On a recent trip to Sedona, I decided to feign naiveté and enter a few shops in the guise of an open-minded seeker of knowledge. (Wait, I really do try to be that! Guise not needed!) I was prepared to have my worldview changed completely based on what I was told and what happened. I simply would keep my opinion to myself.

I have a friend who has a serious heart condition. It is as yet undiagnosed, and it causes considerable discomfort. Many of the shops in Sedona sell crystals which are supposed to solve health problems such as these, so I presented my case to the shop owners and asked for help. It went like this:

ME: Hello, can you help me? I have a friend who's suffering from a heart condition, and I'd like to see if crystals could help.

CRYSTAL MERCHANT: Oh yes, they're excellent for that. Crystals are very powerful, and don't have the side effects of pharmaceuticals.

ME: What should I buy?

CRYSTAL MERCHANT: Let me consult a book.

She pulled out a large tome called The Crystal Bible. I could see that it was simply a matter of looking up the word "heart" in the index. She took out a notepad and wrote down the names of twelve different crystals.

CRYSTAL MERCHANT: This one is for heart problems... this one is for.. um.. problems of the heart, yes. This one is for issues with the heart chakra. (pause) There are different approaches, but they won't interfere with each other so it's safe.

She sped around the large store, collecting specimens and putting them into a tray like a fine chocolatier. Every once in a while, she'd refer back to the book, and apologize for not having some rare gem or other.

ME: Wow, that's a lot of stones. So what do I do with them? Should I just give them to my friend?

CRYSTAL MERCHANT: The best thing to do is hang them in a pouch from her neck, so that it hangs close to her chest. (She pointed between her breasts.) The pouches are over there.

ME: Wow, lots of colors. What's the best color for healing the heart?

CRYSTAL MERCHANT: Green, definitely. Here, this is a good one.

She grabbed a pouch, which looked hastily sewn out of cheap-looking cloth and attempted to fit all the stones in. It was a considerable pile at this point, and even with her swapping samples for smaller specimens, she coudn't make them fit.

CRYSTAL MERCHANT: Well, what if you just replaced some stones each day?

ME: Will that be OK?

CRYSTAL MERCHANT: Oh yes, crystals are very forgiving. Their effects last a long time, so wearing one for even a day should have an effect even if they're removed.

ME: OK.

At this point, there was a considerable pile of stones on the counter, weighing as much as a pound. I imagined my friend complaining of neck straining from wearing this thing, but didn't mention it lest crystals for healing necks be added.

ME: So, how much do these cost?

I really didn't think much about cost yet. There were relatively small stones, semi-precious at best. How much could they be?

CRYSTAL MERCHANT: (using calculator) Looks like about $472. Oh, and $2.50 for the pouch.

You get a free pouch for a $10 pendant at most jewelers. Apparently the special green bag of +2 heart-healing demands more than charity will allow.

ME: Wow, that's a lot. The last cardiologist appointment was only $85. Do you think I could just get a few and trying them out?

CRYSTAL MERCHANT: Well sure, that is a lot. The more the better, of course, but you could start with a few and get more later.

I picked through the stones and picked a few of the cheapest ones and one expensive one. The total ended up being about $55. Before you chastise me for giving money to one of these stores, I consider this research. Yeah, she makes profit on what is probably woo woo, but I had to follow the process to see how it worked.

And I did. I took the bag of stones and gave them to my friend, who wore them just as directed. There was no noticeable immediate effect, but two days later something definitely changed: the condition got worse, with new symptoms. When the stones were removed, the condition remained worse.

Is this proof the stones were actually causing heart problems? Of course not. It's just correlation, and there's no reason to assume causation. And if I complained that the stones didn't work, it would be pointed out that I didn't actually buy all the recommended ones. There is no way to use the results in any useful way. However, if the heart improved, you can be sure crystal aficionados would be claiming success. Funny how it only works one way.

So what did I learn from this experience? Not a lot directly, but I did gather some new knowledge. Most interesting to me was that a person who runs a crystal store (they sold amber by the way, which is not a crystal) had to look in a book to find the right stones to treat a very common ailment. And having done so, she recommended EVERY ONE mentioned in the book. Some of the individual stones were as much as $70. There is clearly money to be made in rocks.

