South Coast Insider Magazine, June 2016
Healing Stones
Elemental Jewelry Produces Positive Changes
by Deena Kloss

Can a piece of jewelry boost confidence and self-awareness, or even reduce stress? To some people, this may sound strange, doubtful or even impossible. Which is exactly what Dr. Hannah Hershoff, a Chinese physician and Harvard-trained research scientist, believed… until she started noticing positive feedback from a number of tests in which women were asked to try on Sara Yo jewelry. Sara Yo jewelry pieces are made from a crystalline mineral formed over millions of years. The key element is called kaolin, or China clay, a mineral sourced from a small village in southeast China where Dr. Hershoff was born. The shape, color and shine of each stone is permanently forged after a long process of combining water, wood and fire in a special kiln. “I am very familiar with the mineral, as my father used to be an administration manager of the mines,” says Hershoff. “I remember my father collected a piece of precious ‘Buda’, made from the mineral, to bring luck to our family.”
During a phone chat with a cousin, Hershoff learned the stones not only make beautiful jewelry but are believed to have healing and positive energy properties as well. She began making her own jewelry with the stones and gifted items to friends and family. To find out if this was just a coincidence, Hershoff presented her bracelets to six women, ages 16 to 64. She 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.
The question Dr. Hershoff asked after seeing the positive results was, “How can this be?” As a physician and scientist, she intrinsically felt a need to find scientific evidence to explain the results. The feedback she received from her tests prompted her to further 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. With 25 years’ experience in medical practice and research, she not only has extensive knowledge in medical science, but also in-depth comprehension 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 said. “When people think positively, their bodies and mood often react accordingly”.
Next, Dr. Hershoff gifted or sold her bracelets to additional women with various levels of spirituality. More and more women reported they gained confidence, improved their self-image, sensed more connections to loved ones, and experienced a reduction in anxiety. “I feel everything is going to be alright when I put on my bracelet,” said “Ruth,” a test subject who wore the jewelry for a full year. A year later, Dr. Hershoff and her husband Randy started a company called Sara Yo Healing Fashions. They named their Kaolin comprised pieces Sara Yo stones. Hannah switched careers, from medical doctor to business owner and jewelry designer. Today, the company provides over 400 jewelry designs to thousands of faithful customers and Dr. Hershoff exclusively designs each one. 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 extremely passionate about helping others feel good.
During a phone chat with a cousin, Hershoff learned the stones not only make beautiful jewelry but are believed to have healing and positive energy properties as well. She began making her own jewelry with the stones and gifted items to friends and family. To find out if this was just a coincidence, Hershoff presented her bracelets to six women, ages 16 to 64. She 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.
The question Dr. Hershoff asked after seeing the positive results was, “How can this be?” As a physician and scientist, she intrinsically felt a need to find scientific evidence to explain the results. The feedback she received from her tests prompted her to further 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. With 25 years’ experience in medical practice and research, she not only has extensive knowledge in medical science, but also in-depth comprehension 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 said. “When people think positively, their bodies and mood often react accordingly”.
Next, Dr. Hershoff gifted or sold her bracelets to additional women with various levels of spirituality. More and more women reported they gained confidence, improved their self-image, sensed more connections to loved ones, and experienced a reduction in anxiety. “I feel everything is going to be alright when I put on my bracelet,” said “Ruth,” a test subject who wore the jewelry for a full year. A year later, Dr. Hershoff and her husband Randy started a company called Sara Yo Healing Fashions. They named their Kaolin comprised pieces Sara Yo stones. Hannah switched careers, from medical doctor to business owner and jewelry designer. Today, the company provides over 400 jewelry designs to thousands of faithful customers and Dr. Hershoff exclusively designs each one. 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 extremely passionate about helping others feel good.