In previous posts I have mentioned the dangers of using water on certain types of crystals, and in general this correlated to the hardness of the crystal based on the Mohs hardness scale (You can check out that article here). However, there are some crystals that are outliers to this general rule. Pyrite is about a 6 on the Mohs hardness scale, so it should be fine in water, but as I worked with this crystal I wondered if it could get it wet.

So, can Pyrite get wet? No, Pyrite should not get wet. Because of the high iron content in pyrite, water that comes in contact with pyrite can cause it to rust or discolor, and can lower the energetic vibration of it. It is best to keep pyrite dry and find other ways to energetically cleanse it.

If Pyrite can’t get wet, what are some other ways to energetically cleanse it? This article will explain the best ways to keep your pyrite cleansed, as well as other cleansing methods that could cause damage your pyrite.

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What Happens When Pyrite Gets Wet?

It is important to note that water alone is not what causes damage to Pyrite – it is water and oxygen together. After you get your pyrite wet, and then it gets exposed to oxygen (known as oxidation) this is when the damage can occur. Because pyrite is make of both iron and sulfur, the iron can rust when exposed to water and oxygen, and the sulfide can turn into sulfuric acid.

A sign that a pyrite crystal has been exposed to water and is slightly damaged is to look at the colors that appear on it. Your pyrite should be a metallic silvery/gold, and have a shimmery effect when exposed to light. If you notice black or brown patches, this is likely rusty coatings from iron oxides. If you notice pale yellowish patches, this is likely the element sulfur.

The above picture is a photo I took of one of my pyrite crystals that has some sulfur growth on the surface. Notice the pale yellow color.

Mild discoloration will likely not affect the energetics or beauty of your pyrite; however, if your crystal is very damaged by water, it will look black and brown, and lose its beautiful shiny luster.

This usually signifies damage has occurred and that your crystal most likely took an energetic hit in its vibration. If this is the case, you should replace it with a new pyrite crystal to use for energetic purposes.

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Other Methods To Cleanse Pyrite

The fortunate thing about cleansing crystals is that there is not just one method that works. There are other methods besides water that work great to clear your pyrite. Here are a few other ways:

Smoke

Cleansing pyrite with smoke, such as smudging, is probably the most effective way to cleanse pyrite.

The name pyrite comes from the Greek work Puritēs which means “of fire.” This is because before there were metals such as steel, pyrite in its natural state was used to strike against each other to produce sparks that would start a fire.

Energetically, this crystal is connected to the 3rd chakra, which is the “fire” center that is needed to manifest creations into the physical world. Just as pyrite creates sparks in the physical world, energetically it stimulates and sparks this area into action.

Because pyrite is so connected to the element of fire, it responds very well to the smoke produced by fire as a cleansing tool.

Pyrite is connected to the lower chakras, and as such it usually works with more dense and physical energies. The energy that needs to be cleansed from the stone is heavy and needs some lift-off.

Smoke, with its airy quality, has the ability to bind to these denser energies and transmute them into higher vibrational energies to be sent back to the sources where they came from in their purest form – love.

I have had the best results using the smoke from lighting pieces of charcoal and placing the resin of frankincense to produce a very high vibrational and wonderfully fragrant smoke.

In addition, I have used white sage with great results, as well as mugwort, also referred to as “black sage.” You can also use the smoke from burning moxa, which is also used for physical ailments in Chinese medicine.

Simply light the smudge stick of your choice and run your pyrite through the smoke. Imagine the energy being lifted off the crystal to be sent back to its source as unconditional love.

Salt

Salt is another great way to cleanse your pyrite, as salt has the ability to absorb negative energy like a vacuum.

♦ The best way to use salt to cleanse pyrite is to bury it in a bowl of sea salt for 4 hours-8 hours or overnight. Discard the salt after you do this.

♦ If you don’t want to bury your pyrite in salt because you don’t want it to get dirty, you can place salt in a bag and set over your crystal for a few hours or overnight.

♦ A third way is to fill a large glass bowl with salt and place a smaller empty bowl inside of that. Put your pyrite in the smaller glass bowl for a few hours or overnight. This way the salt will have no contact with your pyrite, but it will still absorb the negative energy.

Earth

Because pyrite is associated with the lower chakras, it works through energy that we encounter in the physical world. These are the dense earth energies.

Placing pyrite directly in or on the earth not only cleansing it, but it resets it back to its original state, before it was mined from the ground. This resets all of the programing it has been exposed, so that when you work with pyrite you two can start from a fresh, clean slate.

Take your pyrite outside and place it anywhere on the ground – whether that is a cement patio or dirt in your garden. Keep it there for 30 minutes-4 hours. Make sure the ground is not wet, or that the sun is not too hot. More on that later in this article.

You can also bury your pyrite in the ground, although, the moisture in the ground can ruin it, so do this only if you have very dry earth such as sand or very dry soil.

Visualizations

The safest way to cleanse all your crystals, including pyrite, is to use your own energy through imagination and visualization. If you are just getting started with intuitive development, this could seem intimidating at first, until you become more in tune with and trust your sense of self.

You can check out my article here about various ways to use visualizations to cleanse, charge or program your crystals.

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Other Methods That Should Also Avoided

Along with water, there are a couple of other methods that should be avoided, or used with caution. These include sun and heat.

Sun

Because pyrite has the ability to start a fire, it can become a fire hazard when exposed to too much heat. You should not charge your pyrite in the direct sunlight on a sunny day, and it is best not to keep your pyrite on your windowsill on days where direct sunlight could heat it up.

In terms of energetics, from my experience, direct sunlight is energetically too stimulating to pyrite. The power of pyrite is that it allows you to feel grounded while also stimulating your manifesting power, which is amazing for manifesting your dreams in the physical world. Adding the sun’s energy to this will be too stimulating for your energy and you could feel burnt out before you even begin.

Heat

Along the same lines as avoiding sunlight, excessive heat can cause damage to your pyrite. For as hard as pyrite is on the Mohs hardness scale, it is actually pretty brittle and can even be pulverized down into a powder. Too much heat can crack your pyrite or cause it to become flakey.

Also take note that pyrite is mostly made of iron, which is a metal. Metals absorb heat and can cause burns if they get too hot and touch the skin.

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Related Questions & Articles

What are the best ways to charge pyrite? The best ways to charge pyrite are by using the element of Earth, such as rice, which you can read about in my article here. You can also charge pyrite with other crystals such as Black Tourmaline and Hematite. To do this, place them all together in a closed vessel, such as a wooden box, and let sit overnight. Their energies will charge each other.

Another way to charge pyrite is by sound, using a 136.1 Hz tuning fork, which is the OM frequency. This frequency resonates with the Earth and the Cosmic Octave, the frequency which is said to be the base of all creation in the physical world. 136.1 Hz is barely audible to the human ear, but is a powerful frequency. When you activate the fork, place the tip of it on the stone and let the frequency run through it. This will charge your pyrite.

What other Crystals Can’t Get Wet? To learn more about what other crystals cannot be put in water, please visit my blog post here that goes through that in depth.

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