Selenite is crystallised gypsum — calcium sulphate — named for Selene, the Greek moon goddess, for the way light moves through it. It splits into glowing terraces, carves like soap, and sits at 2 on the Mohs scale: soft enough to scratch with a fingernail, which is actually the test for the real thing.
What selenite is used for
Its modern reputation is as the cleanser: the stone that clears other stones. Collections get laid on selenite plates overnight; wands get swept through a room's corners; towers stand by beds. It is also the stone most associated with calm on contact — people who hold one tend to keep holding it.
A plate or bowl doubles as storage and maintenance for the rest of a collection. A lamp version makes the best-looking night light in the shop.
How to care for it
Never wet — it dissolves. Cleanse with intention or sound. Never wash it. Gypsum is water-soluble — water doesn't clean selenite, it dissolves it, slowly and permanently. This is the one care rule in the shop that has no exceptions.
Related reading in the journal: What water actually does to your stones.
Selenite in the shop
Stones that keep it company
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