Never water. Not ever.
Selenite is gypsum, and gypsum dissolves in water. A rinse under the tap will etch and dull the surface; prolonged soaking will progressively eat into the blade. This is not a preference or a tradition — it is chemistry, and the damage doesn’t come back.
That includes: running water, damp cloths, moon-water, salt water, sea air, and being left in a bathroom.
Cleaning
- Dust with a dry, soft cloth — microfibre or a clean cotton square.
- For a mark that won’t lift, a dry soft-bristled brush along the grain of the blade.
- Nothing wet. No polish, no oil, no solvent, no commercial cleaner.
Handling
- Selenite is Mohs 2 — softer than a fingernail. It scratches against almost anything, including other crystals.
- Carry it by the handle, support the blade. Never let it hang unsupported by the tip.
- Keep it away from hard surfaces and from other stones in a bag.
Storage
- Dry, stable, out of direct sun. Prolonged sunlight can dull the translucency over time.
- Wrap in soft cloth or silk rather than storing loose. Avoid sealed plastic, which traps humidity.
- A stand keeps it off surfaces and displays it properly.
- Australian humidity matters. In the tropics or a coastal summer, store with a silica sachet nearby.
Travelling
Don’t fly with it in the cabin. Swords are on the Australian prohibited-items list for cabin baggage, and the ban covers non-metal blades and replicas — a selenite sword will be surrendered at screening, and no amount of explaining changes that. Checked baggage is legal but hard on a soft mineral.
If a sword needs to travel any distance, talk to us about insured freight instead. For a car journey: wrapped, in a rigid case, flat, not in a hot boot.
If it chips
Small chips are usually cosmetic. Anything at the base of the blade, or any chip you can feel a crack running from, send us a photo before you handle it further — contact us and we’ll ask Tom.