White Stones: List, Shades, Symbolism and Care for Each

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Selenite, milky quartz, howlite, moonstone, pearl, mother-of-pearl...: white stones, their shades, hardness, symbolism and the imitations to watch out for.

Key points

Shades	Pearly white, milky, chalky, cream, white veined with grey
Best-known stones	Selenite, milky quartz, howlite, moonstone, pearl
Very soft	Selenite (2), pearl, mother-of-pearl, howlite (3.5)
Sturdy	Milky quartz, chalcedony (7)
Often dyed	Howlite and magnesite, dyed blue
Western symbolism	Purity, beginning, light; mourning in East Asia

What is called a white stone?

White is not a pigment colour, but the absence of a dominant colour: a stone is white when it scatters all visible light without absorbing any particular wavelength. In the mineral world, this often comes from a very fine structure (microscopic crystals, fine fractures, bubble inclusions) that scatters light, as snow or milk does. This gives pearly whites (selenite, mother-of-pearl), milky whites (milky quartz, moonstone), chalky whites (howlite, magnesite) or silky whites (scolecite).

Most white stones are soft. Many are carbonates (calcite, aragonite, dolomite, magnesite), sulphates (gypsum) or borates (howlite), and they tolerate neither acids, nor prolonged water, nor knocks.

The main white stones

Stone	Shade	Hardness	Good to know
Selenite	pearly white, silky	2	gypsum; soluble, can be scratched with a fingernail
Milky quartz	translucent to opaque white	7	quartz with fluid inclusions; robust
Howlite	white with grey veins	3.5	porous; very often dyed blue
Moonstone	milky white, bluish sheen	6 to 6.5	feldspar; perfect cleavage, sensitive to knocks
Magnesite	chalky white	about 4	porous carbonate; often dyed (turquenite)
Dolomite	white, cream, sometimes pinkish	3.5 to 4	calcium and magnesium carbonate; reacts to acids
Scolecite	silky white, in needles	5 to 5.5	zeolite; fibrous, fragile at the points
Aragonite	white to yellowish	3.5 to 4	calcium carbonate like calcite; soft
Apophyllite	white to colourless, pearly	4.5 to 5	shiny crystals; sensitive to knocks and very dry air
White chalcedony	milky white, sometimes bluish	6.5 to 7	microcrystalline quartz; solid
Mother-of-pearl	iridescent white	about 3.5	shell material; animal origin
Pearl	cream or pinkish white	2.5 to 4.5	organic gem; sensitive to products and sweat

A few details about the list

Selenite is a form of gypsum: it can be scratched with a fingernail, and water damages it (why). Moonstone is a feldspar whose milky, bluish glow is called adularescence; it has perfect cleavage and so is sensitive to knocks. Pearl and mother-of-pearl are not minerals but products of molluscs. Milky quartz, finally, is a quartz whose white appearance comes from tiny fluid inclusions: it is the sturdiest of the family.

What white evokes, across cultures

In the modern West, white evokes purity, innocence and beginnings: the christening robe, the bridal veil (Queen Victoria married in white in 1840, which popularised the custom), the colour of the liturgy at Easter and Christmas. In ancient Rome, a candidate for public office wore a white toga, candida, hence the word “candidate”. But across much of East Asia (China, Korea, Japan), white is the traditional colour of mourning; in India, widows traditionally wore white. The symbolism of a colour is therefore never universal.

In modern lithotherapy, white stones are in some presentations linked to the moon, calm, clarity and sometimes the crown chakra (the highest one). These are associations from recent wellness literature, not established knowledge: see chakras: Indian origin and Western reading.

Imitations, dyes and pitfalls

Howlite and magnesite are porous and dye easily, notably in blue to imitate turquoise (known as “turquenite”). Their natural white is valuable: ask whether the stone is dyed.
“Rainbow moonstone” is white labradorite, not a moonstone in the strict sense.
Pearls and mother-of-pearl: there are imitations in glass or plastic coated with a pearly varnish. The best precaution is to choose a seller who clearly states the nature of the pearl (cultured, freshwater, imitation).
Opaline is not a stone but a type of glass; see opaline.
“Alabaster” and white marble are related materials, often used for objects, and soft.

To tell real stone from glass and plastic, read real or fake stone.

Care and combinations

Almost all white stones should be cleaned dry. Avoid vinegar and lemon (which attack carbonates), prolonged sun on dyed stones, and water on selenite. In decoration, they pair well with stones of other colours: white sets off vividly coloured stones (see the guide to stones by colour) and blends with the light tones of an interior.

Frequently asked questions

Is a white stone necessarily soft?

Almost. Milky quartz and white chalcedony reach 7, but selenite, howlite, magnesite, dolomite, aragonite, mother-of-pearl and pearl are soft. Store them apart from hard stones.

How can I tell whether my howlite is dyed?

Natural howlite is white with grey or brown veins. A vivid, uniform colour, dye gathered in the fractures, or colour traces on a damp cloth are signs of dyeing.

Is moonstone always white?

No. It also exists in grey, peach, beige or nearly colourless, with a milky bluish sheen (adularescence). “Rainbow moonstone” is labradorite.

Is white the colour of mourning?

In much of East Asia, yes, traditionally. In the West, it is more often associated with purity and new beginnings. Read the symbolism with that in mind.

Can white stones be purified with water?

Rarely. Selenite, howlite, magnesite and angelite dislike water. Prefer smoke, sound or moonlight.