Selenite

Selenite is a transparent to translucent form of gypsum, admired for its silky, pearly glow. It is also one of the softest and most easily damaged stones in any collection, which is the thing to remember above all else.

What it is

Selenite is crystalline gypsum, a hydrated calcium sulphate, with a hardness of just 2 on the Mohs scale. You can scratch it with a fingernail. Gypsum forms in layers where salty water has evaporated, and selenite crystals grow in clay, in caves and in evaporite deposits. It can appear as flat, blade-like plates, as long fibrous wands (often called satin spar) or as clear sheets.

Selenite is found in many places, including Mexico, Morocco, Utah and other parts of the United States, and parts of Europe. The most remarkable deposits are the giant crystals of the Naica mine in Chihuahua, Mexico, where beams many metres long have grown in hot, mineral-rich water over a very long time. Conditions in those caves are extreme, and visits are restricted.

History and culture

The name comes from the Greek selene, the Moon, and relates to the stone’s soft, moonlike sheen. Ancient writers used the word for transparent gypsum and sometimes for other glowing stones, so references are not always to the same mineral. Because it is so soft, selenite was carved into small objects rather than worn in rings.

Today selenite is a staple of the modern crystal trade, and the long wands, lamps and plates sold in shops are almost all mined from gypsum deposits and shaped by machine.

What crystal traditions associate with it

In many crystal traditions, selenite is associated with the Moon, light, clarity and a peaceful atmosphere. It is often used as a symbolic cleansing stone, and people lay other crystals on a selenite plate as a ritual of resetting them. That is a personal practice and not a scientific cleaning. In the chakra system it is often linked with the crown.

How people use it

Wands of selenite are placed on shelves, used as a pointer during meditation, or simply displayed. Flat plates serve as a resting place for other stones. Selenite lamps, which are hollowed pieces with a light inside, are sold as decorative objects. Small pieces are sometimes kept near a lamp or on a desk for the soft quality of the light they give.

Care and safety

• Keep selenite dry. Gypsum dissolves slowly in water, and soaking or washing will dull the surface and can ruin a piece. Do not leave selenite in a damp room, a bathroom or a garden.
• Do not make any kind of water infusion or elixir with it, and do not place it in drinking water.
• Wipe gently with a dry or barely damp cloth, and dry at once.
• It scratches and chips easily, and thin wands can snap. Wrap pieces when storing them.
• Selenite is not suited to rings or bracelets that knock against surfaces.
• Do not swallow stones.

Sourcing and fakes

Most selenite is mined and machine-cut. Some plates and lamps are sold under the name selenite when they are alabaster, which is a fine-grained gypsum, or calcite. The rule of thumb is that real selenite scratches with a fingernail. The trade is not known for serious labour problems in the way of some other stones, but the usual question about origin is still worth asking.

A note on health. Crystals are valued for beauty, meaning and ritual. There is no scientific evidence that they treat health conditions. If you are struggling with your health or mood, please speak to a doctor.

Frequently asked questions