Last week a few viral articles made their round online on the topic of the ethics of collecting crystals: ARE ‘ETHICAL’ HEALING CRYSTALS THE ‘NEW BLOOD DIAMONDS’? and Do You Know Where Your Healing Crystals Come From?
CAUTION: PLEASE WATCH THIS VIDEO FIRST! The crux of the point I’m making is in the video (not in this blog post.)
Here, I’m going to discuss my take on this whole situation.
Resources
My Blog Posts Related to the Ethics of Crystal Collecting
- Old blog post I wrote in 2012 (quoted in some of the recent viral articles): Is Crystal Collecting Ethical?
- And then in 2016: Lapis Lazuli | The New Blood Diamond?
Other Articles Citing Mineral Mining Problems
- Corrupt Jade Trade in Myanmar
- Illegal mining of lapis lazuli fuels Taliban’s rise in Afghan province
Although I do agree that there are mining issues that exist, the main point I’m trying to drive home here today is this:
Usually, mineral 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.
Lavender Pit Copper Mine in Bisbee, AZ Photo Credit: StellarD [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]
Check Yourself: Are you a Crystal Hoarder?
However, after saying all of that I do think that it’s extremely important that we don’t over-collect. I’ve written several blog posts on being careful not to crystal hoard:
Options to Collect Consciously
- Trade: in the spirit of collecting crystals responsibly, we’re starting something new for students in my Certified Crystal Healer Course. We’re encouraging conscious crystal collecting; a way to rehome crystals not being used or we have too many of. Recycle them and save some money at the same time. See if you can create a group to trade within.
- Mine your own: This is more fun than you can imagine!
- Purchase directly from a small hand miner
- Purchase from estate sales or large established mineral collections: gem shows are a great way to accomplish this
Conflict Mineral Info
- The latest report I could find that ranked electronics companies was here.
- Apple’s Conflict Minerals Report
What You Can Do
- Inform others about Conflict Minerals
- Email your tech companies and tell them what you think
- Ask questions when purchasing electronics!!!
- Finally, vote with your dollars. Choose to purchase your next smartphone or other electric from a company that pledges to NOT use conflict minerals.
The more potential customers who ask these questions, the more the tech companies will move to make change happen.
Let’s Not Redirect
Someone correctly commented in the live chat above this:
”Pointing out that electronics are also an issue does NOT negate that crystal mining is also a problem! It does not suddenly make it okay!”
Great point! Thanks for making it.
I’m not saying that it’s OK to specimen mine via strip mining. There would be NO strip mining solely for mineral specimens. The economics of it would simply make NO SENSE. In my original blog post from 2012 here, I go over how specimen mining is a much gentler process.
Reading this right now maybe you felt a pang of misplaced guilt when you read the title, thinking to yourself…
“Is my Crystal Collection unethical? Am I doing something wrong?”
But now that you watched the above video and you know what we really should be shining the light on, do you also feel the problems would get corrected if people knew the true issues at play here?
I’m going to ask you to help to set the record straight and please pledge to get this info out there by sharing or linking to this blog in 3 places or with 3 people.
Did ya do it? It will help exponentially. Let’s make the right info go viral; not the wrong. You came here for a reason and you’ve been given a mission. What you do with this info now is up to you.
Thanks for listening to my rant!
I’m so in to what your saying!! But just don’t know how to make a difference. You however have put e in the right direction. Please foreword me how I get behind you.
Ginger Sparks
stampinginger@sbcglobal.net
Hey Ginger, I listed out what you can do above and highlighted so it’s easier to find… under the title: “What You Can Do” That’s all I can think of for now but if you come up with more ideas… please share them here. 🙂 ♥
Many may have noticed, as have I, that the news no longer seems to have any connection to the truth. No, it is more about sensationalism or “How can I get everyone up in arms and outraged?”
Unfortunately, sometimes that’s the case. Consider the source.
First, thanks for this blog post as I was not aware of the whole conflict minerals issue. Some things for me to research and make decisions on in the future. Second, in response to why no one is creating articles about the real source of the problem. The crystal business is relatively small and likely not part of the network of cronies of our current political climate and administration so can be safely attacked and sensationalized without serious repercussions. Also, could be that big pharma companies are not happy with the loss of business and revenue as more people become less inclined to reach for their products and become healthier thru the spiritual and healing processes associated with crystal healing and related practices. Lastly, I agree that a fair number of crystal consumers are onboard as part of a fad which in a lot of instances is fueled by celebrities that make easy and sensational targets for getting the authors notoriety. Thanks for sharing your passion!
