Crystals, once dismissed as a ‘hippy’ accessory, are now huge in both the worlds of spirituality and fashion. They are gracing catwalks at Big Four fashion shows, and are sported with pride by everyone from Adele to Victoria Beckham and Miranda Kerr. When it comes to crystals and other stones, it is about so much more than their vivid colors and beautiful shapes. Energy is the buzzword as we enter a new, more spiritual era in which people have been liberated in terms of how they can express their oneness with the universe. If you love jewelry but would like to use it as more than an accessory, read on and make the most of these stunning stones and crystals, made with the genius of Mother Nature.
Enjoying The Present Moment With Your Crystals
In a simply stunning short video on The Abramovic Method, Lady Gaga is featured performing a series of healing exercises created by Marina Abramovic at a three-day retreat in upstate New York. Gaga can be seen stark naked, embracing a huge white crystal while she performs a kind of chant. Later, she lies on a bed surrounded by white/transparent pieces of various sizes. These are quartz stones, defined by curator Ulisses Carrilho as “aligned in perfect harmony and vibrating in waves that are deemed perfect.” Because they have the ability to generate electric stimuli, crystals are used as oscillators in machines, and they can also exert a powerful effect on their wearer. During a relaxing moment of your day, surround yourself with them and take time to simply ‘be’, while feeling peaceful and vibrant all at once.
Harnessing The Power Of Light
Spending time outside in the middle of a majestic landscape has a powerful ability to take human beings to a peaceful, more spiritual state. The next time you visit a park or forest, wear your crystals, stones or gems, and use their beautiful reflection as a point of reflection during meditation. Because reflected light is still yet changeable, it is a magnificent way to remain focused while you recite a mantra or loving message, or even while you practice techniques like pranayamic breathing.
Ensuring Your Jewelry Is Ethically Sourced
Diamonds are particularly coveted because of their ‘fire’ so if you have a shiny stone emitting piercingly beautiful beams, this might be the perfect piece to take along to an outdoor spiritual practice session involving yoga, meditation or forest bathing. Ensuring your jewelry is ethically sourced is vital, however, if you want to make sure that nobody or nothing (including Mother Earth) has been harmed in its extraction. For stones like diamonds, ethical shopping is easy, thanks to the Kimberley Process, set up in 2002 to form a certification program for responsibly mined diamonds.
For less valuable pieces like crystals, certification can be more difficult because so many people purchase these items at markets and other establishments that are unable to provide or even elicit their original source. In a groundbreaking article on the effects that crystal mining can have on the environment and local communities, writer Emily Atkins explains that strict government regulations are required to keep the people and the land safe. She also provides a handful of small providers that makes it a point to purchase sustainably mined crystals.
Choosing Colors Wisely
When choosing jewelry in the morning, try and sit with yourself quietly for a moment to understand the way you feel. If you are a little down, then a bright red or orange piece can lift your mood. If you are stressed, meanwhile, a hue like blue or green can instil a greater sense of calm. When your mood requires it, wear larger jewelry items you can look at during the day. It makes sense to wear these on your hand or arm, but a piece like a long necklace with a 20” chain and a calming crystal pendant will enable to you look at the stone while you hold it in your hands to feel its energy.
Embracing your spirituality can involve making big changes (think going on retreat, taking up regular meditation, or going to worship), or smaller ones – such as choosing fashion that makes you feel more connected to the Earth. When it comes to jewelry, crystals, stones and gems are commonly worn because of the energy and light they bring to our lives. However, to make sure this energy is truly pure, make sure that neither ecosystems nor children and local communities have been harmed during mining practices. This will enable you to breathe deep and exhale, feeling at one with the powerful energy that runs through us all.
Written by Jane Sandwood
