Free Shipping on $100 and up

Toxic Stones

Types of stones that are typically toxic to ingest are minerals/ metals containing copper, lead, arsenic, cadmium, aluminum, barium, mercury, zinc, or other poisonous / toxic substances. These substances are often what give a stone its characteristic coloring or shape. Great to look at, great to hold, but not great to put in the body. Where I have information on it, I've noted the toxic material that is or may be in the stone. I recommend avoiding and not making conventional gem elixirs, gem waters, massage oils, or other consumables with these stones.

Actinolite - asbestos
Adamite - zinc, copper
Amazonite - copper
Amber - toxic dust, fumes, possible trapped bacteria or virii, possible ingestive toxicity
Angelite - lead, sulphur
Anthophyllite - asbestos
Aragonite - sometimes contains lead
Atacamite - copper
Atlantisite - contains Serpentine (see below)
Auricalcite - zinc and copper
Azurite - copper
Boji-stones/Kansas Pop Rocks - may contain sulphur
Bronchantite - copper
Celestite aka Celestine - aluminum
Cerrusite - sulphur, molybdenum
Chalcantite (aka "blue shit") - copper
Chalcopyrite (Peacock Stone, Peacock Ore) - copper and sulphur
Charoite - barium, strontium
Chrysacolla (Chrysocolla) - copper
Chrysotile - asbestos
Cinnabar - mercury, VERY TOXIC
Cobaltocalcite (Pink Cobalt Calcite) - cobalt
Conicalcite - copper
Copper - copper
Coral - organic, may contain bacteria as well as pollutants from toxic materials in the water it forms in
Chrysoprase - nickel
Crocidolite - asbestos
Cuprite - copper
Diopside - copper
Dioptase - copper
Eliat Stone - copper
Emerald - aluminum
Feldspar - aluminum
Fluorite - source of dangerous gas hydrofluoride
Garnet - aluminum
Gem Silica - copper
Galena/ Galenite - lead
Garnierite (Genthite, Falcondoite) - nickel
Hematite - iron
Hiddenite - aluminum
Howlite - boron, boron oxide, borate
Iolite - aluminum
Jade (Jadeite) - aluminum, iron
Jade (Nephrite) - aluminum, iron, titanium
Kambaba Jasper - cyanobacteria and possible cyanotoxins
Kansas Pop Rocks - may contain sulphur
Kunzite - aluminum
Kyanite - aluminum
Labradorite - aluminum
Lapis Lazuli - may contain copper, sulphur
Leopard (Skin) Jasper - iron
Marcasite (Markasite) - sulphur
Magnetite (Lodestone) - iron in large quantities
Malachite - copper
Merlinite - barite, iron
Meteorite - may contain many toxic substances
Mohawkite - copper, arsenic
Moldavite - aluminum
Molybdenum - molybdenum
Moonstone - may contain aluminum or other toxic substances
Mother of Pearl - organic, may contain bacteria as well as pollutants from toxic materials in the water it forms in
Ocean Jasper - iron
Opal - toxic dust for inhalation at least
Paraiba Blue Quartz - aluminum in the tourmaline component
Pearl - organic, may contain bacteria as well as pollutants from toxic materials in the water it forms in
Psiomelane - barium
Pyrite (Fool's Gold, Inca Gold) - sulphur
Quartz (all types) - toxic dust for inhalation
Realgar - sulfur, arsenic
Rhodocrosite (Rhodochrosite) - lead
Rose Quartz - iron / titanium
Ruby - aluminum
Sapphire - aluminum
Sepentine (fibrous type) - asbestos
Sodalite - aluminum
Spinel - may contain aluminum, zinc
Stibnite - lead, antimony
Smithsonite (Galmei, Zinc spar)- zinc, may contain copper
Spinel - aluminum
Spodumene (incl Kunzite, Hiddenite) - aluminum
Strawberry Quartz (natural) - hematite/iron inclusions
Stromatolite - cyanobacteria and possible cyanotoxins
Sulphur - sulphur
Sunstone - Aluminum
Tiger's Eye - asbestos
Topaz - aluminum
Tourmaline - aluminum
Tremolite - asbestos
Turquoise - copper
Unakite - aliminum/iron
Uranium - radioactive mineral
Vanadanite - lead
Variscite - aluminum
Wulfenite - lead, molybdenum