I do not typically talk about the “medical” impact minerals can have on a person. This is not because I do not believe they can be helpful in this way, but rather I feel it can be dangerous to take this approach. When we have physical ailments, it can become frustrating to find a resolution for them. I know this struggle firsthand. This frustration can lead to desperation and desperation can cause people to become misled. Minerals can absolutely contribute to our well-being or on the flip side they can also contribute to imbalances within our system. What your body needs and what my body needs are similar, but they are not identical. This is why I do not usually discuss the “medical” influences minerals can have on the human body. The energetic is a bit more universal than the physical and the energetic does have an impact on our daily lives, so this is where I like to find my understanding of how minerals can help us. There are only a couple of exceptions to this, and copper is one of them. 

Copper has some science to back many of the physical ways it impacts its surroundings. One of which is contact killing. Copper has antimicrobial and antibacterial effects due to its ability to create an environment where these tiny microorganisms can not survive. This means it works to destroy viruses, fungi, bacteria, and parasites. It has been used in real-life applications such as roofing and medical equipment for this quality. A real physical quality, with real results, in real life. 

Another real-life application for copper is its thermal and electrical conductivity, the only metal that surpasses copper in this area is silver. How could this be helpful? Well, when we are cold, our blood vessels constrict and our circulation slows. By wearing metals that increase thermal conductivity we can help to promote good circulation. Does that mean we will be able to only wear some copper to keep warm? No, use good common sense here. You can’t eat just some vitamin C and not ever eat food, can you? This is the same logic. We are adding helpers to our body so that we can facilitate wellness. Not a magical cure, we are using science here. Little by little, we add what we can to help contribute to our own well-being.

For those who do not struggle with ongoing physical issues, you may never see the benefits of something so seemingly insignificant; but for those who can’t sit without their extremities going numb, you might be overjoyed to see the slightest improvement in how long it takes to regain feeling in your legs. We are talking little help in this area but sometimes little means a whole lot to someone in pain. Having a bit of a stimulator in the areas of heat and electricity can prove very helpful for those who struggle with inflammation, circulation, as well as muscle and nerve responses. Having metal on your body that conducts electricity as well as copper does, helps to circulate the energy already flowing through our bodies. Many claims reside here in this area: from causing neurons to fire more effectively, memory recall, to muscle regeneration. I am no doctor and I still stand by the idea that every single person is unique in their physical needs. By this logic, people will also always be unique in how they respond to things like certain minerals. You can find science for and against all claims here and many claim all benefits are due to the placebo effect. From my perspective, there is more to what makes us than can be explained. 

Belief is a powerful thing. There is something to be said about the power of manifestation, and the law of attraction. The idea of spirit, energy, and the notion of something more. Belief and the impact it has on our physical world, finds itself in this area of unseen and unexplainable things. The word placebo has a very negative connotation to it, but again every human is different, every condition is different, so who is to say that someone’s own will could not influence the outcome of their well-being? I don’t know, you don’t know, and that sure can’t be proven. If it could, then we would likely have a final resolution to the idea of spirit. However, spirit can‘t be proven through science, it is just far too personal for that. Same as the impact that something like copper can have on a person. It is personal. So the best advice is, if you feel like you want to try it- try it! Wear some copper for a while and see how it makes you feel. 

“But it makes my skin turn green”. Actually, it doesn’t always do this. Copper reacts to acidic environments and if you find your jewelry is turning your skin colors, you may want to take a look at your diet. This discoloration of the skin can be a great indicator that there is an imbalance within your system. It also can be a key indicator of the early stages of dehydration. Long before thirst sets in, there will be a change in body chemistry. A change that reacts with the metal and shows up on your skin. More often than not, when body chemistry is balanced, copper does not react with the skin in this way. So, I like to think of this quality sort of like a mood ring only instead of my mood, it indicates my level of wellness. When things are balanced, my rings do not change the color of my skin. However, when I have not taken proper care of my body, I will find that my finger gets a green ring around. On the times I have found myself without water for extended periods of time, I have seen that this ring gets nearly black.  For me, this is proof of my own body’s responses to copper and how it can be a useful tool to help remind me to do better in caring for myself. 

Promoting circulation also helps to reduce inflammation and this attribute best coincides with how copper works on an energetic level. By soothing energetic pathways, and helping to direct energy where it needs to go, we find healing is facilitated faster when copper is involved. It helps to provide clarity, as all chaotic energy is moved along kind of like blasting a hose in one direction. All muck and debris would get caught up in the stream, all energy finds its way circulating and eventually getting to where it needs to be. Copper is the perfect pairing for working with crystals, as together they facilitate a more orderly path to the intention. 

Copper is not a lesser metal. Copper has many strengths that contribute to wellness on both a physical level as well as an energetic level. Plus, it is really pretty! It is even added to softer, precious metals to bring stability. If you feel drawn to a piece of copper jewelry, perhaps give it a try and find out for yourself what it is your body needs from copper- because some things simply can’t be proven by science alone.