Mood necklaces, also known as mood rings, are jewelry pieces that are claimed to change color in response to the emotional state or mood of the wearer. The necklaces and rings first became popular in the 1970s and have experienced occasional resurgences in popularity since then. The color changes in mood necklaces and rings are achieved through the use of thermochromic liquid crystals – crystals that change color in response to temperature changes. The theory behind mood jewelry is that the temperature of your skin changes slightly based on your mood, thereby causing the crystals in the jewelry to change color. But do mood necklaces really work this way and accurately reflect emotions through color changes? There are differing opinions on the matter.
How Mood Necklaces Are Supposed To Work
Mood necklaces contain thermochromic liquid crystals that are embedded in or applied as a thin film to the surface of the jewelry. Thermochromic liquid crystals contain materials that change in structure in response to small temperature fluctuations. The structural changes affect how light is absorbed and reflected by the crystals, thereby causing visible color changes.
Each thermochromic liquid crystal formulation has a specific “event temperature” – the temperature at which the most dramatic color change takes place. The event temperature of crystals used in mood jewelry is designed to be close to average human skin temperature, which hovers around 90°F/32°C. At temperatures below the event temperature, the crystals will show one color. When skin contact warms the crystals to reach the event temperature, the crystals shift structure and exhibit a different color.
So in theory, even small fluctuations in skin temperature in response to mood shifts should be enough to trigger color changes in mood necklaces and rings. The idea is that when someone is calm or happy, their skin temperature will be slightly elevated, causing the jewelry to reflect warm colors like green, blue, or purple. When anxiety, stress, or other negative emotions set in, skin temperature drops a degree or two, resulting in cooler mood jewelry hues like yellow, orange, red, or black.
Color Meanings in Mood Necklaces
Most mood necklace and ring kits come with an accompanying color key that is supposed to correlate specific colors with particular moods or emotions:
| Color | Mood/Emotion |
| Black | Tense, stressed |
| Grey | Sad, depressed |
| Red | Anxious, afraid |
| Orange | Confused |
| Yellow | Excited, joyful |
| Green | Normal, calm |
| Blue | Happy, romantic |
| Violet | Passionate |
So in theory, watching your mood necklace cycle through this sequence of colors throughout the day should provide insight into your shifting emotional states.
Criticisms and Problems With Mood Necklaces
While mood necklaces sound great in theory, many critics point out flaws in how well they actually work:
– The color changes may be too subtle to notice – Some thermochromic crystals only exhibit very faint hue shifts between mood colors that can be difficult to discern in normal lighting.
– Room temperature impacts the colors – Thermochromic crystals are sensitive to any temperature shifts, so exposure to an air-conditioned room can cause color changes unrelated to skin contact and mood.
– Skin temperature variations are complex – Many other factors besides mood affect skin temperature, including exercise, air temperature, hormones, and health conditions. Stress can also cause some people’s skin to get hotter, not cooler.
– Mood interpretations may be inaccurate – The emotions associated with each color are open to interpretation and individual variation. So the mood colors may not align with someone’s personal emotions.
– Placebo effect may be at play – People may notice color shifts that align with their perceived mood simply because they expect and want to see the colors change as a confirmation that the necklace is working.
Studies On Accuracy of Mood Necklaces
Very few scientific studies have actually examined the color change accuracy and capabilities of mood jewelry. But the limited research that does exist casts further doubt on how well mood necklaces live up to their claims:
– A 1982 study had subjects wear mood rings while tracking their actual mood throughout the day and found no correlation between self-reported mood and ring color changes.
– A 2012 study exposed mood rings to temperature changes simulating skin contact and gradual mood shifts but found the color responses of the rings were limited and unpredictable.
– A jewelry industry study of contemporary thermochromic crystals suitable for mood jewelry showed the crystals were capable of only exhibiting 2-3 colors in response to precise temperature differences. Most subjects were unable to discern subtle hue variations.
Tips For Best Results With Mood Necklaces
While the accuracy of mood necklaces in reflecting emotions may be questionable, following some best practices can help optimize their color changing capabilities:
– Wear the necklace against bare skin underneath clothing, where it’s shielded from environmental temperature swings.
– Give the necklace at least a few minutes of direct skin contact for the crystals to thermally acclimate before assessing its color.
– Be aware that different skin thicknesses and temperatures across body parts (like fingers versus chest) can produce variations in color. Wearing rings versus necklaces can lead to color differences.
– Compare the current color to a baseline normal mood color for you from previous days, rather than relying on any set color legend. Track your personal colors over time.
– Avoid rapidly and repeatedly touching the necklace to see if colors change, as rapid temperature shifts can temporarily “break” the thermochromic crystals.
– Consider any color changes as just one input for self-reflection on your mood, not an definitive emotional diagnosis. Use the necklace to become more attuned to your emotional patterns.
The Takeaway on Mood Necklace Accuracy
Modern mood necklaces and rings don’t seem capable of the kind of instant, accurate emotional color readings that they were originally hyped up for. The color shifts tend to be subtle and open to interpretation. And many external factors unrelated to emotions impact the color changes. So mood necklaces are far from a foolproof mood tracking system as marketed. But when worn consistently and viewed as just one tool to potentially aid self-reflection, they may still offer some benefit for personal growth and self-awareness. Just don’t expect a mood necklace to function as a perfect emotional color decoder at a glance.
Conclusion
Mood necklaces rely on thermochromic liquid crystals that are supposed to change colors in response to the subtle temperature shifts resulting from changes in human emotions. While this theory sounds compelling, in practice, mood necklaces and rings do not seem capable of accurately and noticeably reflecting emotions through their color changes alone. The reasons are that the color shifts tend to be faint, easily impacted by external temperatures, reliant on questionable color-emotion associations, and subject to individual variances in skin temperature and color interpretation. Studies have failed to establish any reliable correlation between mood necklace colors and the wearer’s actual emotional states. However, as novelty jewelry, mood necklaces may still have value for personal reflection and growth when viewed as just one subjective input for self-awareness rather than an objective emotional measurement system. But all in all, the hype around mood necklaces as a foolproof mood tracking tool seems unsubstantiated.
