Mining crystals is a filthy business, from poisoning drinking water to destroying ecosystems and being tied to grave human rights violations. This billion-dollar company based on a new-age fad has a significant environmental and human footprint. Before you invest in a healing gemstone, which many celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, the Olsen twins, and Marie Kondo promote, it’s a good idea to learn more about how metaphysical store stones are made.
Crystals are minerals and rocks that form naturally. True mineral crystals are known for their healing properties and have a crystalline structure. The crystals are often thought of as Mother Nature’s gift to help people connect with the universe. There are around 3500 minerals that can have a crystalline structure. Their structure, color, and transparency can all be used to identify them. It can be difficult to choose from all of them if you’re a beginner.
Here are 6 Crucial Points to Keep in Mind When Purchasing Crystals
- Higher popularity of Crystals
Crystals have risen from obscurity to the forefront of consumer consciousness in just a few years, thanks in large part to a growing roster of celebrities and influencers who tout their calming, stress-relieving, and balancing properties. Kim Kardashian, for example, used these diamonds to help her heal from the trauma of a robbery.
Extracting crystals from metaphysical store may appear insignificant in contrast to industrial gold and copper, but as demand for these gemstones has risen due to the commoditization of the multi-billion-dollar health business, piece by piece, crystals have been mined more than ever before. At this pace, these stones won’t be able to provide us with any of the rumored metaphysical properties.
- Transparency
The majority of crystals purchased, whether in a small retail shop or online, have no sourcing information displayed. Finding a crystal supplier who will specify the provenance of each stone is notoriously difficult.
Not only are end-users in the dark, but retailers are frequently unaware of the true origins of the stones. Even publicly traded mines, the companies that cut and polish the stones, as well as independent traders and shops that sell them, are not compelled to declare profits.
- Reducing water pollution
Many crystals are mined in nations with limited environmental restrictions, and even where regulations do exist, they aren’t backed up by sanctions that punish corporations that don’t follow them. Many of these gemstones come from large-scale mines that pollute water systems and harm wildlife rather than increasing the bond between humans and nature.
- Non-renewable resource
Water is not the only pollutant in the ecosystem. Most people are unaware that gemstones and crystals are non-renewable resources, which means that their supply from geological formations is limited. Crystal mining is common, the land has been destroyed by soil erosion and sinkhole creation, and mountains have been reduced to rubble.
- Consider the cost
The crystal mining industry is fraught with major labor and conflict difficulties, in addition to environmental degradation. The majority of mining occupations are low-wage or unpaid, and many of them are undertaken by children, whose smaller hands and bodies are thought to be better suited to reaching mine caves.
- Regulation of the crystal
Some argue that the sector may be regulated using ethical, fair trade principles to ensure that the environmental impact of crystal mining is appropriately handled and that economic advantages reach local miners.
However, without any present governmental authority to compel the industry to do so, our health gemstones will most likely remains embroiled in exploitation and secrecy. There’s no way to determine if that “healing” crystal on a polished lifestyle site is genuinely guilt-free without clear disclosure of where stones are from.
