How to Cleanse, Charge, and Use Smoky Quartz

Co-authored by Emily Christensen and Christopher M. Osborne, PhD

Last Updated: May 28, 2025

Smoky quartz enthusiasts rely on its harmonious and protective powers to provide grounding and balance for a range of spiritual and physical needs. Like all crystals, smoky quartz requires ongoing cleansing and charging to restore and maintain its powers, so we’ve provided a complete range of easy options for you to choose from. We’ve also included additional helpful guidance, so read on and get started on your path to becoming a smoky quartz enthusiast yourself!

Section 1 of 4:

Cleansing and Charging Techniques

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1
Set the crystal in sunlight for 2-3 hours. The sun’s powerful rays quickly cleanse and charge smoky quartz—in fact, the sun can overpower smoky quartz and cause its telltale color and sheen to fade. Therefore, avoid leaving your smoky quartz out in the sun for more than about 4 hours.
- Sunlight provides both cleansing (removing absorbed negative energy) and charging (infusing positive energy) to your smoky quartz crystal. The same is true of other methods (moonlight, water, soil, etc.) listed in this section. Because cleansing and charging happen in tandem, people sometimes refer to the entire process simply as “charging.”
2
Allow the crystal to absorb moonlight overnight. Moonlight provides a more gentle and even cleanse and charge than sunlight, so it requires a bit more time. Aim to cleanse and charge your crystal in moonlight for at least 8-12 hours if possible.
- The abundant light of a full moon on a cloudless night provides the most powerful cleanse and charge, but any amount of moonlight can do the job overnight.
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3
Soak the crystal in clean water for at least 4 hours. Pour clean water into a bowl made of a natural material—wood or earthenware are best, glass or metal are okay, but plastic is a no-no here. Submerge the crystal completely and let it soak for 4 hours or longer (don’t worry, you can’t over-soak it!). When you remove it, pat it dry completely with a clean cloth so no surface moisture remains.
- If you’re just looking to spot-clean your smoky quartz, simply use a clean cloth and clean water to wipe it down.
Salt can be particularly effective at absorbing negative energy and transferring positive energy to your crystal. One option is to bury your smoky quartz in a container of sea salt for at least 8 hours. Alternatively, soak your crystal in sea water (or plain water with a spoonful of sea salt dissolved in it) for 8 hours or more.^{[1]
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Smoky quartz derives its “grounding” energy from the “ground” (the Earth) itself, so burying it is a great way to cleanse and charge it. Bury it completely in soil either outdoors or in a natural (not plastic) planting pot indoors. Wipe it off with a clean cloth if needed, or follow up with a water soak as described in this section.
6
Place the crystal on a larger amethyst geode for 24 hours. Larger crystals (or geodes) can cleanse and charge smaller crystals through extended contact, especially if you have a pair of complementary crystals. An amethyst geode is a great pairing for a smoky quartz crystal, but other popular options include selenite, calcite, and quartz geodes.
- Make sure the larger geode or crystal has been recently cleansed and charged so it can provide the same to the smaller crystal.
7
Hold the crystal in the smoke of a sage stick for 1-2 minutes. Ignite the sage stick and wait for it to smolder, then hold the smoky quartz over it so the sage stick smoke completely surrounds and envelops it for 1-2 minutes. Snuff out the sage stick when you’re finished.^{[2]
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- This process is also called “smudging.” Along with sage, rosemary and palo santo “smudge sticks” are commonly used.
- Do this outside or near an open window so the sage stick smoke can dissipate back into nature after cleansing and charging your crystal.
8
Cleanse the crystal, then charge it with an intention. Charging a crystal with an intention means empowering it to provide specific protection or guidance for you. Start by performing one of the cleanse-and-charge procedures listed in this section, such as by using sunlight, moonlight, or water. Then do the following:^{[3]
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- Reflect on your intention until you’re able to narrow it down into a single, direct statement. This will make the intention-setting ritual more effective. For example: “I program this crystal to offer protection on my drive to and from the Grand Canyon.”
- Hold the crystal in your hand and either A) repeat the intention out loud three times (“I program this crystal to provide calming energy on my first day at my new job.”), or B) get into a meditative state and repeat your intention to yourself for several minutes.
- Personalize your intention-setting ritual if you wish in order to suit the unique connection between you and your particular crystal. Maybe you want to hold your crystal while you sleep with the moonlight pouring through an open window, for example, or perhaps you prefer to soak with your crystal in a relaxing bath.

Section 2 of 4:

How often should I charge smoky quartz?

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Charge it when you feel like it has absorbed negative energy. The honest answer here is that there’s no set timetable—like daily, weekly, monthly, etc. It all boils down to your personal connection to your smoky quartz crystal. When you feel like it needs another cleansing and charging, that’s the signal!
- With the exception of exposing it to sunlight very frequently, which may cause dulling and discoloration, there’s no risk in cleansing and recharging your smoky quartz more often rather than less often.

Section 3 of 4:

What kinds of benefits can smoky quartz provide?

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Smoky quartz can keep you grounded, balanced, and protected. Smoky quartz has long been renowned by crystal enthusiasts for its power to promote, restore, and defend spiritual and physical harmony. So you might turn to smoky quartz to help you with any or all of the following (to name just a few options):^{[4]
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- Reduce stress and manage anxiety.
- Improve focus by clearing your mind of distractions.
- Relieve minor, everyday pains and ailments.
- Protect you against physical dangers, such traffic accidents.
- Repel negative energy, such as by helping you avoid a bad relationship.
- Soothe discomfort from mild radiation exposure, such as from electronic devices, medical procedures, or sunburn. (Smoky quartz is naturally irradiated, but keep in mind that it is not a medically-proven protection or treatment for radiation exposure.)

Section 4 of 4:

How should I use smoky quartz?

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A small smoky quartz crystal makes for a beautiful necklace, which is a great way to keep it close by at all times. For an even simpler option, just keep a small crystal in your pocket. (When you’re sleeping, bathing, etc., set it nearby so it’s close at hand.)^{[5]
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Smoky quartz can offer a strong calming effect while you work, especially around electronic devices that produce mild radiation. In this case, set the crystal in a spot that allows you to glance at it regularly while you work.^{[6]
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Meditation, yoga, and similar mind-body practices have grounding and balancing effects, just like smoky quartz—so it makes perfect sense to combine them and double the impact! While you may want to hold the crystal in your hand during mediation, it’s probably easier to display it in a prominent spot during yoga.^{[7]
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