How to Clean and Care for Your Obsidian

Why clean your obsidian?

With wear, a stone gradually picks up invisible traces: skin oils, dust, residues of cream or perfume. Nothing serious, but obsidian's deep black loses a little of its glow. A gentle, regular clean gives it all its shine back.

One distinction worth making: this page is about physical cleaning, looking after the stone and the piece itself. Energetic cleansing, which belongs to crystal healing, is another matter entirely, for that, see my article on cleansing and charging your obsidian.

The right method

The simplest approach is also the safest:

• wipe the stone with a soft cloth (microfibre), dry or slightly damp;
• if needed, use a little warm water with a drop of mild soap, then rinse briefly;
• for the nooks and crannies (beads, claw settings), a soft-bristled brush works wonders;
• dry thoroughly with a clean cloth, leaving no moisture to sit.

That's all. Obsidian needs no special product: gentleness always beats quantity.

What to avoid

Obsidian is a volcanic glass: beautiful, but of medium hardness (around 5 to 5.5 on the Mohs scale) and sensitive to knocks. A few pitfalls to steer clear of:

• salt and salt water: they can dull and damage the stone over time;
• harsh products: detergents, alcohol, ammonia, toothpaste or abrasive scourers;
• ultrasonic cleaners and steam: not for this kind of glass;
• knocks and scratches: avoid bumping it or storing it with harder stones;
• prolonged sun and heat sources: unnecessary, and sometimes harmful to settings and threads;
• long soaks: a quick rinse is always enough.

The habit to build: take your jewellery off before showering, swimming, cleaning the house, exercising or going to bed.

Keeping the shine & the setting

Beyond the stone, it's often the setting that needs attention. For a pendant or a ring, a cloth suited to the metal brings the whole thing back to life. For a bracelet on elastic thread, the thread is the most fragile part: water, soap, cream and perfume wear it out prematurely.

So keep the thread dry, avoid slipping the bracelet on straight after moisturising, and don't hesitate to have it restrung if it slackens over time: the stone will long outlive its thread.

Storing your obsidian well

Because obsidian scratches easily, store it separately, in a fabric pouch or a soft compartment, away from harder stones (quartz, topaz and so on) and from jewellery that could mark it.

Avoid places that are too warm, too damp or in direct sunlight. A jewellery box away from the light is ideal for keeping it pristine between wears.

How often?

There's no strict rule. Cleaning it every so often is plenty: when the stone looks dull to you, after a spell of wearing it a lot, or simply when you feel like taking care of it. What matters is being gentle and consistent, not frequent.

To learn everything about this stone, its origins, its varieties, its properties, you can also read my complete guide to obsidian.

What about energetic cleansing?

In crystal healing practice, physical cleaning (this page) is distinguished from cleansing and charging the stone, which belong to the energy attributed to it. If that interests you, I explain it in detail, smoke cleansing, moonlight, amethyst and so on, in the article on cleansing and charging your obsidian.

Frequently asked questions