GemKrishna India · Kirti Nagar, New Delhi
Two things get crystal bracelets ruined in India, and neither of them is bad luck. One is a bucket of water. The other is a bowl of rock salt.
Both are recommended constantly online. Both will destroy some of the most popular stones sold in this country. This guide covers what actually works, what quietly damages your bracelet, and what we do to every piece before it leaves our workshop.
Start here
- The methods that damage stones — read this first
- Selenite: the method we recommend
- Other safe methods
- Which crystals must never touch water
- How often to cleanse
- Energising and pran pratishtha
- Looking after the elastic
First: what not to do
Do not soak it in water
Selenite dissolves. Genuinely — it is a form of gypsum and water eats it. Malachite is toxic when wet and its surface degrades. Pyrite rusts. Turquoise and howlite are porous and absorb whatever is in the water, including the dye in dyed howlite, which will bleed. Lapis lazuli loses its polish.
Do not bury it in salt
Rock salt is abrasive and hygroscopic. It scratches polished beads, corrodes any silver or metal fittings, draws moisture into porous stones and dries out elastic cord until it snaps. This is the single most common piece of bad advice on the internet about crystals.
Do not leave it in full sun all day
Amethyst, citrine, rose quartz, fluorite, kunzite, celestite and aquamarine all fade in direct sunlight. A pale, washed-out amethyst bracelet is usually a sunbathed one. Morning light for a short while is fine; an afternoon on the balcony is not.
Do not bury it in soil
Moisture, grit and insects. You will dig up a dull bracelet with a weakened cord.
The method we recommend: selenite
Rest the bracelet on a piece of selenite overnight. That is the whole method. No water, no salt, no sun, nothing to damage a bead or a cord, and it works for every stone including the delicate ones.
This is why a raw selenite plate ships free in every GemKrishna box. It is not a gimmick — it is the only cleansing method we are willing to recommend without a list of exceptions attached.
If you have built up a collection and the small plate is no longer enough:
- Raw Selenite Plate — ₹1,060
- Polished Square Selenite Plate, 3 inch — ₹1,300
- Polished Selenite Bowl — ₹1,800, good for several bracelets at once
- Raw Selenite Crystal, 100 g to 1 kg — ₹2,200
Selenite itself is the one stone you never wash. Keep it dry, keep it off a damp windowsill, and it lasts indefinitely.
To wear it: the Selenite Bracelet is ₹1,900, the Selenite & Tiger Eye combination ₹1,399, and the Selenite Pencil Locket ₹449.
Other methods that are safe
Moonlight
A windowsill on a full moon night. Safe for everything, costs nothing, and the monthly rhythm gives people a reason to actually do it. Bring it in before the sun is high.
Sound
A bell, a singing bowl, a conch, or chanting. Nothing touches the stone, so nothing can be damaged. Traditionally the mantra matters more than the volume.
Dhoop, incense or sage smoke
Pass the bracelet through the smoke for a few seconds. Safe for all stones. Loban, guggul and camphor are the traditional Indian choices; sage and palo santo are the imported ones. Use whatever your household already uses.
Dry rice or grain
Rest the bracelet in a small bowl of uncooked rice overnight, then discard the rice — do not cook it. Gentle and safe, and every Indian kitchen already has it.
Intention
Hold it, be still for a minute, and set what you want from it. The people who get the most out of a crystal are almost always the ones who do this part rather than the elaborate rituals.
Crystals that must never touch water
| Stone | What happens |
|---|---|
| Selenite | Dissolves — it is gypsum |
| Malachite | Surface degrades; releases copper |
| Pyrite | Rusts |
| Turquoise | Porous; absorbs water and oils, discolours |
| Howlite | Porous; dyed howlite bleeds colour |
| Lapis Lazuli | Loses polish; the pyrite inclusions rust |
| Angelite, Celestite | Soft, water-soluble |
| Hematite | Rusts |
| Amber | Fossil resin — softens, clouds |
| Kyanite, Fluorite, Calcite | Soft and cleave easily; water and knocks both do damage |
The simplest rule: if you would not put it in a washing machine, do not put it in a bucket. A dry cloth is enough for everything.
How often should you cleanse it?
- When it arrives — one night on selenite before you first wear it.
- Once a month — the full moon is the usual marker, purely because it is easy to remember.
- After a heavy day — a hospital, a funeral, a confrontation, a crowd. Whether or not you believe a stone picks anything up, the act of putting it down and resetting is the point.
- When it looks dull — usually skin oil and sweat, not energy. Wipe it with a dry soft cloth.
Anyone telling you it must be done weekly with a specific expensive product is selling you that product.
