Melbourne brand Myles Gray earns $100k in single month as interest in healing crystals skyrockets

It’s been around for generations, but interest in a popular item once labelled “hippy” is booming – earning a Melbourne woman thousands.

A woman who launched a healing crystals business after the death of her father has revealed she earned $100,000 in one month as a result of a spike in popularity following the global pandemic.

Janelle Palibrk, a former fragrance education specialist, decided to use her knowledge of scent to make candles for her family after losing her dad to “help everyone heal” in October 2018.

After falling pregnant with son Myles, which she believed was the result of using crystals, Janelle decided to pair the candles with stones.

The colourful candles proved a huge hit among family members, so Janelle and her husband Nathan decided to start selling them, launching Myles Gray in March 2019.

While business was slow at first, Janelle told news.com.au the crystal industry had “boomed” as a result of the mental health crisis in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Janelle Palibrk and husband Nathan own Melbourne crystal brand Myles Gray. Picture: Instagram/MylesGray

“Crystals have always been popular, but they haven’t truly boomed like this,” she said.

Janelle put it down to the fact people were taking the time to get educated, exploring the benefits of what crystals to use and most importantly — how.

“This hasn’t always been explained and it made some people more timid to explore crystals,” Janelle explained, stating it was a point of difference her business had compared to some competitors.

Two years on and the handmade candles are now sold in over 40 stockists in Australia and one in Singapore and has enjoyed successful partnerships with fashion retailer Decjuba as well as Australian influencer Tahlia Skaines.

As a result, along with the spike in interest, the brand recorded its biggest month of sales in December, earning $100,000.

The once ‘hippy’ habit is now far more mainstream thanks to social media and more widely available education. Picture: Instagram/TahliaSkaines

“Our business will always be about connecting people, helping them heal and bringing light into the darkness,” Janelle said, adding she was thrilled business is “going great”.

“We have an exciting collab launching for mothers day, a relaunch from last year and a few new contracts in the works.

“It’s going to be a very busy year. We are on track to become a seven-figure business in the 21/22 financial year.”

Myles Gray isn’t the only Australian crystals business experiencing a surge, with CAWLIFE also noticing more people are interested in the spiritual stones, a practice that was once deemed “hippy”.

Penny Tsiklas, Director and Founder of CAWLIFE, told news.com.au the boom has come from those “searching for hope” during these unprecedented times.

“During the pandemic we found that people were searching for hope and took a more focused approach on self care and self love,” she said.

“There is an interest surrounding mystic healing therapies which is beautiful however crystals are not a new trend.”

Penny Tsiklas, owner of CAWLIFE, said people have turned to the spiritual stones after the pandemic while ‘searching for hope’. Picture: Instagram/CAWLIFE

Penny said she has been “fascinated” by crystals since she was a child, revealing she still has the rose quartz crystal she used to “manifest love into my life”, ultimately leading her to her husband.

“Crystals are a part of my daily life and I am thrilled to see them become accessible to others,” she said, revealing some of her biggest brand supporters are some of Australia’s most recognisable names including Pip Edwards and Delta Goodrem.

CAWLIFE offers products such as water bottles, straws and necklaces made with your choice of stone, such as amethyst, quartz and obsidian.

According to a report by The Guardian in 2019, the once niche industry is now a “wellness juggernaut” worth multi-billions of dollars.

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