Thought crystals and gemstones are just for feng shui masters or ageing hippies? Well, think again.
Thanks to social media, the lifestyle trend has been growing speedily among the millennials who are openly embracing the lifestyle – most of them, after stumbling into the world of crystals out of curiosity.
To sceptical outsiders, the world of crystals may seem like either a New Age hippie fad or a hobby for uncles and aunties, but it’s not as niche as one might think.
The growing trend of healing crystals and gemstones
For those who are unaware, the global crystal industry today is worth at least S$1.34 billion (US$1 billion) – and with the crystal-healing trend gradually gaining prominence in popular culture and modern abodes, it won’t be surprising to see crystals exploding further into the mainstream in the near future.
Adele, Victoria Beckham, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, and Bella Hadid are among the top crystal acolytes in Hollywood, while beauty brands such as La Prairie, Herbivore Botanicals, and Miranda Kerr’s Kora have all incorporated crystal-infused ingredients into skincare.
Locally, you can even find gemstone-laced candles such as the ones sold by Nine Wicker Ave. which produces artisanal soy candles that are topped with minerals such as rose quartz, amethyst, lapiz lazuli, and obsidian.
So, you are curious about the billion-dollar healing gemstone industry. Or, perhaps you just received a dazzling piece of crystal or a beautiful piece of gemstone jewellery from someone dear to you and you want to learn more about the minerals.
Well, you’ve come to the right place. We spoke to Shu Ng, founder and artist of Covet Crystals Jewelry, at her brand’s first media launch and picked up a few beginner’s tips on how to use healing crystals and gemstones.
In case you’re wondering, Covet Crystals Jewelry was founded by Shu in 2017, a year when she went through a rough patch in her life – her mother (whom she was very close with) had passed away while Shu was expecting – and discovered crystal-wearing as one of the most effective therapies in helping her to manage her depression and grief.
Being an avid fashionista who’s trained in Fine Arts Education, she decided to create her own stylish crystal jewellery with 100% authentic, natural crystals and gemstones when she couldn’t find any fashionable pieces made of natural crystals locally and globally.
Being a purveyor of the marriage between healing crystals and fashion, there’s no better person than Shu to share some tips on incorporating healing crystals in your daily routine. Ready to learn a few things straight from the pro herself? Let’s get started!
How to use healing crystals in your everyday routine
Tip #1: Try wearing healing crystals if you want to feel calmer
In the crazy fast-paced world that we live in now, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and lost. While you can have stone carvings in your room or at home to rebalance the energy in the space, Shu contends that wearing crystals and stones are the easiest way to calm down your senses and feel more content amidst the busyness of life.
The science behind healing crystals is of course up for debate, but there’s really no denying the placebo effects that they have on people. According to Shu, many of her clients have shared with her that they feel a difference when they wear one of her handmade pieces.
“Some of my clients have such a hectic schedule that sometimes, they could barely catch a breath – I’m sure most of us are probably just as busy that we even forget how to breathe sometimes!” laments Shu.
“After wearing my jewellery creations, many of my customers have told me that crystals have been such a relief for them as the stones de-stress them and make them feel more relaxed, which makes sense in a way because wearing crystals close to your skin is actually one of the ways to feel closer to nature,” she shares.
We reckon that most of us can agree that being surrounded by nature is one of the most relaxing environments to be in, no?
Tip #2: Choosing crystals is as easy as picking the first one that catches your eye
Choosing the healing stones to get isn’t like rocket science: all you have to think about is what you want to create in life or the intentions that you want to manifest.
Here are some examples of how this works: To bring abundance into your life, citrine helps you manifest your dreams by channelling the positive vibrations of the sun. Carnelian is a powerful crystal to get the creative juices flowing, while the ever-popular rose quartz is the perfect crystal for love-related intentions and matters of the heart.
For Shu who is a Fine Arts-trained artist with a passion for high fashion, choosing crystals is as simple as picking the first one that attracts you the moment you lay your eyes on these otherworldly rocks.
“All crystals and gemstones are probably one of the most beautiful things we have from Mother Nature, and they’re just so pretty to look at that you can easily get distracted by their beauty – understandably so!” says Shu.
“So instead of stressing yourself up with the wide variety of crystals to bring home, let your mind take a break for a minute and just focus on seeing the crystals at face value – their colours and vibrancy. More often than not, you’ll end up choosing one that aligns with what you want to manifest.”
If you want to get a piece of crystal jewellery but are still feeling bamboozled by all the stones offered by Shu at Covet Crystals Jewelry, you can always send in a message to enquire and Shu would personally reply to you with her recommendation and advice!
Shu also adds that it’s perfectly fine to start with some of the more popular variants if you’re new to crystals. According to her, the types that are abundant in terms of availability, as well as information online, include black tourmaline (de-stresses), black onyx (instils inner strength, willpower, and focus), lapiz lazuli (enhances communication), rose quartz (promotes love and harmony), and tiger eye (offers general protection and attracts money luck).
Tip #3: Crystal cleansing is good practice, but it’s not as elaborate as you think
Whether you wear them close to the skin or place them in your environment, these minerals essentially do one thing: they connect us to the energies we want to embody because they are tangible, physical forms that have powerful vibrations.
But unlike all the elaborate rituals that you see on-screen, taking care of these crystals so that they can pick up on your unique vibrational energy and amplify the positive vibes that you’re cultivating doesn’t need to be so complicated.
If you’re wearing crystal jewellery for fashion, Shu says that simply drying your accessory gently with a soft cloth to get rid of dirt and perspiration and keeping it in a dark place will do.
If you’re wearing it for healing purposes, she says the same applies but would recommend placing your accessory over a raw selenite tower (which she has for sale on her e-store as well) overnight.
“When you store your crystal jewellery with the selenite tower overnight, what the tower does is that it essentially helps you neutralise and get rid of any negative energies that your jewellery piece has absorbed for you during the day,” adds Shu.
You would’ve seen people charging their crystals with sunlight in TV shows or on social media too, but Shu cautions against it as it may cause bleaching of your accessory. As for cleansing your crystals with moonlight, she also says it’s not really mandatory to do so – plus, it’s rather cumbersome as well.
“You can technically do so, but you’d have to really follow the ritual and also observing if there’s a moon sighting from your room. Unless you feel that you have an affinity with the moon and its energy really helps you every time you do it, go ahead by all means, but we generally don’t really push our clients to do so because it’s just a little too troublesome.
A selenite tower is definitely much more convenient as it is readily available, and is more than enough to remove the negative energies from your crystal jewellery,” Shu lets on.
Tip #4: Talk to your crystals
Using your crystals with a positive mantra is a common practice that Shu believes in and regularly advocates. “I am a huge believer in talking to your crystals, and I strongly feel that it’s something you should definitely do especially if you have the intention to believe in the healing effects of these stones,” she remarks.
“Sometimes, we just need the affirmation to make things come true. As a healing crystal enthusiast and practitioner, I’ve seen the ways that crystals can help us and so even for myself, I do tell my crystals what I wish to fulfil or manifest for the day.
When you utter those words to these stones, the Law of Attraction somehow takes place and the crystals help to affirm what you need and strengthen the energies you want to attract,” adds Shu.
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