Working in the crystal biz, I’ve been presented with ethics related questions regarding crystals & being a both a student & teacher of geology, I’ve had the opportunity to ask & explore the topic deeply.
I take this very seriously so this will be more of a serious & passionate post, Sweet Pea.
For years I’ve found myself having to defend mineral collecting against environmental activists (of which I consider myself to be one)…some of whom claim that crystal & mineral collecting is causing major destruction to our planet while also related to slavery + poor living conditions .
I think there may be some confusion between mineral & crystal collecting VS. mining for precious gems (diamonds, rubies, emeralds) & industrial ore (coal, aluminum, tin, etc). That stuff is not what I’m speaking of when we speak of mineral & crystal collecting AKA “specimen mining”.
SIDE NOTE: We all know about Blood or Conflict Diamonds, but you do not have to add to the turmoil. you can choose to purchase Ethical Diamonds. Here’s a great article on how to go about doing that.
In my extensive research I’ve found that specimen mining usually has little or no DIRECT impact on our planet.
Often times, specimens are collected as a by-product to ore mining where mines have been dug to get at coal, copper, aluminum, gold, etc. for other items our society seems to have no problem with. In addition, some of what is sold on the market are simply recycled specimens from estate sales. The ULTIMATE in recycling!
There is a HUGE difference here.
So, now let’s educate. This is what goes on in a specimen mine:
- This is what mining for quartz looks like at Ron Coleman’s mine in Arkansas
- Mining for quartz in Georgia
- Larger Quartz operation in Brazil
- Mining for aquamarine & emerald in Mexico
- Aquamarine in Africa
- Digging for amethyst in Kuridala Queensland, Australia
- Digging for Topaz in Utah
- Mining for quartz in Brazil
Now, keep in mind that most serious mineral collectors choose to abide by certain mineral collecting ethical guidelines (yep, open ’em up & check them out!)…but of course, are not required to & are often not regulated. However certain actions ARE illegal & can result in prosecution if ignored…depending on the country they’re mining in.
Here I am specimen mining for myself in Hot Springs, Arkansas on private land. You can read more about that wonderful experience here…
Yes, some specimen mining methods cause some scarring & not all specimen mining is as kind to the Earth as this. Sometimes explosives are used to crack a stubborn rock. However, we’re not talking about massive strip mining & it’s usually just meters of rock & not very deep. Specimen mining really doesn’t have much of an impact on the environment, but commercial mining for ore is a totally different story.
Then there’s the subjective question of “what is damage?” Of course, there’ll be a certain amount of digging or rock breaking. Keep in mind, Mama Nature would do the same thing through ice wedging & erosion. Or given enough time, much more destructive Mama Earth forces….more on that below.
The Real Culprit
Industrial ore mining & mining for precious gems does require heavy blasting, strip mining & sometimes leads to poor living or working conditions. Slavery comes into play most definitely with conflict minerals. What the heck are conflict minerals?
THIS IS SOMETHING I IMPLORE YOU TO EDUCATE YOURSELF ON & THEN PLEASE PLEDGE TO SHARE THIS WITH 3 PEOPLE. (If you came to this post, you came here for a reason & you have been given a mission). PLEASE WATCH & READ ON:
If you’re concerned about human conditions in relation to the mining of minerals then the very minerals used in our computers & cell phones are the ones we need to concern ourselves with:
Find out what minerals are in your smart phone right here in this pdf.
I do try to choose a tech company that makes a conscious effort to minimize its use of conflict minerals. Are your electronics conflict free? The device you’re using to read this right now? None are 100%. Please check yours here now & if they’re not please email your tech company directly from the site to make your voice heard! This is so easy to do, doesn’t cost you a dime & is a great way for us to initiate change!
Then make sure you vote with your $ next time you need to purchase a computer or cell phone.
Vote with the $$!!
What about farming & urbanization? I feel those are much bigger disturbances to our planet…however less unavoidable.
Yes, child labor & poor work conditions may be a problem in certain countries where there’s less regulation due to weak or corrupt governments. And sometimes there is no way for us to know who exactly mined a crystal…or picked our food for that matter! Unless we were there or did it ourselves. Yep, that is a problem sometimes, but it’s true for anything.
War & rape going on over specimen crystal mining? No.
For our ipads & cell phones? Yes!!!
We don’t like to hear that do we? But we can change this. Please let these tech companies know that this is not OK.
Here’s a recent interview I did with Joanna DeVoe on the topic. I thank her for doing this & for spurring me on to finally finish this blog post! As you’ll see…I’m really passionate about this!
Now, not all ore mining companies are BAD.
