China’s youth embrace the mystical power of crystals
As a way of coping with life’s difficulties and stressors, China’s youths are turning to an unusual source of comfort — crystals. What benefits do these precious stones have for youths and what is their appeal? Lianhe Zaobao Shenzhen correspondent Daryl Lim finds out more.
22-year-old Zhang Ying, a livestream seller from Shenzhen, started feeling anxious and lost recently when her sales volume fell. To turn her luck around, she bought a citrine bracelet in mid-January and hoped that it would help her prosper.
Zhang told Lianhe Zaobao that it was the fourth crystal accessory she had purchased within the last two months. She decided to try them out after seeing online that crystals can expel bad luck and bring good health, and bought a variety of crystal accessories in hopes of enjoying some good fortune.
She said, “I have a crystal necklace, bracelet, and even a handphone charm. Even though I don’t know whether they really work, I do feel more at ease after wearing them.”
... crystal sales are expected to surpass 3 billion RMB in 2024. Bracelets alone account for 36% of this figure, with sales increasing by 320% year-on-year.
A trend driven by celebrities and mysticism
In recent months, a growing number of post 00-s youths like Zhang have been enamoured of crystals. With the backing of mysticism, these colourful stones are imbued with symbolic meanings. For example, rose quartz is thought to attract romantic love, while amethyst wards off evil and citrine brings wealth. To these young people, crystals are more than just accessories — they are a form of emotional support and solace. Crystals are akin to wishing wells, carrying youths’ hopes and expectations for a better life.
Zhang told me that she became acquainted with crystals recently through Chinese celebrities who were peddling them on livestreams.
Last November, artiste Annie Yi launched a 6,999 RMB (US$960.73) premium crystal set on her livestream. On the same night, more than 380 sets were sold, bringing in sales exceeding 2.6 million RMB that astounded the livestreaming community. Following this, celebrities like Xu Yiyang and Yu Zheng also entered the fray, further fuelling the crystal craze.
According to e-commerce data from the Navigate (航海加) data query and analytics tool, crystal sales are expected to surpass 3 billion RMB in 2024. Bracelets alone account for 36% of this figure, with sales increasing by 320% year-on-year.
During such livestreams, the stars often use marketing speak that are largely similar and replete with mysticism. They usually start by sharing personal experiences and those of their customers. For example, a number of them would attract customers by leveraging occult concepts like “Nine Purple Li Fire year” (九紫离火年), “Five Elements”, and “Chakra” to advise on one’s fortunes and emotional well-being.
During our interview, Liu Qiaorong, a crystal wholesaler with two decades of experience, pointed out that crystals have always had a loyal niche following. However, the market has experienced an exceptional boom over the past three months, with business growing by more than 40%.
“Now that the economy is poor and workplace competition strong, almost everyone is hoping for wealth and to ward off villains instead.” — Liu Qiaorong, a crystal wholesaler
Beneficial properties, affordability, and versatility appeal to youths
Liu said that crystals are more cost-effective than gold jewellery. Not only can customers mix and match crystal beads of various colours and designs, they can also pair them with beads made from materials like gold, pearl, and jade to create unique accessories. This versatility appeals to youths’ desire for personalisation and unique designs.
She also told me that most crystal buyers are young women, who often research the attributes of different crystals on social media before choosing and buying the appropriate one based on their needs and desired fortunes.
Liu added, “In the past, they bought crystals mainly to improve their romantic prospects and relationships. Nowadays, many of them are more concerned about self-reliance. Now that the economy is poor and workplace competition strong, almost everyone is hoping for wealth and to ward off villains instead.”
A wide range of prices
The exorbitant prices of crystal bracelets — which can cost thousands to even tens of thousands of RMB — sold by celebrity livestreamers have sparked scepticism over the crystal craze. After all, crystals, unlike precious metals like gold, do not have a standard price and their prices can vary greatly. Moreover, the mystical beliefs they are associated are not backed up with scientific evidence.
During my interview with He Qian who started selling crystals two years ago, she told me that occult beliefs are similar to religious beliefs in that it is more advisable for one to believe in rather than dismiss them. She said many youths who feel helpless are willing to give anything that can change their fate a try.
In the last two months, He’s business has grown by 50%. She thinks that the rapid rise in popularity of crystals among younger consumers is mainly due to their wallet-friendly prices that allow buyers to stick to their budgets. She explained that crystals have a huge price range depending on weight, colour, and clarity; buyers will be able to find something suitable, from pricey, high-end crystals to budget ones.
She said, “Youths have limited spending power, so the cheaper crystals hit the sweet spot between decoration and functionality.”
Data from Navigate indicate that the best-selling crystal products are priced between 50 and 100 RMB, and account for a third of total market sales.
Can you ever have too many crystals?
20-year-old Lu, a Shenzhen resident, bought nearly ten crystal bracelets in the past two months. When interviewed, she mentioned that the crystal market is indeed complex and unfathomable, but as long as one isn’t too fixated on so-called “quality”, it’s easy to avoid getting too caught up.
She said, “We are just following the trend. Besides, each bracelet only costs tens of RMB and is not a huge expenditure.”
While some youths may derive emotional support from crystals, spending rationally is especially vital in such a volatile market. Lu cautioned that although many buy crystals to prosper, an overreliance on and blind faith in them can have the opposite effect if it turns into an obsession with buying all sorts of expensive crystals.
She joked, “The ability to spend rationally is what we really need… is there a crystal that can make me more rational?”
This article was originally published in Lianhe Zaobao as “明星带货玄学加持 水晶走红年轻群”.
