Colorful stones adorn the shelves of LOVE and Crystals shop in Chesapeake. Blushing hues of rose quartz complement the striking blue of lapis lazuli. Shades of green swirl in malachite. Pyrite, or fool’s gold, glitters under the display lights.
Each of the stones has an intention, said Lindsey Thornhill, who owns the shop with her husband Chris Thornhill. Different ones invoke love, healing, strength or protection.
The shop’s most requested is amethyst, the purple stone connected with feeling calm.
“This world is crazy right now and everyone just wants peace,” she said.
The crystal industry in the United States experienced a boom during the pandemic, when people were searching for healing and ways to relieve their anxiety, according to a report from The Guardian.
Chris and Lindsey were searching for meaning, too. They found each other. Then, they found Jesus. At around the same time the couple started going to church, they were also exploring spiritual practices like crystals, meditation and yoga, Chris said.
The idea that Christians can use crystals for spiritual purposes isn’t widely accepted, Chris said. But for him and Lindsey, practicing the two together makes sense. Both see crystals as tools of God’s creation, Chris said.
“They're mentioned within both the Old Testament and the New Testament, but the reality is we all use crystals everyday,” he said.
Smartphones contain silicon from quartz, lithium from lepidolite and silver from argentite, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Pencils are made from graphite. Diamonds in engagement rings are another example, Chris said.
“Maybe they don't realize that there's any intention or energy behind it when it's on your ring finger,” he said. “It means something. It’s commitment to your wife, to your husband.”
The couple opened LOVE and Crystals in 2023 in part to create a space where Christians could explore holistic wellness and spiritual practices without fear of judgment, Chris said.
All are welcome to the store, he said. But he knows people who come to look at crystals might be turned off by the crosses in the window, while those who are drawn to the crosses might question how it’s possible to practice both, he said.
“That's the challenge that we face,” Chris said. “But it's also part of the purpose.”