Good questions Cara!! Personally, I clean everything, including my self!! I smudge constantly. Some stones do not do well in sea salt, and alot of times, I am doing my house with sage, so I do my stones and crystals that way too! I personally feel better if I cleanse everything.

It doesn't matter if the stones are crystals are cut, polished, or raw, they still carry the same properties. If ant stone or other type of crystal is used with clear quartz crystals, it magnifies the purpose, or properties of that particular stone or crystal. If you have more than one stone in a ring, it is both properties of those stones that you have the ability to use. You could "charge" the stone or stones in a ring, if you are going to be wearing that certain ring for a specific purpose.

Gold and Silver also carry certain properties too. I will post a thread containing these properties soon!

I hope that I have answered your questions Cara, and if not, just let me know!

~Believe in the light within you.~