How to clean it
Dry cloth only. Selenite dissolves in water — never rinse it.
Translucent white to colourless
Selenite
Properties
Composition
Hydrated calcium sulphate (CaSO₄·2H₂O) — crystalline gypsum
Hardness (Mohs)
2
Crystal system
Monoclinic
Colour
Translucent white to colourless
Mined in
Mexico (Naica), Morocco, USA, Australia
Worth knowing
Water-soluble — never rinse it. The Cave of Crystals in Naica holds selenite beams over eleven metres long, the largest natural crystals ever found.
History
Named after Selene, Greek goddess of the moon.
Practical
Caring for Selenite
How to tell it is real
Rarely faked, being cheap. Soft enough to scratch with a fingernail, which is itself the test.
One general rule covers most mistakes: never store stones loose together. Diamond at 10 on the Mohs scale scratches everything else you own, and it does not need much contact to do it.
What that hardness means in practice
Very soft — a fingernail is around 2.5 on the scale. Protected settings only, and store it separately.
Traditional associations
Selenite is traditionally used for clearing a space and resetting other stones. In chakra systems it is placed at the Crown, and in elemental correspondence it is assigned to Air.
These are cultural associations recorded across various traditions, not claims about physical effects. The composition and hardness above are measurable; this paragraph is folklore, and worth reading as such.
Questions
What is Selenite made of?
Hydrated calcium sulphate (CaSO₄·2H₂O) — crystalline gypsum, crystallising in the monoclinic system.
Where does Selenite come from?
Mexico (Naica), Morocco, USA, Australia.
How do I clean Selenite?
Dry cloth only. Selenite dissolves in water — never rinse it.
How can I tell if Selenite is real?
Rarely faked, being cheap. Soft enough to scratch with a fingernail, which is itself the test.
Can I wear it every day?
At 2 on the Mohs scale, not in a ring. Keep it to pieces that take fewer knocks.