Some do make a good effort to generate sustainable employment for the communities they operate in as well are required to meet strict requirements to back fill & reclaim the land they’ve destroyed….but, again…this is industrial ore mines…not specimen mining. Sometimes, in a war-torn & weary area, specimen mining is one of the only legit income opportunities the people there can hope for.
Lesson on The Rock Cycle
Oooo! Wait, I get to teach science again?!
OK, so we have THE ROCK CYCLE.
Guess what happens to crystal specimens that aren’t collected? Mother Earth recycles them.
Of course, I’m not saying “grab all you can b/c they’ll all be destroyed if you don’t”, but I do feel that we can be free to work with these very special crystal healing tools. They’ll eventually go back to the Mama Earth’s kitchen & more will be created no matter how powerful we think we are.
SPARKLY RESOURCE: Here’s a crystal seller who claims to only provide ethically hand mined crystals, keeping in mind how the crystals are sourced, handled, stored & shipped. I haven’t shopped with this company myself, but I like what they stand for. So please do your due diligence & check them out for yourself if you’d like & if you know of any other crystal sellers who are passionate about keeping crystal mining ethical please post in the comments below!
So, if this is a concern of yours…assuming it is since you landed here…please get involved. Inform others about Conflict Minerals. Email your tech companies & tell them what you think. Is your techy stuff as conflict free as you can make it? Do you agree or disagree with me? I’m always open to hearing other sides…as long as we keep it mature & respectful. I’d love to hear about your efforts or what you think!!
Crystal Blessings,
<img src= http://t.co/Tj65PzA8 via @hibiscusmoon1
There are a few good mines in North Carolina if you care to go sometime. The one that I have been to is called emerald Hollow. They have creeking, sluicing and regular mining you can take as much as you want from creeking and mining. I recommend a lot of water and be prepared to carry your stuff from the mining area quite aways they do not allow vehicles up into that area. Beautiful area just to walk as well. Bring lunch with you because once there you lose track of time. I have gotten emeralds aventurine red jasper rubies sapphires and amethyst
Hi Naomi! I was just there about 6 wks ago. Loved it! And the creek is so peaceful and serene (a great place to find a spot and meditate)! Panning the creek, I actually found a small piece of gold (Dismissed it as pyrite until I got home and had it checked out). Then working and digging a vein of mica to find the quartz that leads to other specimens was fun! After sleucing a few buckets I had collected (also some of the native buckets), I ended up with some nice specimens, mostly quartz, smoky quartz, emerald beryl, tourmaline, and a few garnets.
And you definitely lose track of time!
This is very helpful overview. For me, I’m a beader so I typically buy my semi precious gemstones already cut as beads. I was conflicted recently on if this whole natural gemstone beading industry contributing to unethical mining and specimen collecting practices. It’s hard to know for sure, unless I can know the source of the actual gemstone beads. Nobody seems to know. Also, with gemstones, many manufactures you rocks colored to look natural, or add glues and colors to make the gemstone beads more appealing. I work with things like quartz, agate, citrine, raw opal, jasper etc. I’m looking for a way to understand the minding/collecting practices of the materials I use so I can make better choices.
Thank you SO MUCH for this piece.
Gee, that is a lot of rationalization… It seems to me we should be at the point of using what is already dug and mined and stop making new holes in the planet – it does matter – any hole effects life in that spot immediately and possibly a change in the surrounding environment in the long term. Reduce vanity and we will way reduce the need for damaging the earth. Let me ask you how often do YOU replace your smart phone? Mine is about 5 years old and not going anywhere anytime soon. One more question – who are you calling Sweet Pea???
I share your opinion. Am trying to decide to publish a small book on “Healing Stones of Greece” that refers to crystals in antiquity. I, too, am a “high science” geologist, and myself don’t believe in crystals, but I do believe that is use of a crystal aids in meditation, then that is a great usage for them.
Some friends bully me not to publish; others urge me to.
Wish they all had your philosophy.
Dr Annie
Is Crystal Collecting Ethical? http://t.co/pX2D3WRr
This is going to be such a fantastic resource for all crystal lovers. So well done &, of course, I LOVE that you included our interview! ROCK ON, Gorgeous -xo
Again, I’m so grateful to you, Joanna, for lighting the FIRE!!
Is Crystal Healing Ethical? http://t.co/Tj65PzA8
I see what you mean about people not showing interest. I posted the interview on my Facebook business page and got a couple of likes. If I’d posted an inspirational quote or hilarious graphic it would be more like 40 likes. So frustrating. Just keep plugging away I guess.
Thank you BOTH for getting this out there.
