Don't buy crystals, bead bracelets or pixiu (貔貅) charms for “changing your luck,” “attracting wealth” or “nurturing” you

Cost

Free. All you have to do is not count “changing luck” or “nurturing you” among your reasons for buying. The hard part is not following along when everyone else is wearing one and saying it works.

What you get

A classic classroom experiment showed that everyone was handed the same general “personal analysis,” yet most found it very accurate. The phenomenon is called the Barnum effect. It explains where the experience of “things really did go smoothly after I put it on” comes from. That author's conclusion was that “acceptance by the person does not prove the interpretation is correct.” An official case: on June 4, 2026, the State Administration for Market Regulation (市场监管总局) published a batch of typical cases from its “crack down on fakes and clean up the source” campaign in the traditional crafts market. One was a jewelry shop in Sihui, Guangdong, that made up the materials of its goods in a livestream room. It also falsely claimed the goods could “prevent and treat rheumatism, boost immunity, improve sleep quality and clear the blood vessels.” The shop misled and deceived consumers with scripted acting. This violated the first paragraph of Article 9 of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law (反不正当竞争法) (nationwide)

Notes

There is only one conclusion: its effects cannot be checked, and no predictive power can be measured. No belief or custom is being judged, and gifts, keepsakes and heirlooms are not targeted. Keep two things apart: the effects a seller claims are governed by explicit rules, and you can complain about them; but a claim like “changing your luck” has no research behind it and cannot be proven false, so you can only manage it by setting your own budget. Before you buy, treat it as an ordinary accessory and ask yourself, “if it changes nothing, would I still buy it at this price?” For how to check materials and certificates, and why treating it as an investment doesn't pay, see §5.33, §5.34 (judge bead bracelets and expensive watches by the money spent; for jewelry and jade, look for a CMA report). For paid fortune-telling, see §6.15 (fortune-telling, tarot, horoscopes).

Evidence grade

B : Supported by research but without a precise number, or based on small or single studies.

Sources

1. Forer BR (1949). The fallacy of personal validation: A classroom demonstration of gullibility. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology. https://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. https://www.samr.gov.cn/xw/zj/art/2026/art_1529399cfe874b8780c4496eb0158020.html

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 6, tip 22. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer