Researchers wanted to know if carrying an amethyst crystal could help people make better health choices after the holiday season. They gave 38 healthcare workers either a real amethyst or a fake one that looked identical and asked them to carry it for four weeks. They tracked things like eating habits, exercise, sleep, and overall health. The results were clear: the amethyst didn’t help people eat better, exercise more, sleep better, or feel healthier than the fake stone. This suggests that while amethyst crystals might feel meaningful to some people, they don’t actually change our bodies or health in measurable ways.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Can carrying an amethyst crystal improve your lifestyle habits (eating, exercise, sleep, alcohol use, smoking) and make you feel healthier after the holiday season?
  • Who participated: 38 healthcare workers at a hospital in Denmark who were already quite healthy. Most ate fruits and vegetables daily, didn’t smoke, exercised regularly, and drank alcohol in moderation.
  • Key finding: After four weeks, people carrying the amethyst showed no more improvement in their health habits or how they felt compared to people carrying a fake stone that looked identical. Even people who believed in crystals didn’t see any benefits.
  • What it means for you: If you’re thinking about buying an amethyst to help you get healthier, the science suggests it won’t actually change your habits or health. Real improvements come from your own choices about eating, exercise, and sleep—not from objects you carry. That said, if a crystal makes you feel motivated or happy, that feeling itself might be helpful.

The Research Details

This was a randomized controlled trial, which is one of the strongest ways to test whether something actually works. Here’s how it worked: researchers gave 38 healthcare workers either a real amethyst crystal or a fake stone that looked exactly the same. Neither the workers nor the researchers knew who got the real crystal and who got the fake one—this is called being “blinded” and it prevents people from unconsciously acting differently based on what they think they’re carrying. Everyone carried their stone in a sealed cloth bag for four weeks after the Christmas holidays. Before and after those four weeks, participants filled out questionnaires about their eating habits, exercise, sleep quality, alcohol use, smoking, and how healthy they felt overall. The researchers then compared the results between the two groups to see if the real amethyst made any difference.

This study design is important because it controls for the placebo effect—the tendency for people to feel better just because they believe something will help them, even if it doesn’t actually do anything. By comparing a real amethyst to a fake one that looks identical, researchers could tell if any improvements came from the actual crystal or just from people’s beliefs. This is the gold standard way to test alternative medicine claims.

This study has several strengths: it was randomized (meaning people were randomly assigned to groups, which prevents bias), it was double-blinded (neither participants nor researchers knew who had the real crystal), and it used a placebo control (a fake stone). However, the sample size was relatively small (38 people), and 18% of participants dropped out or lost their stones, which slightly weakens the results. The participants were also already very healthy, which meant there wasn’t much room for improvement.

What the Results Show

The main finding was straightforward: carrying an amethyst crystal for four weeks did not improve any of the lifestyle factors measured. People in both groups (real amethyst and fake stone) showed essentially the same results for diet, exercise, sleep, alcohol use, and smoking. Neither group reported feeling significantly healthier after the four weeks. This was true even for the 52% of participants who said they believed in alternative medicine—their belief didn’t make the amethyst work any better than the fake stone. The researchers found no statistical difference between the two groups in any of the health measures they tracked.

One interesting observation was that the study participants were already remarkably healthy at the start. Almost everyone ate fruits and vegetables daily, no one smoked, alcohol consumption was modest, and exercise was common. This “ceiling effect” meant there wasn’t much room for improvement in either group. Additionally, some practical challenges emerged: 18% of participants dropped out of the study, and eight people misplaced their stones during the four weeks, which slightly reduced the study’s power to detect effects.

This study adds to a large body of scientific evidence showing that crystals and similar alternative objects don’t have measurable physical health effects. While many people report feeling better when using crystals, scientific studies consistently show that these improvements are due to the placebo effect (the power of belief) rather than anything the crystal itself does. This research is particularly valuable because it tested this in a real-world setting with actual healthcare professionals during a time when people commonly seek health improvements.

The study had several limitations worth noting. First, the sample size of 38 people is relatively small, which means the results might not apply to larger populations. Second, the participants were healthcare workers who were already quite healthy, so the findings might not apply to people with poor health habits or chronic health problems. Third, the 18% dropout rate and eight lost stones reduced the number of people who completed the study as planned. Finally, the study only lasted four weeks, so we don’t know if results would be different over a longer time period.

The Bottom Line

Based on this research, we cannot recommend amethyst crystals as a tool for improving your health habits or overall wellness. If you want to improve your diet, exercise, sleep, or reduce alcohol use, focus on making direct changes to these behaviors rather than relying on crystals. That said, if carrying a crystal makes you feel motivated or happy, there’s no harm in doing so—just understand that any benefits come from your own mindset, not from the crystal itself. (Confidence level: High, based on well-designed research)

This finding matters for anyone considering buying crystals for health reasons, especially during New Year’s resolutions or after the holidays. It’s particularly relevant for people who might spend money on alternative health products hoping for quick fixes. Healthcare professionals and anyone interested in evidence-based health practices should take note. However, this doesn’t mean people who enjoy crystals for spiritual or emotional reasons should stop—the research simply shows they don’t have physical health effects.

If you’re hoping a crystal will help you change your habits, don’t expect to see results. Real improvements in diet, exercise, sleep, and other lifestyle factors typically take weeks to months of consistent effort and usually require active changes on your part. The four-week timeframe in this study is actually a reasonable window to see some changes if you’re actively working toward them—but the crystal itself won’t do the work for you.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your actual lifestyle habits directly: log daily servings of fruits and vegetables, minutes of exercise, hours of sleep, and alcohol consumption. Monitor these metrics weekly to see real progress, rather than relying on external objects to create change.
  • Instead of carrying a crystal, use your health app to set specific, measurable goals for one lifestyle area (like drinking 8 glasses of water daily or exercising 30 minutes, 5 days a week). Use app reminders and logging features to track your progress and celebrate small wins.
  • Create a 4-week baseline of your current habits, then set one realistic goal for improvement. Track daily in your app and review progress weekly. This direct approach—measuring what you actually do—is far more effective than any external object for creating lasting health changes.

This research shows that amethyst crystals do not have measurable physical health effects based on scientific testing. While some people report feeling better when using crystals, this appears to be due to the placebo effect rather than properties of the crystal itself. This study does not suggest that crystals are harmful, only that they should not be relied upon as a primary tool for improving health. If you have health concerns or want to make lifestyle changes, consult with a qualified healthcare provider. This information is for educational purposes and should not replace professional medical advice.