quartz crystal ruined???

ScorpCap · #1 30-03-2015, 04:12 PM

Cleansed it in water & sea salt...left it in too long & now I can see what look like little bits of salt *inside* the crystal....AAARGH. Is it un-

usuable??

#2 30-03-2015, 04:54 PM

It's not possible for salt to permeate the crystal and create inclusions. Your quartz is fine. The inclusions were probably there before you soaked it and you just hadn't noticed. (Quartz is 7 on the Mohs scale.)

OTOH, if the quartz isn't really quartz and is clear calcite (3 on Mohs scale), for example, then it's possible for it to soak up some water (after many, not a few, hours).

Either way, it's still usable for any purpose.

ScorpCap · #3 30-03-2015, 05:06 PM

Hi,
Thanks for your response! I don't think the inclusions were there, only because I was impressed by how clear the quartz was when I bought it...now I'm wondering if it's calcite. It was in the water for approximately 18 hours (whoops). Thanks again.

#4 30-03-2015, 06:41 PM

Calcite can be beautifully clear. 18 hours doesn't seem long enough, but the emphasis is on "seem". Do some research on calcite and salt water and see what turns up. Again, though...either way, it's perfectly usable and you can use it in whatever ways work for you.