Is your crystal Toxic? (M-O's)

Img: Velvet Malachite

There are many crystals that are toxic when put in water, and many that are toxic out of water. Use this list to see if yours is and how you should store it if it is.

As the list is too long for one blog post, this is the part that covers the "'M-O's".

For the rest of the alphabet, please see the other blog posts under the 'Toxic Crystals' Category.

It is always advised to avoid making potions with gems that are toxic (even if only by a little bit) and should also avoid placing gems inside the body.

Many toxic gems listed include aluminium and a few other elements which are only toxic in exceptionally high doses.

Once polished, stones are generally fine to wear and use but you should be careful if you are the one cutting and polishing them (wear a mask to avoid breathing in particles) and be careful if they should break.

The last 2 columns are completed to the best of my knowledge - I have not heard of many of these stones and some have surprised me but generally speaking, if it's toxic and rough, put it in a box, if it's polished then it has a layer of protection on it so should be safe. It's always best to err on the side of caution though.

Name	Toxicity Risk	What makes it toxic	What should I do with it if its rough?	Is it ok polished?
Magnesite	Low	Soluble in acids, as a powder can irritate the skin, eyes and respiratory system	Be wary of inhaling dust but should be otherwise fine to handle, do not consume	Fine to handle, do not consume
Malachite	High	Copper, soluble in acids	Keep away from little fingers, pets and damp rooms, keep in a specimen box, do not consume	Fine to handle, do not consume, careful if it breaks
Malaya Garnet	None Known		Fine to handle, do not consume	Fine to handle, do not consume
Mali Garnet	None Known		Fine to handle, do not consume	Fine to handle, do not consume
Mandarin Garnet	None Known		Fine to handle, do not consume	Rare Earth Elements, Soluble in acids
Manganotantalite	None Known		Fine to handle, do not consume	Fine to handle, do not consume
Marcasite	Medium	Reacts with Water	Fine to handle, keep away from water	Fine to handle, do not consume
Meliphanite	None Known		Fine to handle, do not consume	Fine to handle, do not consume
Mellite	High	Organic Material	Keep away from little fingers, pets and damp rooms, keep in a specimen box, do not consume
Microcline	None Known		Fine to handle, do not consume	Fine to handle, do not consume
Microlite	High	Can react dangerously if swallowed	Keep away from little fingers, pets and damp rooms, keep in a specimen box, do not consume	Fine to handle, do not consume
Milarite	None Known		Fine to handle, do not consume	Fine to handle, do not consume
Millerite	High	Nickel, can react dangerously if swallowed	Keep away from little fingers, pets and damp rooms, keep in a specimen box, do not consume	Fine to handle, do not consume, do not wear if allergic to nickel as may cause reaction
Mimetite	High	Arsenic, Lead, Soluble in acids	Keep away from little fingers, pets and damp rooms, keep in a specimen box, do not consume	Fine to handle, do not consume
Moldavite	None Known		Fine to handle, do not consume	Fine to handle, do not consume
Monazite	Low	Rare Earth Elements, Soluble in acids	Be careful but should be fine, do not consume	Fine to handle, do not consume
Moonstone	None Known		Fine to handle, do not consume	Fine to handle, do not consume
Mordenite	High	Fibrosis	BE careful handling, keep in a specimen box away from pets, little fingers and damp rooms	Not likely to find it polished but should be fine if it is

Morganite	None Known		Fine to Handle, do not consume	Fine to Handle, do not consume
Nambulite	Noene Known		Fine to Handle, do not consume	Fine to Handle, do not consume
Natrolite (zeolite)	None Known	Non-asbestos fibers in erionite (a non-gem fibrous zeolite) can cause mesothe-lioma if inhaled. Natrolite has a similar fibrous structure but no known toxicity	Fine to Handle, do not consume	Rare Earth Elements, Soluble in acids
Mesolite (Zeolite)	None Known	Non-asbestos fibers in erionite (a non-gem fibrous zeolite) can cause mesothe-lioma if inhaled. Mesolite has a similar fibrous structure but no known toxicity	Fine to Handle, do not consume	Fine to Handle, do not consume
Scolecite (Zeolite)	None Known	Non-asbestos fibers in erionite (a non-gem fibrous zeolite) can cause mesothe-lioma if inhaled. Scolecite has a similar fibrous structure but no known toxicity	Fine to Handle, do not consume	Fine to Handle, do not consume
Nepheline	None Known	Soluble in Acids	Fine to Handle, do not consume	Fine to Handle, do not consume
Nephrite	None Known		Fine to Handle, do not consume	Fine to Handle, do not consume
Neptunite	None Known		Fine to Handle, do not consume	Fine to Handle, do not consume
Niccolite (Nickeline)	High	Arsenic, Nickel	Keep in a specimen box, be careful handling, keep away from pets, little fingers and damp rooms	Should be fine to wear, be careful if it breaks, do not wear if you have a nickel allergy
Obsidian	Low	Silicosis	Fine to Handle, do not consume	Fine to Handle, do not consume
Oligoclase	None Known		Fine to Handle, do not consume	Fine to Handle, do not consume
Opal	Low	Silicosis	Fine to Handle, do not consume, be wary of dust inhalation	Fine to Handle, do not consume
Oregon Sunstone	Medium	Copper	Be wary when handling, advised to keep in a specimen box away from pets, little fingers and damp rooms	Fine to Handle, do not consume
Orthoclase	None Known		Fine to Handle, do not consume	Fine to Handle, do not consume

*list is taken from gemsociety.org with 2 columns added on for your peace of mind

Source: gemsociety.org