I was also surprised that no discount was offered, and that even the bag was charged for. Most small merchants will offer these things if a good customer (one that spends significant money) shows up. Crystal healers ostensibly try heal people and generate good karma in the world, but this store seemed much more dedicated to making money. I have no problem with that, by the way, but it needs to be pointed out.

Another interesting thing: there was a different feel to the New Age shops—a less friendly, more distrusting atmosphere. I went to five or six of these shops, and they all had the same sign: "You break it, you buy it." Not an uncommon sign, but I only saw them in the New Age stores, and never in the other gift shops that had similarly fragile merchandise. I looked. Sure, I'm a skeptic so maybe I was just uncomfortable in "enemy territory," but a thought occurred to me: could it be that fraudulent people are less trusting, and take precautions against strangers in the assumption that they're the same? Just speculation, but interesting.

So yes, I've tried crystals. They didn't do any good. Maybe I did it wrong, maybe not, but regardless, I sure wouldn't recommend them to anyone else. They are pretty though, and the bag of crystals is currently part of a "pirate treasure," so at least it wasn't a total waste. In the meantime, I'm hoping the cardiologists can help my friend.

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Bets please?
written by Noadi, September 28, 2009

How over priced do you think those crystals were compared to what you could get from a gem shop or jewelry supply? Well your friend has some pretty crystals if she ever wants to take up jewelry making as a hobby, wire wrapping is quite popular right now.

I'm also a bit taken aback by charging for the bag. I regularly give away bags when I sell my jewelry, I know of no one who would charge for one if someone made a purchase. If they're the type I think they are you can buy them wholesale for like $0.10 a piece.

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written by Steel Rat, September 28, 2009

Yeah, she makes profit on what is probably woo woo

Probably? PROBABLY??

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written by cozymoses, September 28, 2009

She's right... crystals don't have those pesky pharmaceutical side-effects. Like working.

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Sedona History
written by bkallee, September 28, 2009

In the late 40's a large house was built by the president of TWA just outside Sedona on a knoll. It is now part or Red Rock State Park. Sold to a wealthy lady in the early 50's who was into the "occult", it is believed this is where all the Bell Rock, earth vibrations, peace feeling karma and crystal nonsense came from her meetings. If your interested, I can send you the history. Visit the park on your next visit.

It's funny that as a native of Arizona I've told many people who live in Sedona the story of how all the mystic mumbo jumbo got started and they never want to hear it. The most I usually get in response is a "huh". By the way, when I was a kid it was a beautiful and charming place to visit. Now, like many from Arizona who've been here more than 40 years, we just drive through.

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written by Ruxias, September 28, 2009

"Apparently the special green bag of +2 heart-healing demands more than charity will allow."

I cracked up when I read that.

This was a good read and it really surprised me when I read that truly outrageous price. It upsets me to think that they can sell anything they want (rocks, practically) at any price and say it will help condition X without ever being held accountable for that claim. A while ago when I learned that products labeled "homeopathic" don't ever have to be tested before they are marketed to the public, essentially bypassing FDA approval. Of course, "true" homeopathic remedies are simply water, but in some instance products that have an effective amount of active ingredients use this label erroneously (perhaps to boost sales) and are also not required to undergo a blinded clinical test for safety and efficacy. This gigantic loophole needs to be fixed! If the purveyor of a product claims they can treat, cure, diagnose, or prevent a condition, they ought to be held to their word without exception.

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written by Mike, September 28, 2009

I used to work in a rock shop. We catered to the collector — mostly display-case specimens but rounded out with some carved spheres and Buddhas, things like that. We carried nice stuff at much more reasonable prices than what this place sounds like. But there was another side to the clientele, the crystal nut side. These folks (predominantly women, and I realize I'm making a generalization and it was by no means 100%, but I really believe Wicca in particular is marketing to a particular slice of the 40-something female demographic) each had a different definition for the stones. Ask 10 kooky customers, get 10 kooky answers on what Rose Quartz "does" for you.

