When browsing healing gemstone jewelry, you may be wondering whether it's considered fine or costume jewelry. But to get to that answer, you must know what defines each type of jewelry. Here is how to tell if gemstone jewelry is fine or costume.

What Is Costume Jewelry?

Costume jewelry refers to any type of jewelry that is made of cheaper, often lower quality materials. This usually refers to jewelry made from acrylic and other plastic beads, plated metals, simulated or fake gemstones, and other lower budget materials.

What Is Fine Jewelry?

Fine jewelry is generally made from genuine metals, gemstones and other precious or semi-precious materials. This could be genuine gold or silver and any type of natural crystals or gemstones (quartz, marble, kyanite, sapphire, diamond, amethyst, and so on).

Is My Healing Gemstone Jewelry Costume Jewelry or Fine Jewelry?

Consider the materials of each individual piece of jewelry when you determine whether it's costume jewelry. If the jewelry piece is made up of all or mostly precious or semi-precious gemstones and few to zero cheaper materials, then by nature it is fine jewelry. However, if the piece is made up of mostly cheaper materials (like plastic or plated metal) and maybe just one to a few gemstones, it is most likely costume jewelry.

Gemstones in healing jewelry are usually precious or semi-precious. Look at the ratio of semi-precious or precious material compared to that of lower grade materials. In general, if the amount of higher-grade materials outweighs the lower grade ones, it is fine jewelry. However, if the lower grade materials are greater, then it might be costume jewelry. But it can get trickier here because some gemstones can be quite expensive and raise the value of the piece. Defining between costume and fine jewelry requires knowing the materials used and their value.

Why Choose Higher Quality Gemstone Jewelry Over A Cheaper Costume Style?

This can be a personal preference. But it can also be a matter of quality. Usually, fine or designer jewelry will be of higher quality. You can often recognize this in the price. If healing gemstone jewelry has a higher price than you expected, in many cases this is due to the cost of the quality materials used to make the item. The higher quality the materials are, combined with the expertise of the artisan, the more likely your piece is to last longer.

Costume jewelry can be a more affordable choice but you do often get what you pay for. Therefore, a lower price tag might mean it doesn't last as long. Both styles of jewelry have their place. But if you are looking for fine jewelry, many styles of healing gemstone jewelry do fit within that category. If you are trying to understand and compare materials, ask the seller if possible.

At our family store, Intent-sive Nature, we strive to create and sell only quality items and are open to all questions and feedback. Feel free to comment here, any of our social media accounts, or use our contact form.

1. Enhance Your Divine Energy

Some wear waist beads with specific gemstones and bead colors to help enhance their natural divine  energy. Charms and shells may also be used to make the waist beads even more powerful. Paying close attention to the materials used will help to enhance existing divine energy.

2. Weight Loss And Management

Historically, waist beads have also been used in weight loss, as well as management. The beads will move up or feel tighter if you are gaining weight, which can be inspiring toward weight loss actions. If the beads you wear are the newer, stretchy type, they may just stretch further but stay in the same place. When you lose weight, both types of waist beads will usually start to feel looser and move down lower on the belly. Wearing multiple waist beads may act as a corset and produce slimming results, especially when combined with specific crystals and gemstones.

3. Spiritual Protection

Protecting your own divine energy from various energies is a must. Many choose to wear waist beads for this purpose. The key to optimal protection is ensuring the beads are blessed and you've chosen ones with the correct materials for your specific intentions. Keeping the waist beads on can help to close off your energy from any malevolent (ill-intentioned) forces. 

6. Balancing Chakras

Inner healing is necessary to protect your soul. Balancing your chakras can help with this healing. It is also necessary for alignment and ascension. Choosing and wearing chakra waist beads can help with this process. Be sure to cleanse your waist beads regularly to keep them flowing with benevolent (good) energy.

7. Unique Style

Wearing waist beads that match your personality and style can also add to your overall aura and accent your wardrobe choices. The combination of extra aura energy and materials that flatter your specific mind, body, and soul gives you a unique style that is your very own and can't be matched with anyone.

8. Body Positivity

Going along with having your own your unique style, as well as weight management aspects, wearing waist beads can help with body positivity. Even if you aren't yet comfortable with your shape, looking at the beautiful jewelry can help you start feeling better about your midsection. Then, once weight management aspects start to set in and you get more used to looking at the area, your feelings about your body can start to change for the good.

Whether you choose to wear waist jewelry for the look or for health or body positivity reasons, as you can see there are so many benefits. You may start wearing waist beads for one reason and then gain all of those above and more.

We invite you to share in the comments all the reasons you choose to wear waist beads and what your personal experiences with them have been like.

