A Casual Place To Talk About Our Favorite Shiny and Sparkly Objects
This is a topic I have a hard time with. I don’t know, it may be that I’m oblivious to the subtleties of changes going on around me. I might be too jaded and cynical and not open enough to feel healing powers. Can healing or energy or prosperity jewelry really promote what they say they do? Do they ‘work’?
You can find jewelry to heal your chakras, attract health, wealth, the perfect person, the perfect job, and anything else you feel like ‘manifesting.’ (That word seems to be used a lot). You can buy a necklace to bring you luck AND bring good fortune to all who glimpse at the necklace. It seems that the right piece of jewelry can do just about anything. Sort of.
Some sites claim that their jewelry is special by the way they make it. Maybe they’re able to channel the energy of the cosmos when they’re creating it. Each piece lists the mineral beads used for it which serves as the center from which the powers of the piece of jewelry eminate. Now, I could go off on a HUGE tangent here and talk about crystals and the healing powers certain ones are supposed to have and my opinion on whether THEY work, but I’ll leave that to the pros (ie Melody, who’s book Love Is In The Earth is basically the bible of all things mineral).
But the question remains: Do they work at what they claim to do? Does the amethyst ring I wear make me calmer, as some of the properties of amethyst are to promote tranquility and calm the mind? Is that 5th chakra necklace helping clear the issues you may have there? Physically, 5th chakra problems are associated with things like neck and shoulder problems. Did putting on a necklace designed for that chakra get rid of that pain? Is my moonstone pendant connecting my emotional side with my creative side? I don’t know. Could it all be a placebo effect? Possibly.
I have jewelry of semi-precious stones that are associated with healing properties. I have an even bigger collection of raw minerals-everything from rose quartz, labradorite, apophylite, and celestite to just name a few-and every one of these is associated with some area of healing or promoting health, vigor, or creativity. All of these raw minerals are a LOT bigger than what you’d find in a piece of jewelry. Do they help me? Do they work in the background, and even though I’m not sensitive enough to actually feel them, they ARE working? Again, I don’t know. But each piece is important to me.
One site, Energy Muse (http://www.energymuse.com/) says that they not only use the right minerals to heal what needs healing, but they’re created with INTENT, and it’s that which is most important. When you receive one of their pieces, you are supposed to infuse the piece with YOUR intent as well, and that’s essential to promote the piece’s properties. I have several pieces from this company. I have followed their directions to the letter. Did they ‘work’? Again, I don’t know if I’m just not sensitive enough or too cynical or who knows what, but I couldn’t tell.
There are a lot of stores out there. Carolyne Myss’ website sells ‘alchemy gemstones‘. Another site is all about chakras (http://www.mandarava.com/Retail/chakraenergy.htm). Enter ‘Energy Jewelry’ or ‘Chakra Jewelry’ on any search engine, and you’ll find many, many sites. These I just found to give you an example.
Regardless, I don’t regret owning the ‘healing’ pieces of jewelry that I’ve purchased. They very well might be working in the background. Maybe making these claims is just a gimmick. However, what I know is that I find exquisite beauty in the pieces I own, and whether or not my chakras are going to be balanced isn’t the point to me. It’s the piece of jewelry or the raw mineral that matters to me; it’s a beautiful thing that the Earth created. That in itself, the beauty and diversity of what this planet has created, is a mind blowing concept.
As always, if you have had any experience with this kind of jewelry or raw minerals, whether good, bad, or indifferent, or if any other thoughts cross your mind, please let us know. Until next time…
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9 Responses for "Healing/Energy/Prosperity Jewelry: They’re Pretty, But Do They Work?"
In a word, yes, but not necessarily for the reasons one may think.
Your amethyst ring, a “worry stone” in someone’s pocket, a saint medal worn around the neck, or any other gemstone with associated healing properties, all have one thing in common… they can promote a positive state of mind. The power of positive thinking.
Now I’m not one to say that healing jewelry, or jewelry inspired by religious convictions have some sort of magical power to cure ills or provide some sort of divine intervention. I don’t know. But they can and do influence one of the most powerful things we have, the human mind.
Believing that an amethyst ring can make you calmer, that a “worry stone” can relieve stress, or that a St George medal will serve to protect a soldier at war, can have a profound effect on ones mental and physical well being.
Regardless of why a particular piece of jewelry is worn, or the healing or spiritual powers associated with it, the positive effects it can promote is certainly enough for me to believe.
Dave
Its hard to believe that most of our health or lack of is connected to simple points of energy that can be controlled by our mind.
I came across your website today. I love it. Very well done. While reading through it, I am reminded of a saying that I have tried to live by all of my life which is, “If you really want to do something, you will find a way – if you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” Keep up the good work.
Sarah Anne,
Since you were kind enough to mention our website, Mandarava.com, let me offer a reply to your question.
We know that there is no accepted scientific evidence to support a healing interaction between any energy of inert crystals (that’s why they’re inert) and the human body. And although there are still many mysterious and unexplained pheneomena in physical sciences, we cannot offer any proof that would satisfy the test of scientific method. We are upfront about this in the disclaimer on our website.