We had a similar dictionary as well, and yes — it was just a matter of looking up "heart" in the index and then reading the entry with authority. Most people who came in who didn't have a predefined notion of what each stone did would ask "what's this one for?" and I was fond of saying things like "looks really nice on a shelf with some tasteful lighting, doesn't it?" If they pursued, I'd answer from the book because it usually meant a sale, but those cases always wound up being people who had picked a stone based on its lovely sparkle and just wanted confirmation that it wasn't the "stone that turned you into a wuss" or "bad luck" or some other nonsense that they didn't really believe. Had a customer really wanted to cure themselves or a loved one of a real problem, I'd have been forced to turn down that sale. It's just not worth the weight on my conscience.

Funny thing about the crystal nut crowd, they were the thieves. These folks would wander around waving their hand over the rocks and crystals, as if dowsing for the perfect one. When it was found, they'd insist the rock had "chosen them." And once the rock had chosen them, well there was just no un-choosing. Even if they found the price objectionable. They seriously felt that they were entitled to the pieces. Some never made it to the haggling phase from the dowsing state — as Mr. Randi could probably attest, waving your hand over a small object while wearing long sleeves can really make some crystal magic happen.

Long story short, crystal nonsense seems like one of the more transparent and obvious forms of woo that I've ever encountered.

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written by garyg, September 29, 2009

Doesn't Arizona have a law against practicing medicine without a license?

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@Mike
written by Crystal Meth, September 29, 2009

If they pursued, I'd answer from the book because it usually meant a sale, but those cases always wound up being people who had picked a stone based on its lovely sparkle and just wanted confirmation that it wasn't the "stone that turned you into a wuss" or "bad luck" or some other nonsense that they didn't really believe

Are there even such "bad" stones?

Might be fun to give someone as a present, under the pretense it has beneficial effects. Then, after a month, ask how it affected them; and then tell them it was actually a "bad stone", and ask them again

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written by shanek, September 29, 2009

I picked through the stones and picked a few of the cheapest ones and one expensive one. The total ended up being about $55. Before you chastise me for giving money to one of these stores, I consider this research. Yeah, she makes profit on what is probably woo woo, but I had to follow the process to see how it worked.

Actually, Jeff, maybe this is just the economist in me, but I felt better about what you were doing when I got to that point. Although I wouldn't think you would be doing anything immoral by not buying anything, I myself would have a problem with taking up the time of someone when I had no intention of buying anything. It's just too much like manipulation to me, like you're not playing fair by not letting them know you have no intention of buying. So although you didn't give her the ridiculous fortune she wanted, you at least gave her something for her time.

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written by beowulff, September 29, 2009

@Mike: Interesting, but I have to wonder: are there entries in those index books for stones that have bad effects? Do stones with bad effects even exist? And if so, would a New Age stone shop even carry them?

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Good News for Rock Collectors!
written by Rustylizard, September 29, 2009

According to an email I received from the Center for Inquiry, “senators Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), and Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland), along with support from the ranking member on the Senate health committee Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming), are sponsoring an amendment to the health care reform bill which would support funding for alternative medicine …”

Soon, if the health care bill passes, maybe you will be able to get your rocks for free, Jeff.

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written by CasaRojo, September 29, 2009

"Do stones with bad effects even exist?"

I think that any stone can have a bad effect depending upon where one puts them.

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That's the least they deserve!
written by kdv, September 29, 2009

@shanek:

Actually, Jeff, maybe this is just the economist in me, but I felt better about what you were doing when I got to that point. Although I wouldn't think you would be doing anything immoral by not buying anything, I myself would have a problem with taking up the time of someone when I had no intention of buying anything. It's just too much like manipulation to me, like you're not playing fair by not letting them know you have no intention of buying. So although you didn't give her the ridiculous fortune she wanted, you at least gave her something for her time.

I'd feel the same if it was a legitimate shop selling legitimate products at a reasonable price with honest advice. But for heaven's sake (sorry!). This was a nasty, deliberate con, design to extract as much money from the gullible as possible with claims for which the word 'dubious' is a vast understatement. I wish a hundred people would go in every day, take up all the seller's time, and not spend even one cent. Perhaps it could save a life, if it meant that some gullible person wasn't served that day, and consequently didn't stop taking their heart tablets because the crystal made them superfluous.

FWIW, my wife recently bought a bag of jewels similar to the one Jeff describes. No, not because she wants to heal anything. She has a friend who, as a hobby, strings them together to make a nice necklace. Looks quite pretty. The bag of stones cost about $A15, and no, she wasn't charged for the bag.

