Frequently asked questions

• How fragile is selenite for finished jewelry?

  Selenite is gypsum (hydrous calcium sulfate) at Mohs 2 — softer than a fingernail. It scratches with light handling, cleaves along flat planes if dropped, and dissolves in water over time. That makes it a poor candidate for rings, bracelets, or any piece that meets daily abrasion. It works best in earrings, pendants, and statement necklaces worn occasionally and stored separately from harder stones. Designers building wear-tolerant production lines usually route selenite to occasional-wear SKUs rather than core inventory. If a client wants the white translucent look in a daily-wear piece, consider howlite or white agate instead.
• Can selenite beads be cleaned with water or ultrasonic?

  No. Selenite is water-soluble — even brief exposure dulls the polish, and prolonged contact will pit and degrade the bead surface. Never use water, soap solutions, ultrasonic cleaners, or steam. Skip alcohol-based jewelry dips as well; many contain water as a carrier. Clean only with a dry, soft cloth, and wipe gently to avoid surface scratching. Tell finished-piece customers to remove selenite jewelry before washing hands, swimming, or sweating heavily, and to store it in a dry environment away from humidity. Bathroom storage is the most common way these beads get ruined after the sale.
• Is the white fibrous material sold as selenite actually satin spar?

  Most of the white, silky, chatoyant rod-cut and bead-cut material on the bead market is satin spar — a fibrous variety of gypsum — sold under the trade name selenite. True selenite is the clear, sheet-like crystalline variety. Both are the same mineral (gypsum, CaSO4·2H2O), share Mohs 2, and behave identically in terms of care and water sensitivity. The trade uses selenite as the umbrella name, so the labeling is industry-standard rather than misleading. If a project specifically calls for transparent crystalline selenite versus the fibrous satin-spar look, ask before buying.
• What stones get confused with selenite in the bead trade?

  White calcite, anhydrite, and bleached howlite are the most common look-alikes. Calcite is harder (Mohs 3) and reacts to acids; anhydrite is the dehydrated form of gypsum and runs slightly harder at Mohs 3–3.5; howlite is Mohs 3.5 with a more chalky, opaque body and visible gray veining. Selenite is uniquely soft and uniquely water-sensitive — those two traits together rule out most substitutes. If a strand labeled selenite tolerates a damp cloth without surface change, it likely isn't gypsum. The mineral identity is the reference point; ask before buying if anything looks off.
• What design contexts suit selenite beads best?

  Selenite reads as soft white with a pearlescent or silky chatoyance from the fibrous structure, which makes it useful as a neutral spacer or as the focal in monochrome white palettes. It pairs cleanly with sterling, with matte metals, and with other low-saturation stones like moonstone, white agate, or pearl. Avoid stringing it tight against harder beads (jasper, agate, quartz) that will abrade the polish over time — buffer with metal spacers or knotted silk. Smaller rounds (6mm, 8mm) work well in earrings and layered necklaces; 10mm rounds suit statement pendants where the chatoyance carries the piece.