Selenite
- 6 days ago
- 1 min read
Selenite
Greek for selēnítēs líthos, meaning moon stone, selenite is a type of sulphate mineral gypsum that is transparent. It is a crystal widely used in home decor, despite it being water soluble. It is also affordable, but no less packed with a lot of lore and interesting facts.
Its name originated from people once believing that moved with the moon cycles. It was also used as window panes in at the Basilica Santa Sabina in Rome.
It is a very soft crystal with a hardness of only 2 on the Mohs scale, making the surface very easy to scratch. It is also colourless, so when you see a selenite piece with a different hue to it, it is due to inclusions, crust, as well as another mineral being present. They are usually seen for sale in smaller more handheld sizes, but have been found as long as 36 feet in Mexico.
They are formed through the evaporation of water in ancient sea beds and saline lakes where calcium and sulphate are present. They can also be found in deep underground caves, etc.
You can buy them in the form of wands, as well as cabochons for jewelry, in clusters, as well as in raw form.
In spiritual communities, selenite is often used for purification purposes, and for enhancing spiritual experiences. The Greek saw its lunar connection to the goddess Selene and believed it had healing properties.
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