Sandstone is often called the destiny stone, due to shamanic connections. It comes in a few natural hues. Blue sandstone has a unique cosmic look that can quickly elevate a jewelry piece - or even a soul on the ascension journey. Find out health benefits and spiritual reasons to add this beautiful blue stone to your collection.

Healing Benefits Of Sandstone

Blue sandstone is said to aid in healing cuts, wounds, and even broken bones. It has also been used to prevent and heal hair loss, help grow healthy nails, and aid in water retention issues. Rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul with this deep blue gemstone.

Using Sandstone For Mental Awareness

Those who have issues concentrating or focusing may find relief by wearing sandstone gemstone jewelry. Reminiscent of a galaxy, blue sandstone can help to stimulate the mind, enhance telepathic abilities, enhance focus, and even induce or enhance creativity.

Creation At Its Finest

Since creativity can be enhanced, in part due to increased mental focus, creative minds may enjoy making blue sandstone jewelry a must in their daily attire. Sandstone formation requires all major elements - earth, air, fire, and water. This makes it an expert at creation. It also clears the mind to make room for concentration and imagination.

Heighten Your Spiritual Journey

Historically, blue sandstone has been used by those on spiritual journeys. Because it can bring enlightenment and enhance divination skills, it has been used to enhance Shamanic and other spiritual experiences. Using blue sandstone during meditation can increase relaxation and focus, leading to more awareness. The energy of the cosmos is ever present in this alluring and balancing gemstone.

Properties Of Sandstone

Blue and other hues of sandstone can contain trace amounts of many different grains of sand. Clay, calcite, lime, silica, iron, quartz, feldspar, and hematite all may be present in sandstone, among other trace elements.

Some consider blue sandstone to be a necessary part of daily life, since it can be worn for its beauty, to go on a spiritual journey, or for the healing and health properties. Whichever benefits you choose this blue stone for, be prepared for it to be a dark horse in the gemstone world. While it is common, it is an often under-noticed gemstone, especially considering the many benefits to be had.

by Lyn Lomasi; Owner of Intent-sive Nature & Brand Shamans Content Community

When choosing and wearing your protection jewelry, it should be done with specific intentions in mind. There are certain procedures you may wish to follow and actions to take before wearing protection jewelry. Here are some of my best tips on cleansing protective crystal and gemstone jewelry.

Why Cleanse and Infuse Your Crystals and Gemstones Before Use

Before ever using or wearing your crystals and gemstones, it is important to cleanse them. This will take away any negative or unwanted energies that have touched the crystals or gemstones at any point. This also goes for your entire piece of jewelry. Objects can all take on energies from everyplace they’ve been. So, it’s a must that you cleanse your crystal and gemstone jewelry as soon as you receive it, as well as periodically to keep them at their best. Cleansing can also strengthen your crystals and gemstones and help them ward off more negative energy as you wear them. There are many methods for cleansing these pieces. Here are some of the simplest and most common methods I’ve used or seen in practice.

Cleanse Protection Jewelry with Sage Smudging

For this method, simply light the tip of one bunch of sage leaves inside a ceramic bowl and allow the smoke to surround your crystals and gemstones. This is called smudging. Try finding a place to do this where it’s well-ventilated and where the crystals or gemstones can be suspended above the dish enough to not be touched by the fire. This will remove all prior energies and refresh them for use. Some like to also include a meditation, prayer, chant, intent, or spell recited while the sage is burning to infuse the crystals and gemstones with a specific intent or usage.

Using Water to Cleanse Your Gemstone and Crystal Protection Jewelry

There are many methods for cleansing crystals using water. However, this can destroy certain crystals and gemstones. So, I generally don’t recommend this unless you know that the crystal you’re using can withstand it. Water is a natural cleanser, so if you use this method, simply place the crystals in water and gently rub them. Again, only do this with those you know are safe to place in water.

White Light Cleansing for Crystals and Gemstones in Protection Jewelry

If you are able to create white light, this is one of the best methods to cleanse crystals. It is also my personal favorite. It is very similar to prayer. To create white light, simply close your eyes and request of the universe (or whom you believe to be the creator) to create white light. Then, envision this light filling your entire body. Keep this energy with you and open your eyes, sweeping your hands in the proper direction to guide the white light toward the object that needs cleansing - in this case, your gemstone and crystal jewelry. As you do this, ask the universe (or your creator) to transform any negative energies within the gemstone and crystal jewelry into positive energy.  