That’s exactly what I mean. Its inconvenient for this to be an issue so some pretend not to know, ignore or sweep it under the rug. I’m just going to keep at it. Not going to be annoying about it but I every once in a while it needs to be shouted about from the mountain tops!
I never knew that my beloved smartphone contained some things that are detrimental to our mother earth. Next time I upgrade my phone and buy a laptop I will make sure I buy one that is from a “green” company. If it weren’t for this post I would never have gotten this information. Now that I am more informed I will be able to blog about this and inform my followers. Thanks for this post. Yay!
TY for helping to raise the awareness Ryan!
A “green” company…every phone is made with the same elements because THAT IS HOW THEY WORK. It’s impossible to avoid it. Better get off the grid now.
Great blog. It brings up a topic that I frequently get questions about and that is whether it is humane to the crystals to cut and polish them? Or whether we should let them remain in their natural state? Thoughts?
Great point. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it b/c, again…Mother Earth tumbles stones naturally smoothing them in a stream. We are just mimicking that with a rock tumbler. HAving said that, I prefer the energy of a natural crystal if its practical to use in that state…I feel its stronger.
Mother earth also naturally kills baby bunnies through floods, fires and earthquakes. We don’t want to do that though. I think we should be asking whether the stones are there for a reason, and whether their spiritual energy is part of the landscape and shouldn’t be removed.
I completely agree with hibiscusmoon in the fact that we are just mimicking nature. What I don’t agree with is that there are lab created stones, and some of the stone polishers use harsh chemicals to Polish them. If everyone was a little more nature conscious.
Ryan Danke
http://www.healing-tree.weebly.com
Healing Tree
Owner
Yes, I don’t vibe with lab created stones at all (irradiated or bonded).
What rather torques me off is when lab-created stuff gets labeled as the real deal in discount jewelry, but the cost of the jewelry itself is nowhere near what it should be in reality. I can get the REAL deal, wholesale, make it into something simple, yet elegant, and charge what it’s worth (cost, labor, etc) and people who know what’s what about great jewelry will pay the going retail price for an item because they KNOW it is the real deal. (Hey, I got Saturn in Leo, so I like to make sure my handmade bling is worth every stinkin’ penny! 😉 Meow, dang it!)
http://t.co/nSSOcsRU via @sharethis
Thank you again for addressing this subject. I feel so much better about purchasing and using my crystals. Also, it is important for people to know about the impact to the earth of the mining of precious gems and ores, thank you for taking a stand on the issue. Bright, sparkly blessings!
My absolute pleasure to share this!
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you addressing this topic. I have spent so much time and energy reflecting on this, being that I make my living selling crystals, and feel the same way you do. I also always think that crystals are not disposable. They are sacred to the people who purchase them, they are honored and cherished. That can not be said for much of the products that ore is being mined to create. I also think that nothing will leave this earth, 10 million years from now all these minerals will still be here dancing in their wild combinations making new crystals. Thanks for addressing such a touchy subject.
TY so much for your insight here Amanda. Its very appreciated. ♥
Yeah, you did make some good points that our electronics/general stuff come from negative situations and do no good for the environment, it’s inhabitants, it’s people. But making excuses, two wrongs don’t make a right. The earth NATURALLY does what it does, we use a hell of a lot more energy to get these crystals. And it’s not about “oh, well, we do this with our food, we still use energy and oppress others for our needs”. It’s not about “we already do it”. It’s about trying our best to do what we can to preserve this earth as long as possible. Food is essential. We need food, water, shelter, the basics. Do we NEED crystals? No. I’ve done enough research, crystals can usually be used for aesthetic properties or as TOOLS for spiritual purposes. And as far as spirituality goes? It’s all about respect, and buying crystals from some random person isn’t very intimate or spiritual, and most times it’s didn’t even come to be out of respect. If you really feel the need to have a spiritual tool/piece of jewelry, DIY! Do your research, go out and FIND crystals, and there’s no need to hoard them. Get intimate with it, feel it, feel free to take it if you are allowed if it really speaks to you. Crystals these days are sought after for hipster “neo-pagan” uses, and clearly there is no spiritual discipline or respect in that. People gotta buy everything out ASAP to fulfill their “needs” which is a bunch of bogus.
And to the person who says they’ll try to look for electronics from “green” companies, do take caution, there is that thing called “green-washing”, if you’re unfamiliar with it, you should look it up!
I scrolled down after reading this article hoping that someone else will have already pointed out the numerous problems with the author’s logic. Thank you for that informed comment.
