Inside a shop on Albert Dock, all kinds of crystals are glistening in the sunlight.
As I step inside I'm greeted by Lisa Williams and Serene Orford, who despite their age difference are both united in their love of crystals and the impact they say they have had on their lives. During their time working at Nature's Treasure, Lisa, 53, and Serene, 26, have seen a range of different demographics turning to crystals for help with everything from sleepless nights to depression and the menopause.
From amethyst to rose quartz and tigers eye, the shop sells stones ranging from £1 to over £4,000. But it's the belief that crystals contain healing properties that has made them so popular in recent years, as well as their aesthetic qualities.
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Social media sites like Instagram and TikTok have helped to accelerate this trend as part of the alternative wellness movement. A simple search for the term 'crystals' on TikTok brings up videos with anywhere between 100,000 and five million views.
Experts have issued clear advice on the use of crystals - stressing people should not use them to replace conventional treatment for diagnosable conditions, and to always follow the advice of medical professionals alongside any use of crystals.
Victoria Beckham is among the celebrities to declare her love for crystals which she keeps beside her bed to harness their "positive energy." In one of her clothing collections, Victoria included secret pockets in the trousers so her customers could carry charms with them at all times.
Victoria told Elle magazine in 2018: "My first crystal was a black obsidian and I still carry it everywhere with me. I like to surround myself with positive energy, and so often have a little collection of crystals in my handbag."
Holly Willoughby has also advocated for the power of crystals through her website Wylde Moon, which describes itself as a "lifestyle and guidance brand" and an "ever-evolving journey of self-discovery." Wylde Moon includes articles from spiritual expert Emma Lucy Knowles, who looks at how you can use crystals to "manifest your dreams, tap into your intuition and manifest positivity."
Lisa and Serene, from Nature's Treasure in Liverpool city centre, admit celebrities have undoubtedly had an impact on the popularity of crystals in recent years, but it was after lockdown that they saw more people walking through the doors.
Lisa told the ECHO: "After lockdown it just really boomed. The kids and teenagers started coming in and it was on TikTok.
"You'd know what week it was because everyone would want carnelian because of the healing properties of it, and that has just developed, and developed, and developed. It's just huge now.
"The crystal bracelets - the young girls can't get enough of them. They stack them all up and they've got healing properties. I would have said at first it was a fashion but now it's become a lifestyle for people.
"People have then moved on to working with the moon, to working with incense and the sage, and it's developed from there. They'll buy a couple of crystals then they're back for more."
Serene added: "Then they start doing spells and manifestations - it's massive."
Lisa found her love of crystals after learning about reiki - an energy healing technique - and getting a divorce from her husband. She now takes part in "crystal healing", which involves placing crystals on or around your body to help draw out negative energy.
Scientifically speaking, there is no evidence that crystal healing has any effect. However, one study found that crystals do have a placebo effect, meaning they improved people's physical and mental health without having any direct therapeutic impact.
Serene said crystals have helped her with her mental health, but admits this could be due to a placebo effect. Serene said: "I think the more that mental health is spoken about the more that people come in here to try and help their mental health with crystals.
"I'll say sometimes it could just be the placebo but if you think it's working for you then you can't go wrong with that. Whether it was the actual stone or whether it was just you believing in it.
"Everything has got its own energy. Some crystals hold more energy than others, a little bit like a battery and then you can feel that off them.
"If we get new crystals in we can feel like we've been on a fairground ride or like we're car sick. People come in and say they feel sick in the shop and it's always when we've got a load of new crystals in the back."
Lisa added: "I just love the crystals. I just get a feel for what someone needs or wants.
"I don't have ornaments, I have crystals. Everyone will always say when they come to my home, 'it's so calm in here, it's beautiful'."
The spiritual and healing practices associated with crystals have long been scrutinised - but this hasn't affected their popularity in recent years. When asked how she would respond to this criticism, Lisa said: "We're not out to convert you, we're just here.
"If you like it you like it, and if you don't you don't. Sometimes it's not for everyone."
Sancia Andrade, 52, who owns Magic Willow in Rainford Square, has seen a surge in demand for crystals since the coronavirus pandemic and the impact it had people's mental wellbeing. Sancia's customers are predominately female, with women in their 20s often visiting the shop with their mum.
Sancia told the ECHO: "For me crystals don't have an age, it's a discovery. Right now it's fashionable. People see them on social media and some of the people come because it's a trend, but most of the people come in because they really believe.
"Covid brought lots of problems of anxiety, stress, especially on young people. All the kids that were stressed with anxiety to go back to school, you didn't have enough psychological support to cope with all of them, so they found ways to calm down.
"When you Google or look at 'what can I do to calm down?' What comes in - meditation, lower your vibration and consequently crystals. People come in, they look for crystals to calm down and we teach them how to meditate with them.
"After one or two weeks, people come in and say 'it made all the difference'. We teach our customers how to work with them - that's the important part. Meditating, cleansing them, knowing how to wear them and when to wear them.
"Crystals work like vibrations. For instance, today I'm having problems with the menopause and hormonal problems so I'm wearing a crystal that's going to help me balance my hormones."
Sancia notes the benefits of sites like TikTok in bringing crystals to a bigger audience, but she is also aware of the dangers of misleading information being shared online. This includes videos claiming a particular crystal can make someone fall in love with you, which Sancia has had to explain isn't the case to her customers.
Sancia said: "We had a situation where a very famous TikToker, who has a page of witchcraft, she came in here to buy some props for the videos. When I started asking the young girl she said 'no I don't even believe but it's good for my business because it brings me followers.' It's a trend.
"I feel sorry for the people who are going to follow her advice but as a human being and a business woman she's making money."
Sancia's passion for crystals came after she found a rose quartz on her uncle's farm in Portugal at the age of seven. After moving over to the UK from Portugal, she started selling crystals in Quiggins, before moving into a shop in Cavern Walks.
In February this year, Sancia moved into a bigger premises up the road in Rainford Square where she sells crystals for anything from 40p to over £1,000. She prides herself in buying her stock from reputable sellers, who are able to tell her where the crystals have come from and who has been involved in the process.
When it comes to telling whether a crystal is real or fake, Sancia goes off their texture and temperature. She said: "If I have doubts I will break my crystals.
"When I opened this shop it was not just making money and paying wages. That's an important part because I need to survive but the most important part is when people are happy to come in.
"It's important for people to understand that crystals are not going to change your life, they go with you when you are changing your life."
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