You may be surprised to learn that some stones and crystals can fade or even become brittle if left in the sun, despite the fact that many can be energetically charged by the sun’s rays.
Whether you’re an avid student of crystals or are new to the world of stones and their fascinating properties, it’s important to know how to treat and handle your stones and crystals. Read on to discover which crystals are resilient to the sun’s rays and which you should keep away from frequent direct sunlight.
Which crystals can be in the sun?
If you’re worried about your favorite stones fading in sunlight, but love the look of filling your sun-filled home with crystals, then there are plenty of crystals that are resistant to the sun’s UV rays. Crystals that will not lose color under the sun are:
- Black Obsidian: this glassy volcanic rock’s color won’t fade as it’s so naturally dark. This crystal has purification properties and can enhance manifestation and psychic abilities.
- Black Onyx: this stone is similarly dark and won’t fade in the sun due to the deepness of its color.This stone is good for amplifying your intentions, grounding, and protecting you from negative energy.
- Carnelian: orange-colored stones are generally unaffected if exposed to sunlight, and carnelian will not be affected.Carnelian is a stabilizing stone that can stimulate creativity and motivation.
- Howlite: white howlite does not contain pigment so cannot fade in the sun. Howlite can help ease anger, pain, and stress, and facilitates balance.
- Jade: Jade is famous for its deep green color, and can withstand direct sunlight. Jade is a protective stone that can help protect you against negative intentions and bring more harmony into your life.
- Labradorite: again, this stone is so naturally dark that it would take years of direct sunlight to see any fading. Labradorite is a beautiful, dark metallic stone with shades of green, yellow, and blue. It helps balance and protect the aura, and can help strengthen your intuition.
Other Crystals That Can Be in the Sun:
- Lapis Lazuli
- Malachite
- Moonstone
- Morganite
- Sunstone
- Black tourmaline
- Amber
- Peridot
Of course, there are other stones that will maintain their appearance if left in the sun, but this list covers those most commonly used for energetic healing and meditation.
Can selenite be in the sun?
Selenite is a popular clear-white crystal that forms deep in caves in places like Mexico and Madagascar and is a popular crystal to use for cleansing other stones and crystals. It’s worth noting first that selenite is a self-cleansing crystal and usually won’t require the same level of cleansing and charging as other similar crystals, such as clear quartz.
You can place your selenite crystal on a sunny windowsill and its appearance won’t change, but if you leave it there for longer than four hours or so, it’ll look faded and dull. If you want to place your selenite in the sun to cleanse, there are a few things you can do to protect it from fading:
- Set a timer on your phone and after about three hours, be sure to remove your selenite from its sun-soaking position.
- Avoid placing your selenite directly in bright sunlight – it’ll likely be too strong for the crystal. You can place your selenite on a windowsill or shelf on a day when the room is filled with energizing sunlight, just make sure that the area isn’t exposed to direct sun rays.
And if you want to avoid placing your selenite in the sun altogether, moonlight is a wonderful energetic alternative. Selenite resonates harmoniously with the moon’s energy, so place your selenite on your windowsill at night, letting it soak up the moon’s high vibrational energy.Another alternative is to use sage to clear the negative stored by your selenite crystal.
Which crystals should I keep out of direct sunlight?
When dealing with crystals, it’s good to remember that they were formed underground, far away from the sun’s harsh rays. Many crystals are photo-sensitive, meaning that they often don’t react well to direct sunlight. As such, many of them should be kept away from the sun as their color, structure, and properties may be affected.
Here is a list of some stones that should only be exposed to a small amount of sunlight each day:
- Fluorite: as the name suggests, this stone is made of calcium fluoride, which means it will react heavily under sunlight. Avoid keeping this green and purple crystal under the sun for over 10 minutes at a time as it can overheat and crack.
- Citrine, Rose Quartz, and Other Quartz: Citrine is a yellow variety of quartz and can fade, as can the very popular rose quartz, so don’t keep it in direct sun for longer than 4 hours. Most colored quartz will fade to clear quartz if left in direct sunlight for too long.
- Amethyst: this popular stone is made of silicon and oxygen, and contains iron which gives it its beautiful purple color. Like citrine, amethyst comes from the quartz family, and all members of the quartz family can fade dramatically in the sun.You should also keep amegreen and ametrine out of the sun.
- Opal: scientifically, this stone is known as the hydrated amorphous silica and has a water content of up to 21%. Opal tends to lose its beautiful holographic color when exposed to sunlight.
- Celestite: formed from strontium sulfate, this crystal gets its name from its delicate blue color. This soft hue can change from blue to white if the stone is left in the sun for too long because UV rays break the stone’s bonds, causing a bleaching effect. Celestite is a fragile stone and must be treated delicately; if damaged by the sun, celestite can also break easily.
- Topaz: this stone’s color will fade if it’s kept in the sun for over 8 hours. If left in direct sunlight for too long, yellow topaz can turn maroon or even brown.
- Aquamarine: this crystal is composed of beryllium, silica, aluminum, and oxygen. This means it can quickly fade into white if you leave it in direct sunlight for longer than a couple of hours. Aquamarine is usually heated to remove its color, but direct sunlight can fade its famous blue shade.
What should I do if one of my crystals loses its color in the sun?
Even if one of your stones fades in the sun, its energetic properties won’t diminish. If a crystal breaks, it will still retain its unique vibration and metaphysical properties.
If one of your crystals seems to crack out of nowhere, it may have been caused by a shift in the crystal’s energy. Your unique energy may no longer be compatible with the stone’s and it may be time to pass the stone on to a new owner. You may choose to gift them to a friend or keep the pieces of crystal separate as their energy connects the space in between. A cracked stone is rarely a sign of something negative, but just that that specific crystal’s journey with you has come to an end.
It’s important to remember that some crystals naturally fade over time and that you haven’t damaged them if their color fades a little. As a general rule, if your stone is opaque, you can leave it out in the sun, but transparent and translucent stones shouldn’t be left in the sun for long. Photo-sensitive crystals should only be exposed to sunlight for under three minutes. It’s generally a good idea not to soak any crystal for over 12 hours at a time. Even if your crystals are resistant to sunlight, they can still fade over time, so keep an eye on the periods they spend in the sun, just in case.
