expiration?

[saianalyd]

as odd as this sounds i did a protection spell for my dying plant. (i know i know lol) i put this blue stone in the pot and a couple weeks later the plant was healthy and much of the blue in the stone was replaced by this dull sickly yellow. My protection stone is also getting dark dots on it and the white is getting duller in the corner.

can stones expire when u use them a lot?

[Sercee]

They can get 'sick' or 'tired'. I came across this with an amethyst of mine, it was really pale, nearly colorless when I got it. I cleansed it and charged it and was very surprised in the morning when it actually looked like an amethyst. It had gotten much richer color in that time. I've also heard a lot of quartz crystals cracking from use or negativity then 'healing'. Less extreme, the sodalite that I use to help me sleep loses its effectiveness over time as well. I just make a point to recleanse and recharge now and then and it does its thing again.

You should be able to cleanse both the stones and keep using them for their purpose.

[Sobek]

"the sodalite that I use to help me sleep loses its effectiveness over time as well."

ROFL...same thing with me. my darling Sodalite along with my hematite like to be locked in a cold dark drawer so they can have a break every now and then, those two stones get very tired.

as for sick stones i cant use my rose quartzes, well i can, but even using them for short periods of times makes them sick...poor bastards.

just give them a break as needed or cleanse...or both and they should be fine

[hedge*]

I tend to neglect my stones a bit....naughty naughty hedge!

In the past I have used incense to cleanse them (waft them through the smoke). Frankincense is particularly good.
My favourite method of cleansing is to leave them in moonlight. Particularly during a full moon as the moons energy is enhanced. Just place in direct moonlight overnight. As with moonlight you can cleanse your crystals by placing in direct sunlight too. The crystals can be placed outside (in safe areas) or on a windowsill for 8 hours.
Note; Sunlight may damage some crystals because of the strong sunlight rays, especially Amethyst, citrine, smoky quartz, rose quartz, agate, and many other brightly coloured crystals.
The last time I was in Glastonbury I took all my stones with me and placed them in the little Chalice Well outlet to let the water pour over them - this would work with any clean natural water too. Just check that your chosen crystals are safe against water damage. As a general rule crystals that end with "ite" are not safe with water.
Another method is to place them in the ground. Crystals came from the earth, this is where they were created. By placing them back into the earth for 24 hours it is like returning them home for a holiday to rest and regain their strength. I would not recommend this for any highly prised possessions, as there are things in the soil that may scratch and mark your crystals. Also crystals that do not like water may be affected by the water content in the earth you place them.
All methods will cleanse and charge your crystals.

[SandyJI]

A few of my more porous stones have changed colors. Some retailers and dealers have been known to dye stones to look brighter or deeper in color than they actually are. I noticed this when I was rinsing stones I had just purchased, placing them on a cotton towel, and saw the stones bleeding all the color out on the towel, only to find a dull stone laying there. Aggets are especially prone to being dyed.

Sandy

[jcrowfoot]

Agreed. Angelite is especially not happy in water. It goes from blue to white, and if left too long, might dissolve! (It's anhydrite)
Mine even felt cranky after I left them in water. I left them in salt after
words, and while they still look whitish, they felt much happier after a long trip in the salt bed.

Personally, I've never had problems with calcite in water, but maybe I've just been lucky.

Another sensitive stone to sunlight that wasn't mentioned is fluorite. The color fades in the sun and it gets dull and unhappy. Also, if it gets to hot or cold it can crack from fluctuating temperature differential. So don't leave it in your car.