Jewellery to combat anxiety

Retail therapy can often be prescribed to help improve mood or disposition.

However, an Edinburgh Napier student has taken this a step further by developing a range of jewellery that actively calms an individual when worn.

Product Design student Morgan Gibson has designed ‘Hoku’ – a ring that when worn
targets certain pressure points in the hand that can alleviate stress, anxiety
and even pain.

On display as part of the University’s Showtime Degree Show, the attractive piece
of jewellery is inspired by the Hoku point located in the webbing of a hand
between the thumb and index finger.

Used in traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, when pressed, the Hoku point
can be used to relieve headaches, as well as joint and muscle pain anywhere in
the body. It can also be used to help soothe and calm an individual, as well as
in periods of grief.

Morgan’s piece of jewellery is worn on the hand and has been designed to hit the Hoku
point and another pressure point near the knuckle of the middle and index
finger.

The 3D printed piece – which is finished in a metal overlay and will come with the
choice of three gemstones to attach – helps to trigger these points, allowing
for a sense of calm to be restored to the wearer.

Morgan was inspired to make the piece after being affected by stress and anxiety all
through her school and university life. The 22-year-old from Livingston has
struggled with the conditions for a number of years and decided to combine her
love of jewellery and design for the greater good of others affected.

She said: “I’ve always been affected by stress and anxiety for as long as I can
remember. Through school and University, it always seems to peak around exam
time and when I have to make big decisions. During my research, I found that
nearly 30million working days are lost every year due to stress so I really wanted
to develop something simple that could potentially help to reduce this number.

“The ring can help people affected by anxiety and it can be used to reduce neck and
back pain. I’ve been wearing a version regularly and I’ve definitely noticed a
difference.

“It’s my plan to develop the piece further and allow interested buyers to tailor it
with a specific gemstone, each which come with their own calming qualities.
Gems like Amethyst is known to calm and relax the nerves so adding different
stones to help certain healing is definitely something I’m looking to introduce
to the piece.

“Feedback on the ring has been great so far. People really feel it makes a difference and
it has been a great help to me as I approach the end of my final year in
University. I’d love to continue the idea further in the coming months and
offer the help to others affected in a similar way.”

Edinburgh Napier’s Showtime ’18 is an annual showcase of the creative talent of new and
emerging designers, photographers, filmmakers, journalists, creative writers
and actors from its School of Arts and Creative Industries. The exhibition runs
within Merchiston campus and is open to the public from 18-27 May.

More details can be found at www.napier.ac.uk/degreeshow