Unearthing the 'eerie': Could your jewellery be haunted?

Due to its nostalgia, sustainability and uniqueness, vintage jewellery is growing in popularity. Alongside this growing trend is increasing interest in both vintage engagement rings and wedding bands.

According to Pinterest Trends, ‘vintage wedding rings’ are most popular with 18-24 year olds. Similarly, searches for ‘second hand gold jewellery’ and ‘second hand rings’ have increased by 83% and 30% respectively in the last year. The hashtag ‘vintage’ also has 28.7bn views on generation Z’s favourite app, TikTok."

However, if you have ever felt a strage sense of eeriness or even repelled when trying on second-hand or vintage jewellery, it could be because of the previous wearer. Could your jewellery be haunted?

Can your jewellery be haunted?

As one of the more common family heirlooms, jewellery can be passed down for generations. As jewellery is passed down through the generations, many believe that the item can be imbued with energy from the previous wearer. In some cases, however, this energy may not connect well with your energy.

The most famous example of heirloom jewellery are The Crown Jewels, with most of the collection over 350 years old. Of course, Prince William also proposed to Princess Catherine with his mother’s engagement ring.

To understand why people believe their vintage jewellery could be haunted, we spoke to celebrity psychic, Inbaal Honigman. "Every person has their own vibration, their own energy. Every person's vibrational frequency is totally unique to them. This is why, even in a dark alley, we can tell if there's someone behind us, and we can sometimes recognise people even if we don't see them - we sense their energy.

“Every item has their own vibrational frequency, also. When we use something for a long time, it becomes familiar, and the energy of that item feels natural to us.

“People and objects share energy all the time, people and people share energy all the time, so when we own a piece of jewellery for a while, it takes on some of our energy, it vibrates at a different frequency, a little similar to our own. That jewel becomes a part of our world, and when that object leaves us, it maintains a small part of us in its vibrational field.

“If that piece then sits in the shop for a long time, unworn, its energy might return to its original vibration. But if it moves to a new owner quickly, some of the previous owner's energy remains in the jewel.”

The differences in energy between the previous and current wearer can effect people so much so that, in some cases, people may even get rid of the item. “I have at times given away a piece of jewellery or other items that for some reason seemed to make me uncomfortable after some period of time,” stated one person in an online discussion regarding haunted jewellery.

Could some jewellery be more haunted than others?

Digging deeper into the subject, we asked Inbaal if there is a reason some jewellery could be considered more haunted than others?

“Different materials vibrate at a different frequencies and are, therefore, more prone to picking up the energies of those around them. Metal will pick up a lot of energy from the wearer, whereas a wooden artefact might not pick up on as much.

Interestingly, she stated that “gold and silver rings hold on to a lot of energy from their previous wearers. Other metals are the same.”

Inbaal also suggested that “if you happen to receive and wear a special ring that someone used to wear during their divorce or bereavement, for example, then the energy of that misfortune may influence you, too. Especially in the case of engagement rings, that carry the promise of one partner to take care of the other, if the ring carries the energy of separation, tragedy, anxiety or tears, then this can seep into the new wearer's marriage later on.”

If you do have a second hand engagement ring or a family heirloom, however, it’s not to say you shouldn’t wear the jewellery. There are many celebrities, such as Princess Catherine, who own an engagement ring that was passed down from another.

If you are concerned, however, there are ways you can cleanse your jewellery of the energy of the previous wearer or any negative energy you feel.

Tips on cleansing your jewellery of energy of the previous wearer

If you feel your jewellery has become haunted, Inbaal Honigman, astrologer, has shared her tips on how to clear the energy of previous wearers.

1. Wash under running water

“Running water is always a good option, as water is cooling and cleansing, and open water, such as a stream or even the ocean, allows the energies to disperse quickly. Let the cooling, cleansing fresh water wash any worries out of your new item.”

2. Use the sun and the moon

“Leaving the ring on a window ledge, so that the sun fades out the unwanted energies. Then, the moon recharges the ring with its own blessed vibrations, is another lovely option.”

Of course, before doing this, always check that the type of ring will not damage in the sunlight. Certain stones can dull in the sunlight so always be careful if you do choose to do this option, and check what temperatures your ring can withstand.

3. Hold your jewels in incense 

“Holding the jewel in some incense smoke for a moment can also work to remove anything unfortunate from the piece."

When it comes to cleaning your jewellery, you should always act with caution and not use any substances that can tarnish the metal or damage the stones.

However, if you are particularly attached to the vintage look, get in touch and we can create a bespoke engagement ring that has the statement style you are looking for.