Moonlight Cleansing for Protection Crystals and Gemstones

Using the energies from the full moon is my other favorite method for cleansing crystals and gemstones. All of mine get cleansed under a full moon before ever using them to create protection jewelry for myself or for the Intent-sive Nature shop. To do this, simply place the crystals, gemstones, or wearables on a flat container, such as a ceramic altar (which can also be charged and cleansed by the moon). Put them outside where the moonlight will shine directly on them. Leave them under the moonlight as long as possible. This can be done under any moon cycle, but the full moon is the strongest. Moonlight can both charge and cleanse the crystals and gemstones at the same time. This means it helps make them stronger, restores their original powers, as well as strips them of negative energies.

by Lyn Lomasi; Owner of Intent-sive Nature & Brand Shamans Content Community

Choosing and wearing rose quartz crystal jewelry for color meanings relies on intent. Every color has traditional meanings, but also may hold special meanings to the wearer. Below are traditional meanings and reasons some may choose to wear rose quartz crystals for healing, protection, and other purposes.

Crystal color meanings are derived from a variety of cultures and religions, including Christian, Pagan, Native American tribes, various cultures from India, and many other cultures and religions from all over the word, including non-religious people.

One thing that stands out in research over the years is that healing crystal color meanings tend to be the same or similar, regardless of country, culture, or religion. This makes sense since these crystals are a naturally occurring substance and therefore derive their energies and properties from nature.

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Why Wear White or Clear Rose Quartz Crystal Healing Jewelry?

White or clear crystals are often worn in healing necklaces and other jewelry for protection from evil or bad fortune. These rose quartz crystals can also symbolize purity, freedom, and innocence. These are great crystals to include in your daily wear fashion accessories. Learn more about these crystals in "White Crystal Meanings and Why to Wear White Crystals". 

Using Pink Rose Quartz Crystals in Everyday Wear

Many choose to wear  pink rose quartz  crystal jewelry for a calming effect. Pink crystals are also associated with peace and tranquility. It is also said that wearing pink rose quartz crystals can aid in the protection of children. Many pregnant women swear by wearing one constantly during pregnancy to protect the unborn.

Wearing Red Rose Quartz Crystals

Many cultures consider red a color of passion. Red rose quartz crystals are often used in healing jewelry when a person is seeking romance, dedication, devotion, and courage. Other reasons a person may choose to wear red crystal jewelry include resolving differences or conflicts, to gain independence, as well as to increase fertility.

Yellow Rose Quartz Crystals in Healing Jewelry

Many wear yellow healing crystals for the positive energy contained within. These crystals are said to help with being optimistic and alert, being a crystal that helps with brain power and positive energy. These crystals are often used when a person needs more energy and power to complete tasks.

How to Use Green Rose Quartz Crystals

Many associate the color green or dark green with money, wealth, and good luck. This is no different when it comes to wearing healing crystals. Green rose quartz crystal jewelry is also worn for renewal. This is a good crystal to choose for a good cleanse and refreshing of life or circumstances. These crystals can also be used in wearable money or abundance satchels and spells. Light green crystals hold the same meanings as the traditional or darker green colors. However, the lighter greens are also commonly used to aid in productivity, leading to success. These lighter green crystal shades are also used to help in healing from sicknesses.

Purple Rose Quartz Crystals for Healing Purposes

Choosing and wearing purple healing crystals is often associated with royalty. Purple rose quartz healing crystals are also used magic, psychic energy, and being intuitive. Many wear them when they need insight into a specific situation, in which they cannot find the answer themselves. They are also used to strengthen other crystals because of the magic energy. These can also help to soothe nightmares.

Indigo and Other Blue Rose Quartz Healing Crystals

Indigo crystal color meanings generally revolve around protection, while other blue tones can symbolize calmness. Indigo crystals are good to wear for both physical and spiritual wealth. Lighter blues, as well as traditional blue are often used to create a soothing environment and help avoid stress.

Silver Rose Quartz Crystal Meanings

Silver rose quartz crystals are often worn in healing jewelry when  person is seeking inner purpose. These have also been used when looking for truth, as well as in night magic. Silver crystals can be worn at all times. However, silver quartz is a good crystal to wear during night time activities, since it is even stronger during this time.

Orange Aura Rose Quartz Crystal Usage in Jewelry

Wear orange aura rose quartz crystals when seeking something from within. These crystals are most often used for renewal, inner energy, whole body psychic cleansing, insight, meditation, psychic guidance, spiritual guidance and awakening, as well as intuition. This is a good crystal to wear in daily jewelry when seeking solutions and answers.

Using Rainbow Rose Quartz Crystals for Wearable Healing

Oftentimes, those who have lost hope or just need more faith toward a specific outcome will choose rainbow quartz crystal jewelry. The rainbow rose quartz can not only aid in that area but is also good for balance as well as emotional and psychic healing. Wear rainbow quartz to keep faith and hope in mind all the time.

(*Crystal and magic interpretations are for informational purposes only. Please do your own research. Individual results, beliefs, and spell usage may vary. We are not responsible for your use, misuse, or interpretations of any magic-related info or products. Be safe and be wise.