The stones people are blasting/tearing out of the earth are NON-RENEWABLE. Assuming the conditions will be right to make those stones again, they take millions of years to form. I’m surprised the author, who claims to teach geology, failed to mention this. Actually, I’m not surprised, because this whole article is her try to excuse what she’s promoting.
You can try to rationalize it any way you want (“Hey, someone’s doing something worse over there!”), but what you’re doing is destructive and irreversible. And for what? So you can feel “spiritual”? No, those crystals weren’t “calling” to be torn from the earth so that you can hoard them with a bunch of other stones or hang them from a chain around your neck.
Well said Lilith K. Thank you for your comments. I was feeling the same way after reading the article. It seems that people can justify anything to fit their needs.
I no longer buy crystals after learning more about the mining process.
LilithK is so right. You can try to rationalize anything, but the bottom line, it’s earth destruction and that’s not spiritual.
Right on! Thank you for your knowledgeable comment.
Was looking for this comment, you put in to words exactly what I was thinking reading this.
Yes, I have a small crystal collection. But I have to say that people’s appetite for crystals these days is insatiable, bordering on gluttonous. It’s really kind of disgusting. With that said, why aren’t beautiful beach pebbles and rocks given the same glorified status that crystals are? Why don’t people use these beautiful beach finds the same way they use crystals? I guess the lowly beach rocks aren’t “sexy” enough, or aren’t mystical enough. I think found rocks and stones have just as much, and if not more, healing energy / vibration than crystals do, as they don’t have an ethical dilemma / stigma attached to them. Crystals, these days, are BIG business and just another part of our ravenous consumer culture….
Thanks for starting this important discussion.
“Yes, child labor & poor work conditions may be a problem in countries where there’s less regulation due to weak or corrupt governments. And sometimes there is no way for us to know who exactly mined a crystal or picked our food for that matter! Unless we were there or did it ourselves! Yep, that is a problem sometimes but its true for anything is it not?”
I really feel like the starting point is to ask. Ask where everything we consume comes from. Don’t think ‘oh, maybe child labour was used to bring me this crystal, but hopefully not’ – ask the supplier. We have to step up and take responsibility for what we consume, that includes electronics, but also food, clothing and yeah, crystals. Especially crystals, since we’re often using them because of their vibes. What vibes do you really get from a crystal that was mined by a mistreated child?
There are ethical alternatives out there. In the UK, I like Kacha Stones, who source ethically mined crystals from around the world. (And I stock Stephen’s hand-mined Welsh quartz in my own shop – he digs it himself with a hand trowel 🙂
Thanks so much for this article… I am very much aware lately that my crystals have a negative energy about them, or rather, most of ones that I have purchased. It is good to read an article, and the follow up comments that came from it that explain the senses that I am receiving. I thought I was going a bit loopy. I find that the crystals and special rocks that I have found have such a stronger more positive energy, along with a handful of purchased ones that have obviously been ethically sourced. I love Corvin’s response, well written and sensible. I think it is time for a crystal cull. maybe give them back to Mother Earth and whoever finds them in the future, I hope that some of those negative vibes are gone. Much love and light and thank you again.
Thanks so much for the frank and open discussion on this topic. If you do the numbers you will see that if 1million people (being very conservative here) each have 250gm of crystal (the size of your fist) that equates to 2500 tonnes. Not a lot you say. But you change that to 10 million people and counting and most with 500 grams or more yes that is ‘mining’. From a spiritual perspective i was led by spirit to my land which sits on a powerful crystal grid. I dont let people remove the crystals from this sacred site. Spiritually, and surely a crystal healer would realise, that removing the crystals disrupts the earths energetic balance and the crystalline grid. They stay where they lay.
Hello ,after reading some sacred words been wrote by a native indian telling about western concerns saying that how should we dig our earth for find the Stone,how can de appropiate of the bones of our mother?
That made think about the ethically de treat nature and the large history done and the different visions they are….
Since metals done their way out to varius procesos,then is been a constanly harsh harvest and human mission is have a different vision such as exploring the space.
Basicly without some feeling ethic skills, mostly well keept among tribes is a very hard challenge to say how much are we dismissing mother earths soul and the consecuencess that this may lead.
http://www.jewelryindustrysummit.com. seeking solutions along with many.
https://crystalvisions.net.au/ is an Australian crystal seller that sells ethically sourced crystals 🙂
*Please take this opportunity to inform people that entire tribes have been recently bombed out of existence from the rainforest for gold mining!!! JUST SAY NO TO GOLD!!!
