Don’t buy crystals, bracelets, pixiu, or similar objects for “luck,” “wealth,” or “nourishing people”

Claims that wearing them changes luck, attracts wealth, or nourishes people have no checkable evidence. It works like fortune-telling seeming accurate: the words are vague enough that you fit them to yourself. When a seller claims disease-treating effects, that is false advertising; in 2026 livestream rooms were punished for it. Buying them as decoration is fine.

Cost

No money. All you need to do is not count “luck” or “nourishing people” among the reasons to buy. The hard part is not following when everyone else is wearing them and saying they work.

Benefit

Classic classroom experiments show that everyone gets the same vague “personal analysis” yet most think it is accurate — the Barnum effect. It explains where the experience “things really went smoother after I put it on” comes from. That author’s conclusion is “acceptance by the person does not prove the explanation is correct.” Official case: on 4 June 2026 the State Administration for Market Regulation published typical “fake-fighting, source-clearing” cases in the traditional-craft market. A jewellery shop in Sihui, Guangdong, invented product materials on livestream. It also falsely claimed effects such as “preventing rheumatism, raising immunity, improving sleep, and clearing blood vessels.” The shop used scripted acting to mislead and deceive consumers. That violates Article 9 Paragraph 1 of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law (nationwide).

Notes

There is only one conclusion: its effects cannot be checked, and no predictive power can be measured. This does not judge any belief or custom, and it does not target gifts, memorials, or heirlooms. Separate two things. Advertised medical effects have written rules and can be complained about. Claims like “luck” have no research and also cannot be proven false — you can only control them with a budget. Before buying, treat it as ordinary jewellery and ask: “If it changed nothing, would I still pay this price?” How to check materials and certificates, and why treating them as an investment does not pay: Section 5, Items 33 and 34 (count bracelets and watches as money already spent; for jewellery and jade accept only a CMA report). Paying for fortune-telling: Item 15 in this section (fortune-telling, tarot, horoscopes).

Sources · 2

1. Forer BR (1949). The fallacy of personal validation: A classroom demonstration of gullibility. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology. doi.org/10.1037/h0059240
2. 国家市场监督管理总局 (2026). 市场监管总局公布一批传统工艺市场「打假清源」典型案例. samr.gov.cn/xw/zj/art/2026/art_1529399cfe874b…