Cleansing, charging and energising are three different things
The words get used interchangeably online, which causes most of the confusion.
- Cleansing — clearing what the stone has been through. Selenite, smoke, sound.
- Charging — putting energy back in. Moonlight, selenite, intention.
- Energising or pran pratishtha — the ritual invocation, done at a mandir with mantra. This is the traditional Indian practice and it is not something a windowsill does.
Every GemKrishna piece has already had all three before it reaches you. Each piece rests overnight on a selenite plate, and pran pratishtha is performed at the mandir, where the piece is placed before the deities before dispatch. Basic energisation is included free on every order, and three to four fuller puja and energisation options can be chosen before you place the order.
So you do not need to do anything before wearing a bracelet from us. Most people still want to, and the plate in your box is there for exactly that.
If you want a first-wearing ritual
Traditionally: bathe or at least wash your hands, wear it on a Monday morning or on the day associated with the stone's planet, hold it for a minute and state your intention, and wear it continuously for a few days before judging it. Nothing about this needs to be bought.
Looking after the elastic
More bracelets are lost to cord failure than to anything else, and every cause is avoidable.
- Take it off for showers, swimming, the gym and sleep. Sweat and soap degrade elastic faster than time does.
- Roll it on and off. Do not stretch it over your knuckles — that is what snaps cords.
- Keep it off perfume, sanitiser and hairspray. Alcohol attacks both the cord and soft stones.
- Store it flat, not hanging. Hanging keeps the cord under tension permanently.
We use high-grade elastic rather than the thin kind that goes brittle within months — and if it does give way, we repair it for life, with no time limit. Send back the beads and any charms and we restring it and return it. That applies however old the bracelet is.
Why our pieces arrive ready to wear
We talk to you first. Free, unlimited guidance on WhatsApp — and we will tell you when you do not need what you are about to buy.
Then we make it for you. Around 90% of what leaves here is made after the order comes in. Beads hand-picked one by one, in the size and arrangement you chose, on your wrist measurement, with high-grade elastic and good metal.
Every stone is certified individually. An independent laboratory identifies it and issues a report number belonging to that piece alone, printed on the listing so you can verify it yourself on the lab's website. Six labs: GJSPC, IGI, GRS Swisslab, IIGJ, GSI and GIA. On a ₹499 bracelet as much as a ₹24,999 one.
Then it is cleansed, energised and packed with a free raw selenite plate.
Ordering
- 10% off your first order
- Free delivery across India, shipped from Delhi via Delhivery One
- ₹150 off on prepaid orders; partial COD — 20% online at checkout, 80% on delivery
- 30-day return on standard products; you pay return shipping unless the mistake was ours
- WhatsApp +91 76782 75972, 11 am – 9 pm, or contact@gemkrishna.com
We ship within India only at present. More on our FAQs page.
Frequently asked questions
How do I cleanse a crystal bracelet at home?
Rest it overnight on a selenite plate. It is safe for every stone, needs no water or salt, and cannot damage the elastic. Moonlight, incense or dhoop smoke, sound and a bowl of dry rice are also safe.
Can I wash my crystal bracelet with water?
No. Selenite dissolves in water, malachite degrades, pyrite and hematite rust, turquoise and howlite are porous and absorb it, and dyed howlite bleeds colour. Water also weakens elastic cord. Wipe with a dry soft cloth instead.
Is rock salt safe for cleansing crystals?
No. Salt is abrasive, scratches polished beads, corrodes metal fittings, draws moisture into porous stones and dries out elastic until it snaps. It is the most common bad advice about crystal care online.
Which crystals fade in sunlight?
Amethyst, citrine, rose quartz, fluorite, kunzite, celestite and aquamarine all fade in direct sun. Use moonlight or selenite instead.
How often should a crystal bracelet be cleansed?
Once when it arrives, then roughly once a month, and after any unusually heavy day. Weekly cleansing is unnecessary.
What is the difference between cleansing, charging and energising?
Cleansing clears what the stone has been through, charging puts energy back in, and energising or pran pratishtha is the ritual invocation performed at a mandir with mantra. GemKrishna performs all three before dispatch.
Do GemKrishna bracelets come already energised?
Yes. Every piece rests overnight on a selenite plate and pran pratishtha is performed at the mandir before dispatch. Basic energisation is free on every order, and fuller puja options can be selected before ordering.
How do I stop my crystal bracelet elastic from breaking?
Take it off for showers, the gym and swimming, roll it on rather than stretching it over your knuckles, keep it away from perfume and sanitiser, and store it flat. GemKrishna repairs bracelets for life with no time limit.
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