Growing up in the Dominican Republic, Grace Alvarez remembers hearing her aunts pray in a very intentional way; to a specific Virgin Mary or go to Santo in favor of their specific needs. As she moved to NYC and into her late 20s, her personal view of a higher power developed into a guiding energy that never left her. In her journey to connect more with that special energy, she began to study and practice meditation. In the process, she was introduced to The healing power of crystals.
“During the first few months of the pandemic, practicing meditation with crystals brought me peace and clarity,” Alvarez told POPSUGAR in a recent interview.
She co-founded Vibemade with her husband, Eduardo Ramirez Holgi. As husband and wife, collaborating on a brand comes naturally and easily. Both born and raised in the Dominican Republic, they studied fashion design and media design at Altos de Chavon, which led them to the opportunity to continue their education at Parsons in New York City. The couple’s career paths are impressive, having interned and worked for top names, including Oscar de la Renta, Rebecca Minkoff, Alexander Wang and Kith.
The inspiration to create this new way of wearing crystals first came to Alvarez in 2019. After noticing a friend was gluing crystals to her chest to place them in the chakra, she seized a muscle. festival. Alvarez immediately bought jewelry tools and started teaching himself how to use these tools with YouTube tutorials, creating his first Vibemade jewelry, Asha crystal mask ($250). In the midst of the pandemic, after a few months of lockdown, they officially launched Vibemade in June 2020.
A designer with over 10 years of experience, Alvarez incorporates crystal healing into self-care and spiritual practice. Regarding wearing the crystals during his meditation practice, Alvarez says, “I feel it enhances a more grounded sensory experience.” She also notes that crystals can be a great help when a confidence boost or sense of calm is needed. Her jewelry is a reminder of the intentions she set for herself for the day – she’ll catch a glimpse of the bracelet on her wrist and remind herself that “good things are happening.” .”
Due to its popularity among celebrities and social media influence, the power of crystals has been at the forefront of health conversations in recent years. Although there is no scientific research to support any of these claims, many holistic practitioners believe that certain stones have a wide range of health benefits. A professor who teaches French and Italian at Stanford wrote a comprehensive history of the relationship between humans and crystals over the centuriesand she found that the crystals inspired the composition and poetry of medieval authors in unexpected ways.
When it comes Latinx spirituality, the use of crystals in overall practice is not new. Alvarez says that “our ancestors believed in an intimate mutual relationship with a higher power … they believed that through nature they could heal their souls” and that evidence for found that crystals were considered by our ancestors to be “powerful containers of healing energy.” Alvarez notes that Afro-Latin ancestry specifically accept the use of crystal amulets for energy protection.
“I believe there is a mutual attraction between the energy of the crystal and your energy.”
When an increasing number Latinx reclaims ancestral healing practices, many people don’t know where to start when it comes to pairing crystals or obtaining the right crystals to establish intent, expression, and protection. “I believe there is a mutual attraction between the energy of the crystal and your energy,” says Alvarez. However, if you find that it’s not right for you, she recommends looking for crystals that can address your specific soul need. “Crystal suppliers usually provide all the attribute descriptions of each crystal,” she said. This makes shopping for crystals fun and personal.”
The idea behind Vibemade is to create a practical way to carry your crystals. “At Vibemade, we are very intentional about the design of our jewelry – all of our products are designed to be close to or activate a specific point to focus energy in the body,” she says. body. Alvarez points out that they carefully source materials like metals or gold, which are energy conductors, from small, fair-trade suppliers and ensure they are obtained in a sustainable and ethical manner. Purposely handcrafted, they craft the pieces as they order, number, and charge the crystals under full moon. Even their packaging is 100% recyclable and made from 60% post-consumer materials – trying their best not to add waste to the environment.
“My advice is to start with small actions that have a big impact in helping you build the business of your dreams. We created a ‘show’ among the people you call. is the “sister of the travel crystal mask.” With that small act, we’ve got the photos we use for social media and for the product shots on our website. me,” Alvarez said. She hopes to bring out aspects of her Dominican heritage in the brand, voice, and product. This year they incorporated pieces of Larimar, a stone found only in the Dominican Republic and known for its beautiful rare blue color.
“We are a brand anyone can use to help in Spiritual journey and or someone looking for confidence,” said Alvarez. Hopefully our design and brand story inspires you to add healing crystal pieces to your personal jewelry collection. “
To see more of Alvarez’s work, visit Vibemade on Instagramand see how unique she is, powerful crystal jewelry piece.
Image source: Matthew Gordon
