Dr. Hannah Hershoff, a Chinese physician and Harvard-trained research scientist, never believed a piece of jewelry could boost confidence and self-awareness or reduce stress until she started noticing positive feedback from a number of tests in which women were asked to try on Sara Yo jewelry. The jewelry pieces are made from a crystalline mineral formed over millions of years. The key element is kaolin, or China clay, a mineral sourced from a small village in Southeast China.

The shape, color and sheen of each stone is permanently forged after a long process involving water, wood and fire in a special kiln. “The stones become shinier after contact with skin,” says Hershoff. “I am very familiar with the mineral, as my father used to be an administration manager of the mines. I remember my father collected a piece of precious buda, made from the mineral, to bring luck to our family,”

Hershoff knows the history of the Chinese royal family that owned the mines thousands of years ago, but she had no prior knowledge of the healing properties. “It was an accidental discovery,” she explains.

Hershoff also learned the stones make beautiful jewelry. She began making her own as gifts, and shares, “I was surprised to hear my jewelry had an immediate positive impact on my sister-in-law’s life. She told me that she was much calmer and happier since she started wearing her bracelet. Her ability to handle stress improved, and she even began to find stability in her then-rocky marriage.”

Hershoff then presented her bracelets to six women aged 16 to 64 and interviewed them after one to two months of wearing the jewelry. “I was so surprised to learn that all six women reported they felt much better when they wore their bracelets,” she notes. As a physician and scientist, she felt a need to find scientific evidence to explain the results, which prompted her to study kaolin to learn about its chemical composition. “I don’t know if any compounds from the mineral or from other components of the bracelet have caused a direct effect,” says Hershoff. “I could not find any scientific evidence to give either a positive or negative answer.”

With 25 years of experience in medical practice and research, Henshoff has gained extensive knowledge in medical science, and also developed in-depth understanding of how positive thinking relates to the acceleration of the physical healing process. “I don’t exclude the possibility that the amazing effects on the women tested might come from their spiritual connections with the jewelry,” she says. “When people think positively, their bodies and mood react correspondently.”

Next, Hershoff gifted or sold her bracelets to a wider range of women that reported they gained confidence, improved their self-image, sensed more connections to loved ones and experienced a reduction in anxiety. A year later, Hershoff and her husband, Randy, started Sara Yo Healing Fashions and named their kaolin-comprised pieces Sara Yo stones. She had switched careers from medical doctor to business owner and jewelry designer.

Today, the company makes more than 400 exclusive jewelry designs by Hershoff. The company also provides a complementary weekly five element healing program based on Taoist philosophy. Hershoff says, “I am so glad I have made this career change decision, as each day I learn more about how Sara Yo helps women physically and emotionally. I am so fortunate to do something I am extremely passionate about, rather than something I feel I have to do.”

For more information, visit MySpiritJewel.com/sara-yo