Mineral safety

An intact specimen held in the hand is a completely different situation from dust produced by cutting and grinding, swallowing a small stone, or water in which a stone has lain. That is why each card separates care of the intact specimen from dust, water contact and warnings for children and pets. Chemical composition helps identify a possible hazard but does not by itself determine the level of exposure. [6] [37]

NIOSH describes the risk of inhaling respirable crystalline silica produced by cutting, drilling, grinding and polishing — this applies to quartz, and so to rock crystal, amethyst, citrine, rose and smoky quartz. ATSDR describes hazards from inhaling asbestos fibres released from disturbed materials; we do not assume they are present in the atlas stones, but unknown fibrous specimens call for caution. Do not grind, drill or mill stones at home; working stone is a job for a workshop with ventilation and respiratory protection. [37] [38] [1]

Malachite is a copper carbonate; do not grind or heat it or use it to prepare drinks. Pyrite is an iron sulfide that can decay in damp conditions with access to oxygen into products that damage the specimen and its surroundings. Selenite is gypsum — very soft (1.5–2), so we clean it only dry. Beyond the atlas, collectors meet minerals with far more problematic compositions, such as galena (lead), cinnabar (mercury) or realgar (arsenic) — such specimens need expert assessment, not home experiments. [6] [9] [40] [10] [13] [14] [15]

Some practitioner literature describes “elixirs” — water in which stones have lain. Avonoria does not recommend them and gives no recipes: the catalogue does not establish that contact between minerals and food is safe, and some stones are soft, contain metals or react with water. Even Crystal Vaults warns against ingesting pyrite. The old stone remedies we describe in the history guide are medical history, not guidance. [124] [6] [40]

Small stones, tumbled pebbles and beads can be swallowed or inhaled — keep them out of reach of children and pets, including after a bracelet breaks. Rough obsidian and chipped fragments of other stones have sharp edges. Do not leave stones laid on a child or animal unattended. [79] [1]

A clear crystal ball acts like a lens: in January 2024 in Epping sunlight coming through a window was focused by such a ball and started a fire. Do not place spheres and clear crystals on a sunny windowsill. Never leave candles used in rituals unattended, and do not heat stones — high temperatures and sudden changes can cause cracks. [135] [153]

EPA describes naturally occurring radioactive materials and some products containing uranium compounds. None of the 20 atlas materials is described as radioactive, but that does not mean every unknown specimen is safe: materials identified as uranium-bearing or unknown specialist specimens need competent assessment. The natural irradiation to which smoky quartz owes its colour is a different phenomenon from radioactivity of the stone itself. [39] [1]

Wash your hands after handling rough specimens, protect sharp edges, store stones stably and separately by hardness. Do not test authenticity with fire, acid or scratching. If a stone crumbles, develops a bloom or a smell, isolate it and ask a museum or a mineralogist. These rules do not replace medical advice: stones are not treatment and do not replace medical care. [40] [1] [36]