Can Orange Calcite Go in the Sun?

Sunlight is one of the most common methods for cleansing and charging a healing crystal. Not all stones are suitable for sunlight, however, as the intense rays can sometimes cause fading, cracking, and brittleness.

Orange calcite is an example of a stone that shouldn’t be left in sunlight. Keep reading to find out why.

Why Orange Calcite Shouldn’t be Left in Sunlight

Orange calcite is associated with creativity, sexuality, and spiritual energy. As with all healing stones, it’s important to regularly cleanse and charge it to maintain orange calcite’s benefits and spiritual properties.

Sunlight is one of the most common cleansing methods – but it’s not a great choice for orange calcite. There are two reasons for this:

1. Sunlight causes orange calcite to fade. Fading doesn’t happen instantly, but the crystal will revert to calcite’s natural colourless state if exposed to direct sun for too long. As orange calcite has such a beautiful colour, this is something you should definitely avoid!
2. Sunlight causes calcite to become brittle. Orange calcite is a relatively soft stone that becomes brittle in sunlight. Brittleness makes it more likely for your crystal to crack or break.

What Causes Orange Calcite to Fade?

Orange calcite gets its colour from tiny pieces of hematite that are inside the crystal. Without these inclusions, natural calcite has a colourless appearance.

When left in sunlight, the semi-transparent nature of many orange calcite crystals means that UV rays can directly affect the hematite inclusions. This has the effect of causing the crystal to fade and lose its distinctive orange colour.

As I mentioned earlier, an orange calcite stone won’t fade instantly when placed in sunlight. You should avoid long sun baths in direct sunlight though.

Tip: Be careful about where you store your orange calcite crystals. Stones on windowsills may receive sunlight for short periods each day, which can cause fading and brittleness even though the light is partially reflected by glass.

How to Cleanse Orange Calcite Without Sunlight

Many people still use a quick sun bath to cleanse their orange calcite. Calcite won’t fade instantly, so the occasional sunlight cleansing is probably fine – as long as it doesn’t last for more than a few minutes.

With that said, there is a risk to using sunlight to cleanse orange calcite, so it’s best to use different methods most of the time.

Some of my favourite cleansing methods for orange calcite include:

• Smudging – Smudging is an ancient cleansing method that uses the smoke of smouldering dried sage (or incense sticks). Hold the orange calcite crystal in the smoke to get rid of any negative energy. Safety is key, so make sure you use a fire-proof container and look up a guide to smudging before starting.
• Moonlight – Moonlight is a wonderful method for cleansing orange calcite. The gentle light won’t damage your crystal, but is still effective at removing negative energy and charging the stone. Remember to cover the stone in a glass bowl if there’s a chance of rain or dew, as water can damage calcite.
• Selenite – You can use selenite to cleanse and charge your orange calcite crystal. Any form of selenite can work, although I prefer to use a selenite plate. Similarly, you can place your orange calcite crystal inside a large amethyst geode to cleanse it of negative energy.

Keep in mind that orange calcite is not suitable for water cleansing. It’s a soft crystal with a Mohs mineral hardness of three, which means it can be damaged by water.

What Other Healing Crystals Shouldn’t Go in Sunlight?

All colours of calcite can fade or become brittle in sunlight, so you should use other cleansing methods for these stones.

Calcite isn’t the only stone that’s not suitable for sunlight though. Here are some examples of other crystals that shouldn’t go in the sun:

• Amethyst, citrine, rose quartz, and other members of the quartz family. All forms of quartz will fade when left in sunlight, although this can take several hours to become noticeable. Even clear quartz shouldn’t go in the sun, as it become brittle or crack.
• Topaz – Topaz will fade if left in sunlight for long periods.
• Turquoise – This crystal will fade and lose its beautiful blue colour in sunlight.

There are also plenty of crystals that are safe to leave in the sun. These include howlite, lapis lazuli, and tourmaline.

I still don’t recommend leaving these crystals in direct sunlight for long, however, as overheating can lead to cracking. Try to find partial shade and avoid leaving a stone in the sun for more than 1-2 hours.

Summary

Orange calcite should not go in direct sunlight, as this can cause fading and brittleness. The stone’s orange colour is caused by hematite inclusions which are affected by the sun’s UV rays.

I recommend using other methods for cleansing and charging this stone. Smudging, moonlight, and selenite are all great examples that don’t risk damaging your orange calcite crystal.

Do you have any questions about whether orange calcite can be in the sun? Please use the comments section below.