Whether sunken into water bottles, strung onto chains or displayed on tables — interest in crystals and their healing potential is growing in the world of alternative medicine. Depending on how you use them, believers say the colorful shards of mineral deposits can drastically change your life. Amethyst, for example, is thought to eliminate addiction and improve intuition. Clear quartz, on the other hand, is believed to boost self-love and enhance immunity.
But these are grand powers attributed to rocks. If that's not enough of a warning sign, there’s also a curious lack of negative side effects whenever supporters discuss using crystals, says Christopher French, a psychologist at Goldsmiths, University of London. These are red flags that hint at what many people might already know: There's no scientific evidence that crystals can accomplish any of these claims. But since quartz sales are booming in the pandemic, it might be worth unpacking their healing appeal.