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written by LovleAnjel, September 29, 2009

I find something mildly confusing-- woo says that crystals have very real, specific effects on health. This often translates to cosmetics companies adding ground minerals to things-- there was a tourmaline craze a few years back, and last year I say a great deal of jars containing sapphire (actually probably emery). So... if this all is true, why don't these people buy the mineral makeups? They contain the same material, ground into a fine powder applied directly to the skin, so you think the effects would be greater (and cheaper). Plus, wouldn't the mineral makeup users be overall healthier?

Or it's all just a marketing scam.

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How did she know?
written by trawnajim, September 29, 2009

Jeff,

CRYSTAL MERCHANT: The best thing to do is hang them in a pouch from her neck,

You only refer to the person as "a friend". What made her assume the gender? Since real medicine has different methods for treatment according to gender, I wonder what the "Crystal Bible" says.

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written by shanek, September 29, 2009

kdv: Believe me, I understand, and I wouldn't call anyone who did that immoral. But for me, personally, two wrongs don't make a right, and I'd be very uncomfortable about doing that, just as I'd be extremely uncomfortable suppressing their freedom of speech to protect people from their misinformation.

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Ok, but...
written by kdv, September 29, 2009

@shanek

We agree on the principles, but we disagree on their application:

I wouldn't call anyone who did that immoral. But for me, personally, two wrongs don't make a right

Don't you think that's a bit self-contradictory? If there are "two wrongs", then you are calling the time-waster immoral. If the time-waster isn't immoral ( as I contend ) then there aren't two wrongs to consider. Or do you mean that "immoral" is very bad, and "wrong" is just a bit bad?

just as I'd be extremely uncomfortable suppressing their freedom of speech to protect people from their misinformation

Freedom of speech isn't being challenged here, although I know you're only drawing an analogy. If somebody told me the moon was made of green cheese, I might laugh, but I certainly wouldn't call for the removal of their right to say so. However if they started selling pieces of green cheese, seriously claiming it to have been retrieved from the moon's surface by Apollo astronauts ( and there are people out there who'd believe it ... Shirley Maclaine if nobody else ), I'd support their prosecution for fraud.

The woman in the shop wasn't expressing an opinion, she was trying to sell something on the basis of a claim with no basis other than uninformed opinion, whether genuinely held or not. ( I suspect she probably was genuine. The deliberate scammers usually protect themselves by prefixing their claims with "Many people believe..." ). If I tried to stop her by tying her up and gagging her, that would be using two wrongs to make a right. Likewise if anybody entering the shop had to sign an undertaking to buy something if they wanted to speak to her, and I made that undertaking then reneged, that would probably be wrong too. But if she makes an assumption that I will buy something, my not fulfilling that expectation isn't a wrong.

By going into the shop and asking her, Jeff was giving her the opportunity, however remote, to tell or show him something which would change his opinion. As she did not do so, I don't share your relief that Jeff gave her a sum of money which, while well short of what she wanted, was still money that could have been put to better use. Admittedly, Jeff has every right to spend his money however he likes, and it wasn't actual fraud either, because he gave her the money in the knowledge that the claims were almost certainly untrue. ( If I buy a piece of the "moon" cheese for a laugh, I can hardly claim later to have been defrauded ).

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Experiences with crystal users
written by Sajanas, September 29, 2009

Having collected minerals and gemstones since I was old enough to realize that dinosaur bones were intrinsically out of my price range, I've often ducked my head into crystal shops to see what they have, but it can never compare in price or quality to the sort of thing they have in a proper mineral store, or gem show.
I do however, have good friend who is a druid, and she enjoys accompanying me to the mineral shows that swing by my area. She selects her stones by handling each one individually, looking for one that gives her some sort of 'good vibe', which perhaps explains the "you break it, you bought it" signs. If you are going to deal primarily with the sort of customer who needs to personally hold every item of merchandise under consideration, it is best to let them know they shouldn't drop things.
She pays a hefty premium for her spirituality... I always tried to steer her away from buying objects form actual crystal magic people, since they are the biggest gougers. I once saw someone who had some quartz polished into a roughly crystal shape that she found very favorable and wanted to purchase, in spite of them costing over 100 dollars. For comparison, you could get a very nice, natural crystal 5 times their size for only 20. Most of it is just a rip off... at the gem shows I've been too, they have little piles of polished stones for 1/10th the price in a crystal shop.
As for my friend, it makes her happy. We have an understanding that she realizes that I don't think what she believes is at all real, and she doesn't spend much time talking to me about it.

