Will my Selenite/Satin Spar melt if I get it wet?

This legend has been floating around the internet for a long, long time. Is it true?

Well… kind of.

Do you remember making a salt solution in middle school science class? You poured in the salt and stirred until no more salt would mix in. This is called a “solution.” Only so much salt will dissolve in a glass of water because the water becomes saturated. If the water gets warmer, a greater quantity of salt will dissolve.

The idea is somewhat the same with Selenite. It is slightly soluble in water. The solubility of selenite is about 2.0-2.5 grams per liter at room temperature.

This means that if you put a piece of selenite/satin spar in a liter of water at room temperature, eventually 2.5 grams of the crystal will go to solution. If your crystal weighs less than 2.5 grams and you put it in a liter of water, it will eventually disappear. A larger crystal will stop dissolving because the water becomes saturated.

Let’s compare that to table salt (sodium chloride.) The solubility of table salt is 360 grams per liter at room temperature. That’s a tremendous difference. So while a little bit of that selenite may go to solution in a glass of water, it’s not going to be much.

Rinsing a polished piece of Selenite may damage the surface and take away some of the shine, but keep in mind that piece was wet the entire time it was being polished. If not, it would have cracked from the heat generated by the friction of the sanding wheels.

A quick rinse is not likely going to cause harm, but running it under water for a prolonged period of time could. Personally, since Selenite never needs to be cleansed, I see no need to consider getting it wet — but to each her own.

And that’s the skinny on Selenite and water.