Bowls, tarot and statues
Selenite Block Lamp, Tree of Life
A carved selenite block that lights up. Warm glow, not a room light.
£57.05
Guide
Caring for selenite
Selenite is beautiful and unusually soft for a mineral, which means it reacts to water, humidity and knocks in ways glass or stone never would. A little care keeps a selenite lamp clear for years.
What selenite is
Selenite is a form of gypsum. It is soft, around 2 on the Mohs scale, which puts it near a fingernail and well below glass. It is also slightly soluble in water, so it will soften and lose its finish if it is soaked or left somewhere damp. That one fact drives all of the advice below.
Keep it dry
Never wash or soak a selenite lamp. Dust it with a soft, dry cloth. If something spills on it, dab the liquid away rather than rubbing it in, and let the piece air dry. Bathrooms and other humid rooms are the wrong home for it, for the same reason.
Handling and placement
Lift a selenite block from its base, not by the carved face, and set it down gently: it can chip at the edges and scratch more easily than you would expect. It can also shed a little fine grain over time, so a shelf or a hard surface suits it better than fabric you care about. Keep it out of reach of children and pets, and out of long spells of direct sunlight.
The lamp itself
The Selenite Block Lamp (£57.05) is a carved block lit from a recess in the base, with the cable included. It throws a soft, warm light that is for atmosphere rather than reading. Unplug it before you move or clean it, and check the cable for wear now and then, as you would with any small lamp.
A quick routine
Dry dust every few weeks, keep it away from water and steam, handle it from the base, and unplug before cleaning. That is the whole of it. Selenite rewards a light touch rather than effort.
Things mentioned in this guide