Image 1: The beaded bracelet

I decided to write about a bracelet I received from my nurse right before I had surgery. I didn’t know her too well, we had only met once prior when I had gone to the hospital for pre-surgical testing. Maybe she saw how fidgety and nervous I was about a simple blood test, and figured I needed some sort of grounding before walking into a major operation. The bracelet came in a navy blue gift box, and a piece of cyan paper that identifies the different crystals on the bracelet, and what their purposes are. According to the paper, this bracelet is meant to improve balance and release positive energy.

Image 2: The paper listing the different crystals on the bracelet

At a glance, the bracelet consists of 24 beads on a pearly white elastic thread, and in the middle, there is a metal charm. The bracelet is 2.5 inches in diameter when relaxed, fits in the palm of your hand, and can stretch a considerable amount to account for different wrist sizes (I’ve never tested its true limits, as I have tiny wrists).

The beads on the bracelet are perfect spheres, and click softly against each other when it is worn. there are six different types of crystals on the bracelet: clear quartz, amethyst (purple), peach aventurine, carnelian (orange), goldstone, and rhodonite (pink). The beads come in pairs, and there are two pairs of each crystal on the bracelet. The beads are arranged in a way so that each pair of the same beads is located on the opposite side of the bracelet from one another. Through the clear quartz beads, you can see the string that keeps them all together. Some of the crystals (like the carnelian and goldstone) are more opaque than the others, and the goldstone specifically has a glitter-like shimmer. Not all of the crystals look the same, one of the rhodonite stones is darker than the others. An indicator that the crystals on this bracelet are real is that the bracelet is always cool to the touch before I put it on. Perhaps that is what makes it good for releasing tension and grounding the wearer, the coolness against the skin is a constant reminder of the crystals’ presence.

Between a pair of clear quartz beads and pair of peach aventurine beads is a small charm made of a dark grey metal. It’s cool to the touch, but not as cool as the beads of the bracelet. There are two parts to the charm: the part that sits next to the beads on the bracelet, and the disk that dangles below it. The part that wraps around the bracelet has a pattern of small bumps and smooth lines, with a line of larger bumps in the center. under it is a small ring where a thin jump ring connects it to the small disk that hangs off of the bracelet. On both sides of the disk, there is a small engraving of a tree trunk with six curvy branches, surrounded by abstract swirls meant to represent leaves. the trunk and branches are carved a bit deeper than the leaves, but both are deep enough that it’s noticeable when you run your thumb over it. It makes itself known by clicking against the beads above it with even the slightest of movements.

Image 3: A close-up of the metal charm

While this may not be the most-worn accessory I own, I know I will always have it when I am in need of physical or mental grounding. If it was with me at the scariest time of my life, I know it will stay a part of me for times to come.