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Out of luck: how a global downturn took the shine off China’s crystal industry

‘Healing’ crystals are generating huge buzz on TikTok, but the Chinese companies that sell them say overseas customers increasingly cannot afford to buy

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“Healing” crystals are generating buzz on TikTok, but Chinese vendors say their overseas customers are pulling back on spending. Photo: Net-a-Porter
Sylvia Main Donghai, Jiangsu province

Crystals – shimmering stones believed to carry “healing powers” and “fortune-boosting energy” – are captivating consumers worldwide.

On TikTok, the hashtag #crystal has attracted more than 1.5 million video posts, many of which have hundreds of thousands of likes. Celebrities from Adele to Kim Kardashian have spoken about the supposed healing effects of crystals.

The crystal fever has also spread to China, where young consumers are turning to gemstones as a source of psychological comfort as they grapple with a tough job market and an uncertain economic outlook.

The trend has been a game-changer for Donghai – a small county in the eastern Jiangsu province that is widely known as “China’s crystal capital”.

The region has become a hub for producing and selling rock crystals, with nearly a quarter of its 1.24 million residents working in crystal-related industries.

Donghai’s crystal industry has seen sales skyrocket in recent years, with revenues nearly doubling from 24 billion yuan (US$3.3 billion) in 2020 to 46 billion yuan last year, according to official data.

But on the ground, many local businesses feel the industry is losing its sparkle.

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