Why Crystals and Talisman Jewelry Are The Ultimate Post-Pandemic Treat

Carol Woolton began writing a book two years ago, called The New Stone Age, with the idea of documenting the historic role of crystals as change agents. She couldn’t have known how different the world would be when it was published in July 2020, during lock-down. 

"Call this recent period what you will, it’s caused a seismic shift in everyone’s day-to-day and now we are facing transformation in a variety of guises. From the altered rhythm of our daily routines, relationships and work lives to the significant issues of the public health crisis, economic collapse and confrontation of racist past, a period of reflection and change in terms of how we operate in the wider world, as well as attaining our own small private goals, is upon us," said Carol Woolton in a Vogue article I read while on a road trip in nature to recenter, recharge my own batteries. 

Often in moments of political or social change jewelry is used as a signal of community, comfort and solidarity, such as the poppy or scarlet-ribbon brooches during the Aids crisis.

With this in mind, I have been creating depression awareness jewelry to be worn as decorative sign of hope and supports change that comes from within.

"A love of jewelry, stones, history and re-evaluating the past bought us together; it represents everyone’s struggle for eternal salvation. I’ve spent years researching the ancient world’s belief in the redemptive and protective potency of crystals for my book. In times of trouble, stones – with their deeply reassuring sense of permanence – assume the power of amulets,' says Woolton.

Each stone fragment is a unique raw shape bursting through necklaces, bracelets and earrings, as if propelled by the earth’s upheaval. 

She was curious to learn more about crystals having written a Vogue story in 2018 called “Master Healers”. She was reacting to a general feeling of impermanence and to anxiety-inducing current events such as climate change, identities fractured by social media, political instability and a hyper-connected world fueled by constant communication, which can make life feel uncertain and overwhelming.

Charlotte Tilbury, who uses crystal daily, blames mobile phones. “That’s the reason we’re so busy ­– because none of us can shut off like we did before,” she insists. “Time is so sped up we need an antidote to calm down. The world has never needed more healing or to get in touch with nature more than now.” 

It’s reason enough, she argues in the book, for everyone from baby boomers to millennials and Gen Z to emulate the behavior of ancient cultures seeking sources of strength and comfort in crystals as a purposeful shield for daily life. “We’re so far into the digital age and discussions about our future with robots, that I think there is a backlash, and a desire to return to simplicity, ancient ritual and to rediscover the purest form of nature,” agrees Vogue’s Beauty & Lifestyle Director Jessica Diner, who keeps a colorful box of crystals on her desk. “They give me confidence and stillness that I love and they help with creative flow and ideas.” 

Elsewhere in The New Stone Age, she traces the history of the Stones of Light, as well as twelve other crystals and stones all categorized by color, assigning each one to particular issues thrown up by modern life – whether that’s self-doubt, identity, anxiety or guilt – and explaining how a simple crystal worn around your neck, tossed in your purse, or sitting next to your computer can help inspire positivity. Stones can be used to encourage reflection and the facing of challenges in a new way, helping to alter incentives and evaluations to improve outcomes. 

Many of us have complex back stories which shape our fears, but isolation has been a leveler in one sense: no one has been immune to feelings of anxiety.

I want Gogh jewelry Design to be a grounding and comforting identifier for these times. It’s likely that moving towards freedoms and returning to “normal” life will also be anxiety-inducing. All the more reason to invest in a set of soothing and stylish keepsakes to carry as new attitudes and outlooks beckon.