Diana, so true. You make many good points here. Thank you for adding to the convo!
Thank you for this! Off to research now and read your blog post about Lapis. I JUST bought a Lapis Lazuli mala at the gem show last weekend! ???? *sigh* I had no idea.
You are so welcome, Deidra. We can’t do better until we know better. Right? ♥
I agree with so much of what you are saying while they are blasting the earth we are collecting Creaters special gifts before flooding starts.
Thank you for this responsible video. I totally agree with you. I didn’t have this understanding when I started purchasing my crystals, but it’s good to have this awareness. Besides you, I know of one seller who definitely tries to purchase her crystals consciously (she visits the mines herself), and her business is Moonrise Crystals. I think it’s important to share this seller as you can be confident that you’re purchasing ethically sourced crystals.
Deanna
I have an update to my original post. According to Julie, owner of Moonrise Crystals, she doesn’t visit all the mines as I mistakenly stated. She says, “I have relationships with several mine owners and lapidaries and I hope to be able to visit them in person in the next few years… In the meantime, I can do a tremendous amount of research from my office, and I get to spend time with people in person at the gem shows.” Even though she doesn’t visit the mines, I know she has a good relationship with the mine owners and tries very carefully to find out if they’re ethically sourced.
I hope the crystal trend is on the downslope. As someone who has collected rocks and minerals since I was about 9 years old, I can’t believe how high some of the pricing has gotten because it is an “in” crystal now! I also worry about the downward trend of granite countertops. Those beautiful slabs were ripped out of the earth too, but now we are being told the in trend is manmade quartz. What will happen to all that granite people are starting to rip out of their kitchens? Thanks for the update on the ethics of collecting!
I’ve collected hundreds of different healing crystals myself, I don’t think you can really call it ‘mining’, not in the beginning anyway. I’ve since progressed to ‘mining’ & even have my own ‘miners right’ certificate which allows me to take up to 20kgs of specimens from any given site! But I’ve also had polio & unfortunately the basket on my walker isn’t capable of carrying such a load, nor I of pushing around that much! I initially began collecting crystals on the beach. (in the free ‘doggy doo’ bags the council provides ????) I live in a small country town in Western Australia called Geraldton & our beaches are just littered with crystals, some days the ocean just dumps huge mounds made up from thousands & thousands of naturally tumbled & cleansed crystals & I’m like a kid in a candy store!! Over the decades our council has had tons & tons of earth dug up from much further inland & dumped onto our shoreline. Originally it was to build a port capable of receiving global imports from giant ocean carriers, & then a new foreshore to encourage tourists to spend more time (& money) in our town. The knock on effect was some serious tidal erosion further up the coast washing away roads, the railway line & then began threatening our homes so more earth was dug up & dumped into the sea. All that earth was rich with crystals, rose quartz, clear quartz & Smokey, amethyst, agates, jaspers, hematite… & the ocean has been churning them over & over. She has regular clean outs & dumps all these tumblestones onto the beach, drags them back under, spits them back up & that’s where most of them come from. Geraldton also has two large rivermouths, one on either side & some of the crystals that wash up have travelled 100km’s over thousands of years like mookite which is only sourced from Meekatharra in central Australia. I’ve also collected coal, pumice, tourmaline & obsidian & I cant begin to imagine where the obsidian originated, & I’ve gathered a decent sized collection over the years! I’ve only recently begun real ‘mining’ when I get in my car w my pick ax & buckets, but I’m a definite opportunist. A good 90% of specimens I’ve collected inland have all been by products of infrastructure, roads being laid or bushland blocks cleared for future estates. My favourite all time crystal collecting sites are the ancient river beds & floodways! That’s where I find the most interesting & unique specimens, & the biggest geode riddled boulder I have my then 11yr old daughter found when we pulled off into an old gravel pit so my son could relieve himself!!
Anyway, my point to all of that was only to demonstrate why I agree wholeheartedly with Hibiscus Moon’s suggestion that ‘mining’ your own crystals can be so much fun!!
Cheryl, I enjoyed reading your comment so very much. Would love to experience crystal gathering adventure with you. Crystal Blessings…Angie
Could you imagine if we quit using crystals for healing , how much worse things would be . If we weren’t healing ourselves , our families , mama earth or healing by proxy how much worse things would actually be ???? be practical , utilize what you have but don’t feel guilty . Stay blessed friends ❤️