Cleansing stones with salt: the risks and how to do it safely

An ancient gesture, a material risk

Salt is one of the oldest symbols of purification: in many cultures, it is scattered, thrown, or kept by the entrance. In Japan, for instance, small heaps of salt are placed at the entrance of some sites, and sumo wrestlers throw salt into the ring before bouts. In modern lithotherapy, it is often advised to bury a stone in salt or to immerse it in salt water.

The problem is physical: salt is a very aggressive agent for many stones and settings. This page explains why, and how to keep the gesture without damaging your stones. The symbolism is a tradition; the damage is real.

What salt does to stones

• It dissolves in water (about 360 g/L at 20 °C), which makes salt water a liquid that corrodes metals.
• It penetrates pores and cracks: as it dries, it recrystallizes and exerts a pressure that can crack the surface open or widen fractures. This is the same mechanism that erodes stones on buildings near the sea.
• It draws moisture from the air: dry salt absorbs ambient humidity when the air is damp, and can wet a stone that dislikes water.
• It attacks metals: silver, brass, iron, ordinary steel, and pyrite, whose oxidation it accelerates.

Which stones to avoid with salt

Dense, hard stones such as rock crystal, amethyst, agate or jasper tolerate brief contact with salt, provided you rinse them with fresh water and dry them afterwards. But nothing proves that this contact changes anything in what the tradition calls “energy.”

Himalayan salt is just salt

The “Himalayan salt” sold for stones and lamps is rock salt, halite: that is, sodium chloride like table salt, simply coloured pink by traces of iron oxide. It is mainly mined at Khewra, in the Salt Range of Pakistan, about 300 kilometers from the Himalayas proper. Its chemical composition is the same as sea salt or table salt: the same risks for stones.

A safe method: dry salt, no contact

If you want to keep the gesture, keep the symbol and remove the contact.

1. Fill a small dish with dry salt (any coarse salt).
2. Place it beside the stones, in a box or on a shelf, so that the salt never touches them.
3. Leave it for a few hours or overnight, as a rest period for your stones.
4. The next day, throw the salt away in the trash (not in the garden) and wash the dish.

You can also keep the salt in a small, tightly woven fabric bag, or in a closed jar, beside the stone. Avoid salt-water baths, salt beds and buried stones. If a stone has already been in contact with salt, rinse it with fresh water (if it tolerates water) and dry it right away.

And the environment?

Salt spread on the soil, at the base of plants or on a lawn raises the salinity of the soil and can harm vegetation. So do not throw your purification salt in the garden or in a flowerpot. It goes in the trash, or down the sink with plenty of water in small quantities. Also avoid spreading it on wooden thresholds, natural stone, concrete or terrace tiles, which it damages.

Going further

If salt water appeals to you because you live near the sea, see the page on cleansing with water: fresh water cleans just as well. To compare other methods: smoke, moonlight, the purification table. The list of sensitive stones is in stones that fear salt.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Care and safety for stones.