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written by shanek, September 29, 2009

kdv: Well, for one, I don't force my morality on others. Second, I don't think it's wrong in the same way that oppressing free speech is wrong. I just find it a bit repugnant. You should at least go in with their being the slightest possibility that you could be convinced to buy something, which again is what Jeff did.

Again, the point I was making is that the last thing I think anyone should chastise Jeff (as he feared people would) for buying something from the woman after taking up her time. That was what I was getting at.

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Modern...
written by DrMatt, September 29, 2009

I've gotten a lot of crazed stares for pointing out that transistors are made of crystals.

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written by Michieux, September 29, 2009

Jeff Wagg wrote: "Yeah, she makes profit on what is probably woo woo, but I had to follow the process to see how it worked."

Why did you feel the need to qualify your statement by using the word "probably"? I mean, is there any doubt that this is rock-solid woo?

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She charged for the POUCH?!?
written by doctechnical, September 29, 2009

Wow, I've gotten a pouch free just for buying $20 or so worth of dice from a gaming store.

Oh well, there's a seeker born every minute.

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Yes, MAYBE
written by JeffWagg, September 29, 2009

Maybe is correct. The purpose of this exercise was to go through the process, and that means I have to hold out a slim chance that it's real. That's what separates skeptics from dogmatists.

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Explanation?
written by NoisyAstronomer, September 29, 2009

I would have been really curious to hear her explanation on how the crystals actually worked. Surely, there is some hypothesis, no matter how far-fetched.

@shanek: Is this how you feel about "woo" stores in general or a salesperson of any type? If I go into a store out of curiosity, and ask the shopkeeper about the merchandise, then leave without buying, is that immoral? As long as the curiosity is genuine, I don't see why I'd be obligated to spend money.

(I say this as someone who tends to be a pushover for buying something just because I took the salesperson's time, and I want to break that habit! Makes shopping less fun.)

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Speaking as the former owner of a New Age Store
written by inquisitiveraven, September 29, 2009

All I can say is "Wow!"

We didn't charge that much for stones. In fact we, took a fairly standard markup over wholesale, and did offer the pouches for free. Of course, our pouches had the name of the store hot stamped on them... We did have some pouches that we wouldn't hand out for free, but those were on consignment, and we really couldn't rip off our supplier. And no, none of the stones available for sale had bad effects according to the books, although we concluded the lithium quartz was only good for a limited clientele. Oh, and the Love is in the Earth series of mineral guides is just horrible. All fluffy and light, and unfunny humor, and very few pictures of the stones.

Anyway, AFAICT, my business partner at the time bought into the woo, lock, stock, and barrel (or is that bell, book, and candle? ) I, OTOH, started out, at least somewhat credulous, but eventually realized just how much nothing was in the descriptions of what stuff did. Also, you wouldn't believe the cheap trinkets that were sold as "Feng Shui" cures. Even at triple mark up they were cheap, and I really didn't feel comfortable selling them.

BTW, I still have a lot of inventory from when the store closed, including lots of mineral samples. Anyone who is interested in buying some, purely from a collector' POV of course, is welcome to contact me via PM on the JREF forums. My username is Inquisitive Raven. If you're in the Philadelphia area and think you can help me identify some of these stones, even better. I don't know what a lot of them are, and if you can help me, I'd be willing to trade information for stones. Of the ones I do have identifications on, I've got some nice chunks of pyrite, the inevitable quartz, including colored variations like amethyst and citrine, amber, and jet.

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written by stacyhead, September 29, 2009

Jeff,
Next time, send me $55, i'll tell you the crystals don't work, then I can help your friend find a cardiologist
(nurses have connections)

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written by Slaughter, September 29, 2009

BUT, Jeff, did you get to do any hiking or drive to the scenic overlook on Schnebly Hill Road? I hope you weren't there when the flood hit Tlaquepaque. Flash flood that actually floated some cars. I just took my cousin from Italy to Sedona after a Canyon trip in July.

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written by Steel Rat, September 29, 2009

Wow, I've gotten a pouch free just for buying $20 or so worth of dice from a gaming store.