However, in the field of psychology, there’s something called the “placebo effect”, with which I’m sure you’re familiar. This effect is observed in tests where groups of people are given a sugar pill and told that it will have a certain physiological effect on them, like a reduction in headaches or backaches. Surprisingly, even though the pill does nothing, the physiological effect is still reported by a certain number of the subjects–their headaches disappear!
Then, of course, there’s meditation, which is currently being used in hospitals around the country to aid chronically ill patients in pain reduction, blood pressure control, etc. And, if you’ve ever read Deepak Chopra’s Quantum Healing, you know there’s an even more mysterious connection between “thought” and the chemical reactions in the physical body.
Therefore, although we have no evidence that the “energies of the stones” have a direct effect on the body, we can say with certainty that the mind rules the body, sometimes unconsciously, but always powerfully. So, whether the “energies of the stones” or the “intent of the jewelry creator” can actually modify reality is not really the point. What’s important is what you believe, and what you do as a result of what you believe.
Meditating on a lovely crystal or rock, viewing it as a masterpiece of Nature, becoming one with its beauty and imbuing it with your own conscious positive intent, or appreciating with wonder the forces that created it, can only make you a better person. And a better person is capable of better achievements, better relationships, and a better world.
Padme at Mandarava
Thank you for your input. The power of human thought (such as the placebo effect, meditation, etc.) is a subject that is only minutely understood. I have friends who hold their crystals as sacred possessions, who meditate with one and CAN feel the ‘effects’ that mineral brings. I’ve heard that one should hold a crystal with their RIGHT hand to infuse it with your love and energy, while when holding with the LEFT hand, you receive that energy. But you’re right-regardless of whether or not the effects are ‘real’, what is the harm in it? To me, the sight of a beautiful crystal or mineral that was made by the earth, much like the breathtaing beauty of autumn in New England, proves to me that a higher power DOES exist, for no human in his/her wildest dreams could create such things with such beauty.
Thanks for your article. It was a breath of fresh air.
I am a Native American Indigenous Healer trained on the reservation. There are so many facets to healing that are based in science, wisdom and knowledge. Yet, I find that most people mimic each other in their beliefs or repeat what they’ve read. Neither is a good method to base healing on.
As an Indian I was taught to examine, test and prove all information. This took many years and much guidance from my teachers. There is a basis for healing with stones, crystal, etc. In case there’s an interest, I’ve written several articles about Native ceremony, healing, sacred objects, etc. They’re on my website at: http://www.NativeTalismanArt.com.
Thanks again for the breath of fresh air!
Warmest wishes,
Paula
Sarah Anne,
Good question. Paula Bidwell, I enjoyed reading your articles, so much of it rang true with my own teachings.
I have been using crystals in my life for over 30 years and have incorporated them into my jewelry in the past 10. I am a firm believer that everything on this planet has a purpose. Gemstones have been used for centuries for talismans and healing along with herbs and other things. To me they speak and its up to us whether we choose to listen to what they have to say. Healing is about becoming one with your body, mind, spirit and heart. As far as whether the Amethyst ring is helping calm you or not. Some of the other things Amethyst is good for is concentration, for my migraines and when your self esteem needs a little boost. Each person is different and what works for one person does not necessarily work for all. A good example is a really good stone for grounding is Hematite. For me, I can not wear it, it does not ground me but does the total opposite. I get extremely jittery if I wear Hematite for more than 10 minutes. I’m a certified Reiki Master and also Crystal Healing. So I do use all kinds of gemstones on a daily basis and have tremendous results on myself and my clients.
Blessings
Darla
P.S.
I am glad I found your site, you ask some very good questions.
Something I forgot to add about using gemstones in jewelry. A few things that can cause a crystal/gemstone to not give off its full power, is the cut of a stone, whether it is dyed or enhanced, and whether it is real. On the cut, the best is raw form, but that is not always convenient for jewelry, so the next best thing would be smooth and round. Smooth being the most important. In faceted gemstones, their is so many angles, that the gemstones energies are just scattered in every which direction. When you are trying to heal, you do not need even more scattered anything. On dyed, it puts a coating on the stone which dilutes what is being sent to you, you’ll still get it just not as strong. Plus you have to be careful of all of the fakes. Stones that are dyed to look like other stones. Howlite and Serpentine and 2 stones that are always being dyed to look like other stones. Another factor is the findings, like clasps and such. Some metals are better than others and some have healing properties of their own, but anything plated is a no no. Sterling Silvers, Golds, Pewters and Copper are the best choices for properties.
This is along similar lines to dyed, I suppose, but one of the real/fake questions I’ve always wondered about is the amethyst/ametrine/citrine debate. I’ve always been told that temperature is the only thing that makes them each different from one another, and two (of many, I’m sure) results come by it . First, when nature heats amethyst, the ‘middle’ result is ametrine, which is a combination of amethyst and citrine, and it is a much rarer stone than the two combined. Second, it is easy to create ‘fake’ citrine by simply heating amethyst until it turns orange. This is something which has always baffled me. I have seen pieces of ‘citrine’ that clearly HAVE appeared ‘wrong.’ However, whether the work of the Earth itself or a human, does citrine (the stone of money, good fortune, etc.) only carry those energetic properties if it created by the earth itself? If someone took it upon themselves to heat a piece of amethyst into citrine, what energeitc properties come with it: amethyst, citrine, both, or neither?
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