The Benefits of an Obsidian Bracelet

Why wear an obsidian bracelet?

Of all the pieces you can own, a bracelet is the easiest to live with: discreet, in constant direct contact with the skin, forgotten on the wrist and yet with you everywhere. That's what makes it the favourite format for wearing obsidian.

In crystal healing traditions, black obsidian has a reputation as a stone of protection and grounding. Worn as a bracelet, it's cast as a gentle energetic shield: said to help you feel protected from heavy influences, stay grounded, and keep your feet on the floor when things get a bit frantic.

The things generally attributed to it:

• a sense of protection from energies you experience as negative;
• grounding and stability when you feel scattered;
• a return to calm and clear-headedness, through its "mirror stone" quality.

Which wrist should you wear an obsidian bracelet on?

This is the question I get asked most, and there's a widespread convention in crystal healing, built on the idea that each side of the body has a role:

The feng shui answer

If you've come across the pixiu obsidian bracelet, the one carved with a small mythical creature, the wrist question is even more central. In that feng shui tradition the bracelet goes on the left wrist, with the pixiu's head facing outwards, so that it draws wealth in and never lets it out. It's a distinct tradition from Western crystal healing, with its own logic, and it's worth knowing which one you're following. Mine is set out on my feng shui black obsidian bracelet.

That said, there's no absolute rule. The convention is symbolic; some people adjust it depending on whether they're right- or left-handed (the "active" hand flipping accordingly). What matters most is your comfort and how it feels: wear it where you're happy, and where you'll remember to keep it on. There's a practical argument too, the non-dominant wrist takes fewer knocks, which suits a stone as soft as obsidian.

How to wear your bracelet day to day

To get the most out of having it there, the idea is to wear it regularly, keeping that continuous contact with the skin. A few pointers:

• alone or stacked: obsidian sits well with other stones, but don't pile too many on, the usual advice is to stay under two or three, so the intentions don't blur;
• with intention: in crystal healing, what you bring to the gesture counts as much as the stone itself;
• take it off before the shower, the beach, the pool, the gym and bed, mainly to protect the cord (more on that below).

Getting the fit right matters too: measure your wrist and add roughly 1 to 1.5 cm for comfort, or use the calculator in my size guide.

If you like combining stones, obsidian makes some lovely pairs: with tiger's eye for confidence, haematite for grounding, rose quartz to soften things. That's exactly the thinking behind my triple protection bracelet, which brings together haematite, tiger's eye and obsidian.

Obsidian bracelet: for men or for women?

Good news: black obsidian is a thoroughly unisex stone. Its deep, understated black looks as good on a woman's wrist as on a man's. The 8 mm beads, the most common size, suit most wrists.

For a broader wrist or a bolder look, you can go for larger beads or earthier companion stones like haematite. Obsidian is one of the few protective stones that's genuinely unisex, which is what makes it such a good gift. I've written more on that in obsidian for men.

Which obsidian should you choose for your bracelet?

Beyond classic black obsidian, several varieties let you choose according to what you're after:

• black obsidian: the purest, for everyday protection and grounding;
• gold sheen obsidian: its golden veil lends it a softer, more solar energy, on the confidence side;
• rainbow obsidian: its blue sheen makes it a stone of introspection and clarity;
• paired obsidian (tiger's eye, haematite and so on): to combine several intentions in one bracelet.

To understand the stone properly, origin, varieties, properties, have a browse through my complete guide to obsidian.

My obsidian bracelets

Every bracelet is handmade, with natural stones chosen one at a time, and posted to Australia. Here's what's available:

Looking after your obsidian bracelet

Obsidian is a volcanic glass of moderate hardness: a soft cloth is all it takes to bring the shine back, and you'll want to avoid salt, knocks and harsh products. But on a bracelet, the most fragile part isn't the stone: it's the elastic cord.

Water, soap, lotion, sunscreen and sweat all wear it out early. The habit worth building: take your bracelet off before the shower, the beach, the pool, the gym and bed, and keep the cord dry. If it loosens over time, it just needs restringing, the stone will outlast its cord many times over. All my tips are in the guide to cleaning your obsidian.

Cleansing and charging your bracelet

In crystal healing practice, stones get cleansed and then charged on a regular rhythm, especially when they're new. For obsidian, smoke and moonlight are gentle methods that suit it well; salt is best avoided. The full method is in my article on cleansing and charging your obsidian.

Frequently asked questions