Mohs hardness scale: 2
Before there were Diamonds, Emeralds, and Rubies, there was Salt. This ancient crystal was used as currency, building cities, trade routes, and new technologies. While you might desire Moonstones or Opals, only Salt is so necessary that you are hardwired to crave it. Do you know the difference between what you desire and what your body and being truly crave? Salt asks. Can you put aside the glitter to feed your real hungers? To embrace, and take joy in, the fundamental building blocks of humanness and happiness? All Salt originally came from the sea, whether an ancient inland seabed or the ocean itself. It calls to the sea of our blood, reminding us that without a foundation of Salt, we are nothing.
Ritual 
Historically, Salt has been used to separate; it pulls liquids from meats and proteins from liquids. This process is called salting out.
We can use “salting out” as a metaphor to help us release other people’s emotions that we may be holding onto. This process is especially wonderful for people who work closely in another’s emotional space, like a therapist or coach.
Add a pinch of Salt when you’re washing your hands or bathe in saltwater. In the shower, you can fill a washcloth with Salt and tie it shut; the Salt will dissolve through the cloth as you scrub your body. You can also scent the Salt with essential oil (one drop per handful of Salt will do) to make this a sensual experience. As you rinse with the Salt, imagine any sticky emotions being pulled from your body and flowing away with the water.
Reflection
There are people in our lives who serve the same function as Salt in our food: at a party, they’ll introduce strangers, offering a conversation starter as they wend their way through the crowd. In their presence, discussions gently come into balance, people find humor even in a moment of hot disagreement, and personalities that might otherwise seem too brash or cloying are tempered and tasty. Often, like Salt, we only notice these magical people in their absence.
Who in your life is like Salt?
Salt’s relationship to flavor is multidimensional: it has its own particular taste, and it enhances the flavor of other ingredients. Used properly, salt minimizes bitterness, balances sweetness, and enhances aromas, heightening our experience of eating.
Samin Nosrat, Salt Fat Acid Heat