I am a funny mix of being very skeptical of woo-woo ideas and simultaneously open to trying anything. This tension was very apparent for me when I started using more gemstones

There’s a whole world explaining the meaning and healing attributes of all kinds of gems and minerals. I used to work for a company that would sell gemstone malas and advertise the healing benefits, like less fear or more love in one’s life. And sometimes I would feel bad about working there, because the scientific part of my brain would shout “This has not been medically proven! Where are the studies!?”

My views on the healing power of stones changed recently though when I started seeing an acupuncturist who uses stones as part of the therapy. She will lay them on your hands and heart and belly and tell you an affirmation to consider while you wait for the needles to do their work. I love having the extra weight of the stones on me, like a comforting hand. She also gave me homework a few weeks ago to go find some lepidolite specimens to keep in my pocket for reducing anxiety. This assignment to carry around a rock in my pocket was wonderful! I realized through these experiences that it almost doesn’t matter to me if I believe in stone medicine or not, because I get so much out of using the rocks as reminders of a state of mind I’d like to cultivate.

I think this can be equally true if the stones are set into jewelry. I made a lovely eye pendant paired with an iolite stone, which is reported to be good for intuition. Whether I’m affected by the stone’s energy or not, I’m definitely affected by wearing a piece of art that invites me to consider my intuitive side every time I look at it. Now both my woo woo side and my skeptical side are happy