We have all done it - we fall in love with a crystal necklace and we put it on, admire it, and forget that it carries the energies of everyone who has come into contact with it!
Crystals can carry the energies of everyone who has touched them, as well as carrying your own energies of your past work with that crystal. Crystals will always work better for you when you routinely cleanse them of any old or negative energies.
There are a few different ways to cleanse crystals. No matter which method you choose, the most important thing is intention.
Smoke cleansing can be done using palo santo, sage or incense. You simply pass the crystal through the smoke until you feel that the crystal's energy is clear.
Moonlight will also cleanse your crystals - just place your crystals in the moonlight overnight!
My favorite way to cleanse crystals is by intention. I hold my crystal in my dominant hand while visualizing a radiant white light entering through my crown, down my arm and into my crystal. I visualize any negative energies flowing down into the ground while the white light fills the stone with positive energy. You can use affirmations, along with intention, and either think or say out loud something along the lines of, "I release all negative energy down into the earth and fill you with positive energy".
These are just a few ways to cleanse crystals. You could also bury them or use singing bowls to cleanse them. Salt, water and sunlight can damage some stones and are not recommended!
Happy Crystal Cleansing!