Crystal clear: More turn to crystals to help deal with pandemic stress

When it comes to seeking calm amid a pandemic storm, more Singaporeans are crystal clear on where to go.

Since starting Instagram store @goddessgems.sg selling raw crystals in November 2019, Ms Glynis Xie has expanded into a secondary business, @kalon.sg, which sells crystal jewellery.

She told The New Paper: "My customers wanted a product to take around with them all the time."

Ms Xie, 28, launched her online shop after discovering reiki, a form of energetic healing that can incorporate the use of crystals.

When the circuit breaker hit last year, she noticed a 30 per cent increase in sales despite a reduction in promotional work.

"There was a steady increase in followers despite my inactivity and three in 10 customers were also first-time buyers," she said.

"Many people struggled during the circuit breaker, and my customers were seeking solutions for their anxieties and wanted crystals that could help their relationship or career."

Ms Amanda Lee is the owner of online store Glace Crystals, launched last year. She said half of her customers started buying from her store when the circuit breaker started.

She has seen a surge in sales in the last three months, attributing it to an increasing focus on mindfulness and meditation among younger people, as some believe the gemstones promote the flow of good energy.

Calming properties

Ms Lee, 25, told TNP: "The trend has been sped up by the pandemic as customers are interested in the soothing and calming properties of crystals."

The trend has prompted sellers such as Ms Amanda Yap, a 23-year-old from website Crystalliac, to showcase products sorted according to their specific healing abilities for the mind, body and soul.

The buyers are mainly women aged between 20 and 40.

The crystals vary greatly in price depending on size, grade and locality in which the stones are mined, going from as low as $5 to thousands for rare collector's pieces.

On average, a palm-size crystal retails between $30 and $150.

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Stay-home measures have also prompted some people to buy crystals for their home office or study area.

Undergraduate Rae Ng, 19, always has a piece of amethyst and fluorite with her whenever she goes out.

She said: "Being at home more often now, I would like the environment to be as positive and conducive as possible, so I place a clear quartz near my workspace to focus better."

Some believe crystals also give spiritual protection.

Student Jovelle Teo, 16, collects crystals and has also started selling them on her Instagram store @sglocalwitch.

She said: "I get crystals such as black tourmaline or rose quartz for my friends and family to protect them during the pandemic."

While she acknowledges that believing in the metaphysical properties of crystals may be difficult for some, it is important to respect such ancient beliefs.

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