Can Mookaite Go In Water? (Yes, But...)

Mookaite is a very hard and dense stone that does not suffer significantly when placed briefly in water or cleaned with water.

But in general, we recommend against long soaks of any specimen in water, as it can encourage physical damage to the stone.

In this article, we’ll talk about the background and physical properties of mookaite, and talk more about putting it in water (or not).

Can Mookaite Go In Water? (EXPLAINED)

What is Mookaite?

This Mookaite stone comes from the Jasper stone family and can only be found in an area 600 miles north of Perth, Australia, known as Mooka Creek.

These stones get their appearance and properties due to the chemical remains of radiolaria, which are organisms that produce mineral shells.

While radiolaria still exist, the species of radiolaria that give the Mookaite its appearance are extinct today.

The name “Mooka” is a term that translates to “running waters”, originating from the indigenous people of Western Australia.

Mooka Creek is indeed known for being home to various hot springs.

Despite the meaning, however, the Mookaite name simply refers to the location where it’s from, and doesn’t have any relation to the water element, like Moonstone.

Mookaite is often purpose, but is found in a myriad of other colors, such as brown, yellow, red and orange.

Purported Metaphysical Properties

This isn’t a science blog, or one devoted to the healing arts; consequently we cannot verify that claims of practitioners about the properties of stones like mookaite.

That being said, mookaite is a popular healing stone.

To practitioners, mookaite is known as an earth element stone, which is said to help users channel the root, heart, and solar plexus chakras.

Believers rely on this stone for help to reduce stress, improve flexibility, and decrease blood sugar, among other bodily improvements, as well as relieve stomach-related and glandular issues for those dealing with illness or other disorders.

Others place the stone under their pillow at night for a restful sleep, while still others soak it in drinking water.

(Across the board we do not recommend gem water or any sort of elixirs made of gems or minerals)

How Water-Resistant is Mookaite?

When placed in water, a Mookaite stone will not dissolve (like selenite), or immediately crack or break apart.

Mookaite is a stone with a rock-hard interior and exterior.

It rates between a 6 and 7 on the Moh’s scale of hardness.

It is porous, but the hardness of the stone provides stability.

You should be able to clean mookaite with water, or even place it in water briefly without any ill effects on the stone.

In general, it is a bad idea to put crystals in water when their hardness level falls below a 6 on the Moh’s scale.

With hard and soft stones, regardless of the Moh’s rating, a problem comes when you look to soak the stone for extended periods of time, and often.

Even the hardest stones fall prey to water.

Over time, repeated soakings can encourage cracks or small fissures in the stone.

This is especially the case in a porous stone, where water molecules can get into small places.

Water soaks can strip the exterior finish of the stone, leaving the stone dull, or the color changed.

Some of the dullness or color change can be remedied with polishing.

But other color changes or dullness cannot, without grinding off the exterior of the stone to get the areas that have not been exposed to water.

Stones soaked in water can also begin to rust if there is metal (like iron) mixed in with the stone giving it the beautiful color you enjoy.

You might see the dark rust color forming, or just a yellowing that cannot be polished off or cleaned up.

Finally, many minerals and crystals are mixtures, and the contents of the stone are not always apparent without chemical testing.

Many of the brilliant colors of crystals are caused by toxic materials that even laypersons know not to consume, such as asbestos and mercury.

Putting crystals containing toxic chemicals in the water with you in the bath or in your water occasionally is unlikely to cause serious physical harm.

But over time, would you really want to take a bath with a stone full or asbestos or mercury?

And just because the stone doesn’t look like it contains mercury or something else bad for you, doesn’t mean it doesn’t.

What If Mookaite Gets Wet?

Most crystals and gems survive just fine when exposed briefly to water.

If you want to wash your mookaite with water, simply make the washing brief, and dry out the piece completely.

Make sure the piece is completely dry on all sides, including down in cracks and pores before returning it to storage (or your pocket).

If the piece needs cleaning, explore other non-water methods of cleaning (like buffing) before using the water.

We recommend that you try out different cleaning methods on pieces of mookaite that are not as special to you before you clean a special, one of a kind piece.