Crystals gain popularity among students

The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.

by Blaise Runyon

News Editor

Bradley students visit and support Accent on Nature (Photo by Lauren Dame).

As recently as this past year, more and more Bradley students have been collecting crystals. It has become something of a culture: friends going out together to shop for them, laying them out during full moons, and using them to balance their energy. The Jaguar Times set out to investigate the hobby. Originally, it seemed that the practice of using crystals would be a short-lived trend among teenagers, but Columbus has seen quite a few shops dedicated to these spiritual tools growing exponentially.

A few local shops were kind enough to offer insight into their business. Rock Candy Healing Stones is a store on High Street, and they “have seen the increase [of business] naturally happening over the last 7 years… However, opening the larger shop [on High St.] has definitely allowed [them] to welcome more people.” After operating as a booth since 2016, starting at the Columbus Flea and then visiting surrounding states, the new storefront opened in 2019. According to Rock Candy, as they grew physically, took feedback, and added more variety, they saw a steady increase in interest from customers. The “access to reliable internet has created a space for like-minded people to connect,” seems to be a considerable factor in the popularity of crystals recently at Rock Candy. This also means that students and young adults have been more consistently exposed to the methods, hence the culture that seems to be emerging in Bradley.

Pearls of Wisdom is another store that has just moved onto High St. and was able to provide some information about their view on the crystal culture. Their business has been in business for over 30 years, but they’ve seen an increase in business a couple years ago, and then again after COVID began. In their opinion, “people were looking for things to make them feel better during times of isolation,” and this led to a growing interest in crystals, books, and tarot. The store holds a great collection of various items which “provide information on the mystical aspects of all religions,” which is a resource many are seeking in recent hardships. Non-traditional forms of religion can be a comfort to many. Pearls of Wisdom has “also [seen] a lot of people that are just starting on the spiritual journey” recently.

History shows that crystals have been used since the Victorian era when the woman-with-a-crystal-ball image originated. Crystals picked up popularity in the 1920s and again in the 1970s. Now, as the world is once again changing and developing, the infatuation comes back. The one thing that the aforementioned time periods have in common is political turmoil and rebellion. “People are waking up, and in turn drawn to–and more accepting of–esoteric ideas,” in the opinion of Rock Candy. Now consumers have easy access to products that were at one point “novelty” (Rock Candy). Although these tools are available on Amazon and other large online retailers, it’s always best to support local businesses, which is becoming easier and more convenient as their customer base grows.

Crystals seem to always work in one of two ways: welcoming in the good or blocking out the bad. Josie Harshfield (12) adds that she’s “used crystals before, but didn’t think they were useful.” Whether it’s love, serenity, or confidence that is the focus of a certain crystal combination, it is always something that people have little control over. Josie Harshfield enjoys having a feeling of control over what happens is comforting and is likely a big factor in why these methods are favored by so many.

Many stores in Central Ohio specialize in crystals. (Photo via Google Maps)

Kaleigh Loughridge (12) offered that she “[uses] crystals because they help keep [her] mind grounded and calm [her] anxiety.” Although, Rock Candy offers that the average “age [of their customers] is hard to pinpoint… from young children to older adults… [they] see a lot of younger people from middle school, through high school and college.” Using things like crystals, tarot, and other tools is all about energy, and Rock Candy points out that it’s similar to people using yoga, working with a pendulum, or putting themselves into nature. All of these practices are just ways to get in touch with oneself and feel present and grounded.

Author’s note:

I want to thank Rock Candy and Pearls of Wisdom for contributing to this piece. These businesses were exceedingly pleasant to work with. I highly recommend visiting these local businesses and using them to shop for any of your related needs.

Rock Candy Healing Stones

Instagram: @rockcandy888

3343 N High St @ N Broadway

Columbus OH 43202

Pearls of Wisdom

5326 N. High St.

Columbus OH 43214