Free. When you paid $20. Hmm...

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written by Steel Rat, September 29, 2009

Maybe is correct. The purpose of this exercise was to go through the process, and that means I have to hold out a slim chance that it's real. That's what separates skeptics from dogmatists.

So, would you say that maybe Puff the Magic Dragon exists? Sorry, you don't need to say maybe to remain a skeptic. You have to say "show me, give me evidence, then maybe..."

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I must say though...
written by UglyLikeMe, September 29, 2009

Casual in nature as your research into crystals were, unfortunately under the circumstances it was a poor experiment. I don't blame you for not buying almost $500 in tiny rocks, however to properly observe the claimed effects of any sort of product, one should follow instructions given by the 'experts' of said claim. Granted, the shopkeep was more than happy to have you walk away with what you did buy (As I'm sure most of these shopkeeps are even amazed when people buy their garden rocks) and her level of 'expertise' was certainly debatable at best with her constant reference to the 'Crystal Bible', however, one cannot be sure unless instructions are followed appropriately. After all, Chemistry would not be a science if the parts of the whole generated the same, desired, effect.

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written by Phd.Hyper D, September 29, 2009

Awww cmon,Most folks will believe anything and those stone sellers are not even conscious enough to sort the place out,so how could they be slick willies,I have been to many of those places and they really do remind me of the hippies of the sixties,and you all seem to have one heck of a conversation about efficacy of an old piece of ewarth.
My ,my even your soul shell is a salt,grown,by the way and like our poster here who exclaimed a crystal transistor,that soul shell has capacity for sector memory.Its the size of the head of a pin for most and has EVERY BIT OF YOUR PROCESSOR WITHIN IT, and runs on the aether,and for you non HD physics dudes or dudettes out there,it runs at 44.6 MHZ.
Please send someone actually smart to to see Mr. Randi,methinks he needs a tad of Physics lessons,cuz from my reading so far,his theatrics are on par with the crystal sales crew,And thats not an attack,because his office and house has not had all of its glass break and his electronics malfunction, YET.
You folks went for the global warming junk science grab,please get some real clues and help us debunk that also,as there is alot of "BAD ASTRONOMY" out there who know nothing about the universe,and the a--h--- are sucking you fools dry and you go for that whilst worrying about parlor tricks. MY,MY.

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written by patrick767, September 30, 2009

I just returned from a vacation in the Rockies where I bought a lovely little stone sphere (mahogony obsidian) from a rock shop in Estes Park. The store was aimed mainly at collectors along with tourists like me who wanted something shiny, but even they had a small section devoted to the crystal woo. I suppose it's just business. If you want a bag of shiny stones though, I'd suggest their assorted tumbled gemstones that I believe went for $5 a bag. You can pick out what you want from the bin. I just want their 2 foot diameter obsidian sphere for $5500. That thing was awesome.

@Crystal Meth

Might be fun to give someone as a present, under the pretense it has beneficial effects. Then, after a month, ask how it affected them; and then tell them it was actually a "bad stone", and ask them again

Well as long as they're accepting assorted semiprecious stones and not just crystals, I recommend the petrified dino doo. :p Every rock shop will have it.

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written by Skeptigirl, September 30, 2009

Woohoo, all my thrift store crystal buys have apparently greatly appreciated in value. Now if I could only suppress my conscience, I could advertise them on Ebay as magical, lucky, haunted (always a good one for driving up Ebay prices), and sure to bring the new owner good health.

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I agree with UglyLikeMe
written by Stanfr, October 01, 2009

The most interesting thing about this story to me is not the cute woo story, but the botched experiment. I want to know more, like, is your "friend" a believer in woo? Obviously this wasn't meant to be a scientific study, but you did use the "experiment" to "justify" your guise at the shop. At the very least, your friend would have to be undecided or open-minded about the affect of the stones. If he/she were strongly of the opinion that the stones wouldn't work, there would be a strong psychological reason for them not to work--or in this case, an actual nocebo effect. If the person had gotten dramatically better (even if coincidental) your story would not have had the same impact! Incidentally, when I hear "yet undiagnosed" alarms go off. While this certainly could be a serious physical problem, it is also possible that it could be a psychosomatic one! The mind-body relationship is woefully misunderstood and absent from medical school training; it's a cutting edge field and we are only now starting to scratch the surface on how the psyche affects one's health and vice versa. The heart is completely controlled by the brain, after all. If the condition is psychosomatic, then the crystals could have either a positive or negative affect (as placebo) on the wearer, depending on their expectations! Very suspicious, if you ask me.

