Illustration by Tiffani Nelson
“You can burn sage and I’ll cleanse the crystals,” sings Lorde in her new single, “Mood Ring,” released earlier this year. As an avid Lorde fan, I have already heard these lyrics countless times. The more I listened, the more I came to understand their message: The oddities of wellness culture. And nothing represents modern wellness culture better than crystals.
This week, I am here with all the crystal info you need. From creating intricate jewelry to harnessing specific healing powers, crystals are Trending Now (& Then).
Crystals and stones first made an appearance in ancient Sumerian and Egyptian cultures, according to Crystal Age, an online store and resource for everything crystals. They were not only used as body ornaments but also as a way to ward off evil and heal oneself. Crystal Age chronicles the history of crystals through the European Renaissance, when they were used for healing and protection, to the Age of Enlightenment, when they fell out of use.
However, Millennials and Gen Z brought back the use of crystals with full force as implied by the Consumer News and Business Channel, which reported a 65% increase in the search for the words “crystal healing” from 2010 to 2019.
Live Science reports that although the validity of crystal healing, which involves the flow of positive energy through the body, is not supported by science, it is popular at New Age Health Clinics and is proven to have a strong placebo effect.
Modern crystal healing is largely based on the Chinese health concept of chi and the Buddhist and Hindu concepts of chakras, states the same Live Science article. The treatment focuses on the intake of positive energy and the expulsion of negative energy. During a session, different crystals and stones are placed on different chakra points of the body depending on symptoms.
Each crystal has different properties. For example, the American Gem Society lists the reduction of arthritis and pain as a benefit of amethyst and the aid of heart and lungs as a benefit of garnet.
Beyond crystal healing, crystals and stones are popular in other ways.
“I call this ‘the new stone age,’ because, all around, colorful crystals and stones are being stylishly incorporated into wardrobes, homes, beauty regimes and beyond,” writes Carol Woolton, jewelry editor at “British Vogue,” for UK luxury brand Net-A-Porter’s blog. All of these creative uses of crystals are trending right now among young people, especially stone and crystal jewelry.
The LA Times names social media as one cause of crystals’ current popularity, because the shiny stones look very appealing online. They can be spiritual, decorative or both.
In a society where strict religious beliefs are not as favored as they once were, crystals provide an avenue of spirituality appealing to many, causing them to become a major modern trend.