Great piece, thank you, I’ve been all over trying to figure out which minerals to work with and which tp avoid for this matter, silver included. I put my whole jewelry and specimen business on hold for Years after a dream I had that shook me and stopped me in my tracks… I was working with fossils. The dream told me that fossils are technology for the Earth, and made sure I understood that. I woke up feeling that we should not be taking them up from their resting place. (I see fossil fuels in an even more evil way now then even ever before, with this understanding!) It lead me to question what all these crystals are for in the ground.. What their individual powers do for our Earth, as all things have their place and purpose. I think anything is fine in moderation.. Ethical mines are key! And I thank you for letting people know about that difference, and to source that way.
Large scale crystal mines, like “large specimen” mines, still do make me feel wrong. I realize they are economy driven in places like Brazil, but at what cost, on an Energetic level? What effect do those crystals’ great healing power have in their own home? What do we do to the energetic balance by removing them and passing them out? That’s my real concern.
Thank you for addressing these issues!
Much love,
Jerica
I think this article is very interesting and I needed to read it…I make crystal healing necklaces for people and they truely do help. I have around 40 crystals of my own but often use them to make crystal grids..After reading this it has made me think a lot. To buy little crystals is not bad…its kind of like when you go to the ocean fishing..you can only take a certain amount..Simular as with crystals..you take little not over..and a lot of it is about intention too..are you buying it to just look pretty or is your intention to heal? I feel like crystals are guided to where they are meant to go..they may be guided to someone for healing purposes but then they might leave…someone might loose that crystal in a river for example and that river is in need of healing…Crystals are amplifiers just like us and sometimes we need that crystal for healing so we can further create healing in our area and along the leylines…same thing goes with crystals grids..so if you have read all the comments on this page and are wondering about the crystals you buy I would really suggest to use your intuition, connect with Mother Earth and make sure your intentions are pure. This article has made me think a lot but it has also made me realise that my intentions are pure and for healing purposes. Although I don’t buy a large amount of crystals this article has surely made me think and really honour crystals more than ever.
I make healing crystal necklaces and activated mandala artwork and illustrations.
Here is my page:
https://www.facebook.com/weaveyourlight
I had no idea that when crystals aren’t collected they get recycled by the Earth. My daughter loves salt crystals and I was thinking about getting some but I wanted to make sure it was ethical. I’m glad to know that I’ll be able to find a place to buy crystals from and not feel bad about it.
This article was so educational! Thank you so much for this!
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Much obliged to you again for tending to this subject. I have such a ton better outlook on buying and utilizing my gems. Additionally, people should be familiar with the effect on the earth of the mining of valuable pearls and metals, thank you for standing firm on the issue. Brilliant!
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[…] collecting is an ancient practice that has been around for thousands of years. It is believed that the earliest known crystal collectors were the ancient Egyptians, who used crystals for various purposes such as decoration, healing, and […]
I’m gonna add something else that people REALLY don’t want to hear. The major governments of the world also need to be held accountable for their interference in the politics of smaller, what they call “3rd world” countries. Nobody wants to get political, I get it, but these issues can’t and won’t be solved without some kind of major shift in global politics. We have to look at the root cause. Rich nations treat “3rd world” countries with absolutely zero respect when it comes to geopolitics and trade, and this is actually the root cause of the destabilization that makes regulation impossible. The conflicts happening in these countries aren’t just spontaneously occurring, in fact, most if not all of them are the result of “1st world” governments trying to gain a foothold in these countries, often using violence to do so. Each person, if they care about these issues, should be researching the role that their own governments/military play in all this, and taking political action in whatever way they can. My country, the United States, has itself overthrown more than 47 foreign governments, often under the guise of “spreading democracy,” but the truth about these interventions is far less noble. We’ve all heard about the Taliban selling Lapiz Lazuli, but very few of us know the history of the Taliban and how the US was directly involved in its rise to power. The Taliban was, in fact, trained in Pakistan by US, Saudi Arabian, and Israeli intelligence agencies, with the intent of establishing a western-allied government in Afghanistan (one that would offer lucrative contracts for natural resources to western-based companies). If the US could have maintained control over the Taliban, I have no doubt that they would still be considered allies of the west as they once were. And they are far from the only militant group the US has funded and set loose on a country with the hopes of controlling them afterwards. This practice is a common feature of global imperialism, and although we mostly see imperialism as a thing of the past, it is still very much alive and well in the modern world. Even some of the world’s most progressive democracies are directly involved, in ways that would make the average person sick to their stomach. I will post a link here, for anyone who is curious about how and why the United States has actively fueled the war in Congo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxa4YbmMkQ0. We need to be more aware of what our governments are doing, because not only are world governments not doing enough to regulate this industry, they are actively contributing to, if not straight up causing issues at hand.