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In defense of crystals
written by fyngyrz, October 01, 2009

While in no way advocating or otherwise supporting any possible variety of woo woo, I want to say that crystals have one thing in abundance that is often difficult to find: Beauty.

I would like to invite all of you to visit my decidedly non-woo-woo crystal group on flickr, and experience the beauty therein:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/xtals/pool/

Won't heal a darned thing, but they might just cause you to squirt out an endorphin or two.

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Birth control crystal
written by Blondin, October 02, 2009

I've heard of a stone or crystal that really does work for men's birth control... you put it in your shoe and it makes you limp.

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Don't waste a thief's time
written by K. Söse, October 03, 2009

I response to shenek


"written by shanek, September 29, 2009
Actually, Jeff, maybe this is just the economist in me, but I felt better about what you were doing when I got to that point. Although I wouldn't think you would be doing anything immoral by not buying anything, I myself would have a problem with taking up the time of someone when I had no intention of buying anything. It's just too much like manipulation to me, like you're not playing fair by not letting them know you have no intention of buying. So although you didn't give her the ridiculous fortune she wanted, you at least gave her something for her time."

When a criminal asks for my wallet, I give it to them. I don't want them to waste the time it takes to pull the trigger.

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written by UglyLikeMe, October 03, 2009

^^^

That made no sense whatsoever, I'm guessing you were equating woo-woos to thieves/criminals? But you'll give them money if they ask?

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Missing Gems
written by GeorgeP, October 05, 2009

"Every once in a while, she'd refer back to the book, and apologize for not having some rare gem or other."

You think that was an accident? That way when you come back and complain the magic rocks didn't cure heart disease, she can just say it's because that one rare gem was missing.

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written by Mike, October 05, 2009

@Crystal Meth and beowulff

No, the books really do not have "bad" stones in them. The worst is that some stones are "inappropriate" for certain situations — i.e., Rose quartz, which aids you in love (wonder how they came up with that, as it's pink) wouldn't help you to gain money or open up your throat chakra. Or something like that. But the casual, curious rock-seeker who doesn't really have a belief in this stuff doesn't understand that the crystal-heads live in a magical la-la land where nothing from the Earth could be harmful. Someone should tell those folks about lava. And wolverines.

And yes, a well-placed rock is a very dangerous thing

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written by crackerjack5, October 15, 2009

My friend had a very large clear stone that she wore on a chain next to her heart. It was clear when she bought it, but they said it would turn brown as it sucked up her "bad energy." Well, it did turn brown after a few months, and she was totally bought on the whole "crystal thing." Sad. Does anyone know what kind of stone that was, and why it would turn brown?

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@crackerjack5
written by CasaRojo, October 15, 2009

Stones are 'treated' for various reasons via heat, chemical ect. You may want to Google 'treated stone coloration over time' or the like.

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written by Mike, October 15, 2009

Does anyone know what kind of stone that was, and why it would turn brown?

We used to wash stones in muriatic acid. That tended to keep them from discoloring, so my assumption — though I'm not an expert — is that external "junk" on the crystals (other minerals... essentially, dirt) is actually what becomes discolored over time. Most crystals are pretty high on the hardness scale (quartz is 7, sapphire/ruby a 9) and wouldn't noticeably discolor or wear down just from hanging around a neck.

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written by MacheteSquadSteve, October 28, 2009

I like how you said "this store seemed much more dedicated to making money. I have no problem with that, by the way"

Too often do I read or hear about a charlatan and curse under my breath about how amoral they seem, but after a more than cursory glance I realize that I have no problem with taking money from stupid people. If anything I respect and envy their cunning. My emotions often get the best of me, but there is nothing wrong with a good con, unless you are the one being conned :p

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newshopstyle
written by newshopstyle, November 02, 2009

This versatile styling tool has an ergonomic design and curved edge plates to create any style from straight to curly and everything in between. With a flash heating element and fixed temperature setting, the power to create the style of your dreams is your hands.
GHD
GHD IV Styler

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