Not long ago, the only people I knew who believed in healing crystals were art therapists and quirky lesbian aunts. In recent years, however, that has changed. Now I am surrounded by people who think that applying crystals on or about one’s chakras has mystical healing properties. I’ll sneeze on the bus, and some well-meaning stranger will urge me to pick up ametrine, a type of quartz that supposedly cures colds. I find this supremely aggravating. Why are so many people willing to suspend hard science and common sense for crystals?
Despite my annoyance, crystals are trending—or at least it feels that way when I scroll through Instagram. It’s an endless train of people posting photos of amethyst collections and quartz tattoos. There’s no hard data on the number of crystals sold annually in the United States, but one Etsy merchandiser told Refinery29 last year that crystals have been a “mounting trend” for the past decade. Today, Etsy has nearly 200,000 items marked “healing crystals” for sale, from pendants and bracelets to dream catchers promising to harness crystal energy while you sleep.
