So many great methods! I would like to add one more to the tool box that is very helpful for people who may not have refined their abilities to work with energy.
It is a important to cleanse your stones, for many reasons. Especially Quartz due to its structure and programmability. By its physical nature it has memory. That is why it is used in computers! It is programmable and it has memory. That being said, Petaltones makes a very nice line of essences that work wonders For general clearing I would recommend Crystal Clear. It is a great room spray too! Not just for crystals. If you are sensitive or an empath and do not have the skills to deal with these kinds of things this is the best tool I know of . I have had clients that had no knowledge or belief in energy work notice an immediate positive shift in the room when I use this. They were quite shocked at he difference they experienced. Nothing like personal experience , whether you "believe" or not.
Of course this can all be done with intention, but there is nothing wrong with using tools, especially the plant kingdom, to get the job done. A little help from our friends, eh?
Polluted stones do not sparkle and wink at you. They do not add joy to your environment. You are not stripping them of their identity or their positive experiences when you clear them, unless that is your intention. You are helping them return to their true selves. Their original Divine blueprint. Their pure essence, with all their gifts shining through and vibrating clearly. Not covered up or chaotic.
When a stone is in the Earth, it's natural environment , these needs are met. Burying stones can be a great way to clear them . But when a stone is taken from the Earth, and in a relationship with people, we have an obligation to hold up our end of the relationship and provide care. That includes cleansing, charging, and gratitude. All the things it got from the earth in the first place.
The knowledge that stones can hold patterns is not woo-woo. It is hard science. Physics. Check out Marcel Vogel for some excellent discourse.