Crystal healing in jewels? That’s dope

Pop a gem a day with Matilde Mozzanega, whose jewellery allows you to switch up gemstones depending on where your energy is at

By Rachael Taylor

For some people, says Matilde Mozzanega, crystals can be “like a religion”. A cut of amethyst to calm (or soothe a hangover). Rose quartz for self-love. Rock crystal to heal all manner of emotional wounds.

Many famous names are disciples. Victoria Beckham has publicly shared images of her vast collection, which includes citrine to promote a sense of flow and smoky quartz to hoover up negative energy. Kim Kardashian has spoken of how healing crystals helped her to rebalance after that famous Paris jewellery robbery, while Adele has performed with them clutched in her hands to ward off stage fright. And we all know what Gwyneth Paltrow suggests should be done with a jade yoni egg to “detox”.  

While Mozzanega is far from a crystal zealot herself, she is deeply intrigued by what these stones can offer us emotionally – particularly in the form of faceted gemstones. “I am fascinated by how jewellery intersects with healing, wellness and self-care,” says the Italian designer, who is part of the Sarabande Foundation, a highly selective talent incubator in London, set up by the late fashion designer Lee McQueen of Alexander McQueen to support ‘fearless creatives’. “I use an intuitive approach to chromotherapy [though my jewels] – therapy through colours and crystal therapy, for individuals seeking to amplify their self-care journey.”

Matilde Mozzanega in the workshop. (Photo: Sarabande Foundation)

Interchangeable feel-good gems

Her first collection, Chromo-Dope, which she launched under her brand Matilde Mozzanega in 2022, was an exploration of mental health, inspired by her own experiences during the pandemic. The interchangeable jewels allow gemstones to be swapped in and out of the designs with ease, with Mozzanega encouraging her clients to be mindful each morning by selecting the stone that will best soothe, energise or rebalance them, depending on their individual needs that day.

“My family went through all sorts of hardships due to Covid, and I realised that I was getting through each day by putting love into small actions, because I realised that was a way to give love to myself as self-care,” she says. “I wanted to translate this into jewellery.”

The Chromo-Dope designs are simple: hoop earrings, a cocktail ring, a pendant necklace. Developing the patented, interchangeable setting mechanism that allows for effortless self-soothing was anything but.

Left to right: Chromo-Dope 9-carat gold ring with interchangeable gemstone; Chromo-dope necklace. (Photo: Antonio Miucci)

A patented solution

It took three years of development, and lots of back and forth with a traditional workshop in Valenza, Italy, consulting with gem setters and watchmakers. “It's almost like a reminder of the importance of resilience for me in my own story,” she laughs.

“They were telling me that it was impossible to do, [but] they started giving inputs and insights, because they were able to understand what I wanted to achieve.” Eventually, they found a way together: “I could have never done it alone, and I'm so happy that I didn't give up.”

The packaging was another labour of love – and ingenious social commentary. The Chromo-Dope jewels can be sold with multiple gems, and Mozzanega had the idea of packaging them within blister packs; the same type used to hold pills. The idea being to pop a gem for a hit of dopamine, as an alternative to medical doping. “It's obviously a bit of a provocation, but it's almost like using jewellery as a daily dose,” she says.

Left to right: A selection of Chromo-dope rings; Chromo-dope 9-carat gold hoop earrings with interchangeable gemstones. (Photo: Antonio Miucci)

Alt gems and power pearls

The Matilde Mozzanega brand has continued to evolve. Chromo-Dope was followed by Chromo-Fine. These designs feel more refined, with tension-set faceted gems and baroque pearls in angular 14-carat gold or silver rings. Interchangeability is still a feature, but it shows itself in ear jackets that can mix and match.

Within Chromo-Fine are designs named Pepita, which feature alternative ‘gems’ made of precious metals faceted to look like gems. Some are set with diamonds. A standout design is the Pepita Pearl Strand earrings, with long arches of baroque and seed pearls swinging from gem-style studs.

“I felt this really strong urge to design with pearls,” says Mozzanega. “I always find them incredibly grounding, and there is such a strong symbology around femininity and female power. People used to drink [powdered] pearls to heal illnesses, which I find fascinating, more from like a conceptual point of view than anything else.”

Left to right: Pepita Pearl Strand earrings with pearls cascading from 14-carat gold studs set with a diamond; Pepita Pearl earrings in 14-carat gold with baroque pearls and diamonds.

A meeting of creative minds

Mozzanega’s continued experimentation with the Pepita gem shapes led her to collaborate with an artist she’d long admired, Carly Fridhandler, known professionally as Scorpion Sorbet. Fridhandler is known for a glittery, pastel aesthetic that flirts with the macabre, which she achieves through a blend of photography and AI.

The pair teamed up on a limited collection of Pepita Butterfly jewels, in which the pear-shaped faceted metal motifs of Pepita are clustered together to create butterfly shapes that have a futuristic edge. They are sold in packaging featuring Scorpion Sorbet artwork.   

“I was nagging her for years,” admits Mozzanega when asked how the collaboration came to be. “I love her work, and we have so many interests in common. I’m just a massive fan. We eventually managed to have a meeting, and it really life changing; the way ideas and thoughts were flowing.”

Pepita Butterfly earrings and necklaces, made in collaboration with the artist Scorpion Sorbet.

It’s been within us all along

Mozzanega had a busy year in 2025. As well as collaborating with her artistic heroes, crafting jewels at her bench (which she describes as her “happy place”), taking part in pop-up events including Sarabande’s House of Bandits showcases, hosting masterclasses for other jewellers, and being shortlisted for Creative Jewellery Designer of the Year at the UK Jewellery Awards, she also delivered a very special bespoke project: her first child, a son called Cosmo.

Looking ahead, Mozzanega says her aim is to “keep exploring the intersection that jewellery has with wellness, healing, and self-care”. As to whether crystals, gems and other talismanic jewels truly are mood-shifting amulets, or simply useful placebos, the point is moot, she believes.

“[Crystal therapy] is serious, almost scientific, and there is a very strong placebo aspect to it, which I think is fascinating,” she says. “We already have everything we need, but totems are reminders of that, which can then strengthen aspects that are within ourselves already. What I think is indisputable is that crystals and gems and rocks have a primordial knowledge because they've been on the planet for so long. They've seen and done it all.”

And who wouldn’t want to tap into a little bit of that magic?

Left to right: Pepita Cluster ring in 14-carat gold with diamonds; Interchangeable & Pepita earrings in 14-carat yellow gold, set with diamonds and tourmaline; Tension Setting ring in 14-carat gold, set with an amethyst and a diamond.

Main image: Matilde Mozzanega’s innovative packaging, featuring a pair of 9-carat gold Chromo-dope hoop earrings with a selection of gems ready to pop.