What makes this one adult-appropriate? Brooklyn-based designer Leo Sachs-Michaels' updated version for her jewelry line, Leo Black, features a liquid crystal cabochon set in either yellow or rose recycled gold. And at $1,150, it's also definitely more of an investment piece than a nostalgic impulse buy. But if the popularity of other high-end, high-vibe jewelry items is any indication, it might be the price you’re willing to pay to be the talk of your women’s circle.
The design inspo is definitely nostalgia-driven. "My first mood ring was a thick, color-changing band with silver glitter inside, [and it] felt like a portal to my soul," remembers Sachs-Michaels.“There are many pieces I wish I had held on to and could wear, but they haven’t aged well. I wanted women to have access to playful jewelry that they could connect with on a gut level.”
After spending months searching for the perfect "mood stone," the jeweler eventually settled on thermotropic (or heat-responsive) liquid crystals sourced from Canada, which are then set in glass to create the cabochon. They look super cool, but do they actually respond to your mood?
Well, kind of. “Your ring is showing your body’s temperature on a ROYGBIV spectrum,” explains Rashia Bell, energetic interior designer and crystal healer at The Cristalline. (As a reminder, ROYGBIV stands for the colors we see: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet). “As the temperature changes [in your body,] the energy is being absorbed by the stone and the polymers change from liquid to solid, or vice versa, thus producing the color change as the light filters through."
A mood stone's color chart corresponds to the hues on a thermometer, so warmer temperatures cause the crystals to move toward the red end of the spectrum, while cooler body temps make the crystals turn darker shades like brown or black. If you're relaxed and have a resting body temp, the mood stone will be neutral, in the blue-green zone.
Use your mood ring to observe the energetic shifts in your body and the feelings that arise from wearing it.
“Usually, we have increased blood flow to our extremities when we're happy, increasing the temperature of our fingers," says Bell. "When our bodies feel anxious or stressed, the body directs blood flow to internal organs instead, therefore decreasing the temp of our fingers and changing the color of the ring.”
While some crystals do provide energetic healing, Bell says mood stones behave differently than traditional crystals used in jewelry and therefore should be consulted cautiously. Rather than a literal indicator of mood or wellness, use your mood ring to observe the energetic shifts in your body and the feelings that arise from wearing it.
Sachs-Michaels, however, thinks her mood ring has a broader healing purpose: “It's the universal friendship ring among women—that should make us all feel more connected and empowered!”
If you're looking for other ways to boost your mood, try watching one of these Netflix shows or six tricks for an instant uplift in the a.m.
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