Why did critics challenge New Age claims about the healing powers of crystals?

Critics challenged the New Age movement’s claims regarding the healing powers of crystals primarily because they viewed these assertions as unscientific.1

While proponents of the movement—drawing upon the myth of Atlantis—promoted crystals as reservoirs of energy capable of providing personal healing and transformation, skeptics highlighted a lack of empirical evidence to support these metaphysical claims. This criticism reflects a broader tension between the movement's reliance on spiritual or occult practices and the standards of scientific validation.1