a good rinse.
Also be aware that any stone left in water will become dull eventually. Overtime water damages the shiny surface. So, if you care about the looks of your agate, you might want to avoid this method altogether.
If you’re cleansing silver jewelry with agate in it, never put it in salt water. This will tarnish the silver and leave you with a dark, stained chain.
- Also Read: Can Agate Go In Water?
How To Cleanse Agate Using Salt
If you want to cleanse your agate in salt, there is two ways you can do this – in dry salt and in saltwater. Though I do not recommend the latter, I will explain the steps for both methods below.
In Dry Salt
Fill a bowl with a layer of salt (about 0.5 to 2 inches) and place your agate on top. If you’re cleansing multiple stones at once, make sure they all have their own spot and make full contact with the salt. Don’t bury them, as this is simply unnecessary and will leave your agate more likely to break.
Leave the stone for 1-7 hours, depending on how energetically heavy they feel. I recommend never leaving them for more than that as this leaves them more vulnerable to the salt.
After cleansing, quickly rinse the stone under running water and dry it with a soft cloth.
Lastly, throw away the salt after using it. It has absorbed all the low vibrations and you really do not want to put that back into your body.
If you’re cleansing a piece of jewelry with agate in it, you might want to wrap the clasp in a bit of tissue paper to stop the salt from getting into it.
Ensure that you always charge your stone after cleansing. The salt gets rid of the negative energies, but charging your stone will put positive ones back into it!
In Saltwater
If you choose to cleanse your crystals using saltwater, regardless of the risks, here’s how to do it.
Collect a bowl of fresh sea water (if you can!) or put a tablespoon of salt into a bowl of water. Make sure all the salt has dissolved in the water, and place your agate in the water. Leave it for a few hours, again depending on how energetically heavy it feels.
Take your agate out of the bowl and run it under tap water to get rid of any leftover salt and dry it with a soft cloth.
How To Cleanse Agate Without Salt
As we now know, you have to be very careful when using salt to cleanse your agate. For that reason, I choose to avoid it altogether. Besides, there are many safe ways to cleanse your agate without salt. Some examples are smoke cleansing, sound or selenite.
Smoke Cleansing
If you want to smoke cleanse agate, light your herbs of choice, and blow out the flame. Set an intention for your stone and waft the smoke over it. Make sure the stone does not touch the herbs or else it will leave a black mark. When it the stone feels lighter energetically, it’s ready!
NOTE: Beware that using the term ‘smudging’ and the practice of burning white sage/palo santo is commonly used in the spiritual community. This is a specific type of smoke cleansing used by Native Americans, and which was illegal up until about 40 years ago. We recommend using a form of smoke cleansing that is appropriate for you and your culture.
Sound
You could also use sound to cleanse your stones by using singing bowls, tuning forks or a simple YouTube video. I like this method, as it not only cleanses your stones, but also recharges them.
To use this method, set an intention for your stones and make sure to think positive thoughts. If this is difficult, just repeat your intention over and over. When you feel ready, play the sound. Your agate will be cleansed and recharged when you feel like it is. Check in with the energy!
Selenite
Lastly, you can use selenite. Selenite is also a crystal, known for its ability to transmute negative into positive energies. It is a perfect stone for when you’re feeling down, and will make you feel much lighter.
Selenite will do the same for your agate. Just place the stone on a selenite slab and leave it for a few hours. When you come back, your agate will be cleansed, charged and ready for use!
If you want to know exactly how to charge using these methods, as well as some others, I recommend reading another article that I wrote: “Can Agate Be In The Sun?” If you scroll down to the bottom of that page, you’ll find all the information there.
Agate Overview
Chakra: All (depending on the type of agate)
Element: Earth
Zodiac: Gemini | Virgo
Benefits: Grounding | Rebalancing | Cleansing
There’s an agate for every situation: depending on the type, they have different uses and powers. However, there are also overarching uses for agates. Overall, they have a soothing, low vibration making it is perfect for grounding. Apart from this, agates help you rebalance. As a result, the stone is perfect if you feel a bit woozy and need a bit of help unblocking chakras.
15 Comments