Every year around this time we get email from people who received jewelry for Christmas gifts that contain crystals or other gemstones and they’re worried about the superstitious uses of these stones. Is it safe to wear this jewelry? Should we give these gifts back?

There is no reason to give back this jewelry or refrain from wearing it. Crystals and other stones are part of God’s creation and are not evil! We have a right to wear these lovely objects in tribute to our Creator and the thoughtful person who gifted them to us without regard to the New Age movement which is wholly responsible for giving these stones such a bad name.

The New Age has affixed a variety of specious claims to just about every kind of stone found on earth; and by marketing the belief that stone coasters can do everything from heal to attract prosperity, crystals have become one of the New Age’s most lucrative markets, estimated at being worth close to a billion dollars a year in the U.S.

Sadly, it’s been an easy sell to a market full of folks who are spiritually starved for anything that might relieve the stress of living under the rule of a universal energy force rather than under the divine tutelage of a personal God who can actually help them (i.e., Jesus Christ). So they buy topaz, not because it’s a beautiful light blue stone but because it’s a carrier of “male energy” that they believe will strengthen them. Turquoise is not just a vibrant color choice – its supposedly riddled with feminine energy that relieves tension. The fabulous labradordite with its various iridescent colors is a great choice because it can match just about any outfit; but in New Age circles, this stone is used to expand spiritual awareness and serves as a bridge between heaven and earth.

While the above involves the superstitious use of crystals and gemstones as a type of talisman or “good luck” charm, they are also widely used for “natural” healing. This use borrows heavily from Asian cultures which believe in universal life force energy centers or channels in the body known as chakras or meridians. Depending on the complaint, certain stones are placed on these areas to effect healing. For example, amethyst is thought to be beneficial to the intestines and green aventurine helps the heart.

Although there is no scientific support for any of these uses, this doesn’t meanit's safe to use crystals for healing. As this article warns, by resorting to this kind of “natural” medicine, you are putting your health into the hands of someone who is not knowledgeable about the human body:

“Crystal healers become healers by passing a certification course, often offered over the Internet from "natural medicine" universities or clinics, many of which are not accredited by any central organization. Currently, there are no state or federal laws that regulate or standardize the practice of crystal healing or the licensing of crystal healers specifically.”

If crystal therapy is used to treat anything life threatening or contagious in the place of conventional tested methods, it could be dangerous to both the health of the individual and the community.

Using crystals in this way can also be very dangerous spiritually. As this riveting testimony asserts, exposure to occult practitioners who are prevalent in this field can cause a person to experience extreme spiritual distress after undergoing this practice.

Even though we can certainly wear these stones in our jewelry without any of the above intentions, it’s important to check out the place where the jewelry was made because many of these companies like to put "blessings" on their products. This article explains more.

Remember, the stones themselves have no power; they are merely beautiful stones. It is only when they are used with superstitious purposes that they can become problematic for Christians.

Shame on the New Agefor giving crystals such a bad name!

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