Aloha, friends!
The spring equinox just passed on March 20th, and it’s one of my favorite days of the year — even though most people don’t think twice about it.
For one brief moment, the whole planet is in perfect balance. Day and night are almost exactly the same length. The sun sits right over the equator, and the Earth gets equal parts light and shadow. “Equinox” literally means “equal night” — from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night).
If that’s not yin and yang in action, I don’t know what is.
The Shift
In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang aren’t opposites fighting each other — they’re complementary forces that flow into one another. Winter is yin energy: dark, still, inward, reflective. Spring is yang: bright, active, outward, growing. And the equinox? That’s the tipping point. The exact moment when yin begins yielding to yang.
You can feel it. The days are getting longer. There’s more light. Something in you wants to move, to start things, to create.
That pull you feel to reorganize your bead station, start a new project, or finally try that design you’ve been thinking about all winter? That’s yang energy waking up.
Pink, White, and Green: The Colors of Spring
In Japan, the spring equinox falls close to Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day, March 3rd) and cherry blossom season. The colors of this time are pink, white, and green — and they show up everywhere:
- Pink — cherry blossoms blooming, renewal, the heart opening after winter. Think rose quartz, cherry blossom agate, rhodonite, pink tourmaline.
- White — purity, fresh starts, a clean slate. Moonstone, selenite, white pearls, clear quartz.
- Green — new growth, the first leaves, the return of life. Green aventurine, prehnite, jade, peridot.
These aren’t just pretty colors. They’re the colors the Earth is literally putting on right now.
Stones for the Equinox
If yin and yang are about balance, the equinox is the day to lean into stones that hold both energies:
Balance Stones (Yin + Yang in One)
- Labradorite — flashes of bright light trapped in dark stone. The equinox in a bead.
- Tourmalinated Quartz — black threads running through clear crystal. Two forces, one stone.
- Snowflake Obsidian — gentle patterns of light emerging from deep black. Balance that doesn’t shout.
Transition Stones (For Moving from Rest into Action)
- Aquamarine — March’s birthstone, and a bridge between the calm of water and the clarity of sky. Perfect timing.
- Cherry Blossom (Sakura) Agate — literally named for this season. It carries that “bloom where you are” energy.
- Green Aventurine — the stone of opportunity. Yang energy for new beginnings.
A Design Idea for the Season
Try a bracelet that tells the equinox story:
Start with darker, cooler stones on one side — black agate, smoky quartz, or labradorite. Transition through soft neutrals — moonstone, white quartz — and end with the warmth of spring: rose quartz, cherry blossom agate, green aventurine.
One single bead at the center where the colors meet. That’s your equinox point. Your balance.
(If you want to go deeper into the concept of yin and yang in jewelry design, I wrote a whole post about it: Finding Balance: The Yin Yang of Jewelry Design)
The Other Equinox
Fun fact: when we’re celebrating spring up here, the Southern Hemisphere is entering autumn — their equinox tips toward yin. And many of the stones we love come from those very places: Tahitian pearls, Australian opals, Brazilian quartz, Madagascar rose quartz, Uruguayan chalcedony. They carry the energy of both hemispheres.
Everything is connected. Everything is in balance — if you know where to look.
Happy spring, friends. Go make something beautiful.
— Jamie
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