Selenite meaning and properties
Selenite is the Moon stone in the traditions: a milky blade associated with clarity and fresh starts.
- Moon
- Clarity
- Renewal
Selenite at a glance
For you, a white, milky blade set in view to remind you to slow down with the phases of the Moon, away from water.
Which habit in your daily life deserves to end to make room for another?
It is sensitive to water: no rinsing, no “cleansing” with water.
- Color
- white, colorless
- Associated intentions
- calm, renewal
What it evokes
Modern crystal guides associate selenite with calm and renewal: its pearly whiteness makes it the stone of a fresh start, which you would set in a room to find more lightness there.
Its name comes from the Greek selênê, the Moon, because the mineral was believed to wax and wane with it. Kunz reports that selenites were mistaken for moonstones whose white spot was said to follow the phases; he associates it with the Moon in his tables of correspondences.
This mineral is gypsum, very soft, which water slowly alters. No “recharging” applies to it, and it is cared for dry.
The traditions
- The name
The article explains that the name comes from the Greek selênítês líthos, “Moon stone,” because the mineral was believed to wax and wane with the lunar cycles. The name has nothing to do with selenium, which the mineral does not contain.
Wikipedia (en), “Selenite (mineral)” (secondary source, named) - 16th century, Mizauld
Kunz tells how Antoine Mizauld describes a “selenite or moonstone” belonging to a traveler: a white spot on it was said to grow and shrink with the moon, shape included. Mizauld says he kept it for a lunar month to make sure.
Gutenberg 57978, Kunz 1913, chap. “Moonstone,” Mizauld’s account - Tables of correspondences
In his lists of correspondences between stones and heavenly bodies, Kunz reproduces tables in which selenite is linked to the Moon. He points out that some attributions differ from the usual ones and may represent another tradition.
Gutenberg 57978, Kunz 1913, tables of planetary correspondences
A gestureSet it on a shelf or table, dry, and look at it at the full moon to remind you of a cycle that is ending.
No stone has a proven effect on health: if you have a health concern, see a health professional.
Its profile
- Type
- Fibrous or transparent gypsum
- Family
- Mineral
- Composition
- CaSO4·2H2O
- Mohs hardness
- 1.5–2 out of 10
- Crystal system
- monoclinique
- Colors
- white, colorless
Caring for it without damaging it
- WaterNoGypsum slowly dissolves in water and loses its luster.
- SaltNoSalt water attacks it or lodges in it, and the grains can scratch its polish.
- SunYesNo known fading in daylight.
- HeatNoWhen heated, gypsum loses its water and turns into plaster.
- Scratches and knocksFragileMohs hardness 1.5–2: it scratches and chips easily; store it separately.
Cleansing and charging without damage
Cleansing a crystal: the reported methods
Charging a crystal: moon, flower of life
Precautions
- It dissolves or deteriorates in water: no rinsing, and no “cleansing” with water or salt water.
Nuances and sources
The word “selenite” refers, depending on context, to a transparent variety of gypsum, or to a fibrous or milky gypsum. The trade also sells satin spar under this name. Modern tables associate it with the crown chakra and the Moon; these correspondences vary.
- Handbook of Mineralogy, Mineral Data Publishing (2001–2005), species record · read October 15, 2026
Selenite: your questions
Can you wash or cleanse selenite with water?
No. Versana advises against it: gypsum is slightly soluble and water alters it, so no rinsing and no cleansing with water or salt water. Water makes it lose its shine. A dry cloth is enough to care for it; if it is dusty, blow on it or use a dry brush.
Does selenite recharge, or recharge other stones?
Nothing makes it possible to measure a charge that empties or fills: the notion belongs to the crystal tradition, not to mineralogy. No measurement shows that it acts on stones placed near it. If the gesture appeals to you, do it dry, with an intact blade and no moisture.
Is selenite fragile?
Yes. It is very soft, a fingernail scratch is enough to mark it according to Wikipedia, and it cleaves into blades. It also dislikes heat, which turns it into plaster. Keep it in an isolated case, away from knocks and the steam of a bathroom.
Related crystals
Selenite on this site
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