Are Crystals the New Blood Diamonds?

Do you know where your crystals came from?

Crystals are all the rage right now. We all want to tap into their healing and aesthetic properties. The gemstone market has gone beyond the hippie and new-age consumer. Crystals are now mainstream. Many of us crystal collectors are also people who are concerned with our environment, sustainability, and fair trade. Yet, most of us probably have NO idea where our beloved stones came from, how they were mined, who mined them, and what was their impact on our Earth.

Why do I care about the ethics in the crystal business?

Simply put, because I believe it is important. Because it aligns with my own personal beliefs about how I want to live and the impact I want to make (or not make) on our planet. When I thought about entering the crystal business, one of the most important things to me was to make sure my impact on the world would be positive and responsible. Sustainability has always been important to me and my family and we try to practice an eco-friendly lifestyle. About 5 years ago when we moved onto our ranch in Valley Center, we made the commitment to go zero waste. Rather, I made the choice, and dragged my family along with me. We repurpose just about everything (on a ranch, that becomes quite important!). We strive to avoid single-use products. There are few paper or plastic products in our home. We have reusable (fabric) towels napkins, tissue, and toilet paper. In place of plastic baggies and wrap we opt for reusable zip lock bags and beeswax wrap. Growing our own food became important to us and we learned how to compost just about everything, both inside and out of the house.

Taking these values a step further, we opened a non-profit domestic waterfowl rescue, in an attempt to save ducks and geese that were being dumped in public ponds and lakes. Our flock of birds are fed organically, treated holistically, and we use or give away their eggs. We try to educate people, as well as large companies, on dangers of abandoning these birds. Besides our bird area and home, the remainder of our land is maintained as natural habitat. Our ranch borders indigenous lands of the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians that are kept non-developed. This allows us to preserve the space surrounding us and do our part in preventing habitat destruction and preserve biodiversity.

This personal philosophy has led me to research “ethically sourced” crystals and gemstones while getting ready to start the business. I thought I knew what this meant, but I was wrong.

What does it mean by “ethically sourced” gemstones?

Location. Where is the mine? Is it located in a country or area that is in conflict, like a war zone? Or an area rife with drugs? Is it a legal mining operation or does it operate as a shadow business?

Environmental. What are the effects of mining on the land? Not just the mining itself, but chemical and water runoff? Erosion of soil? Contaminated of groundwater? Habitat destruction? Is it a smaller mining operation that is migratory, moving around and leaving ravaged land in its wake?

People. Who are working in the mines? How are they treated? What are the ethical concerns surrounding the working environments in the mines? Are children being used as labor? Do the workers have any rights?

Cultural Appropriation. Crystals and gemstones, as well as spiritual objects, have been assumed by our mainstream society as the wellness industry continues to gain popularity. Once dug from indigenous lands by native peoples, used in sacred healing ceremonies, and passed down generationally our beloved stones are now sold in mass market. Many BIPOC communities argue that moving these items mainstream strips wellness practices of their authenticity and sacredness. Consequently, we as a society no longer understand the origins and true intent of such practices and spiritual tools.

As I am learning, the problem extends beyond the mine. For example, the lapidary business. The stone cutters and polishers. This part of the industry is just as unscrupulous, if not moreso, than the mining operations. It’s simple economics. People want to buy their crystals for a cheaper price. The exporter buys the stones from the mine in cash, then sends them to a cutting shop who is also paid in cash. Then the cut and polished stones are bought by a wholesaler, again in cash. Then those stones are passed on to the crystal shops at a lower price.

What are the problems in this industry?

There are few to no regulations in gem mining worldwide. There’s no regulatory body. In fact, the industry as a whole is mired in secrecy, exploitation, and abuse. Crystals are not always the main product being mined. They are generally the by-product of large-scale mining operations that produce metals, construction materials, even parts for our iPhones. These publicly traded industrial mines aren’t required to disclose profits from byproducts. Then there are the smaller-scale family or artisanal mines. While these may be better in some ways than the industrial mines (ie: they often mine by hand and without the heavy equipment that can be more damaging to the land), they too can be problematic. Often these mines are migratory and more informal. They can still be environmentally harmful by contaminating groundwater, eroding soil, and encroaching on land that they do not own.

Furthermore, there is a distinct lack of ethical mining practices globally. Mines in third-world countries are thought to use child labor, drug their workers, and have unsafe working conditions. The working conditions are unsafe, unsanitary, and unprotected.

It’s difficult to be 100% certain of the origin of the crystals we purchase, especially as shop owners. One has to be sure of their supply chain from start to finish. Unless we are buying our product directly from the mine owners, this is problematic. Most retailers buy from go-betweens, independent traders who sell at touring shows, who, even if they have documentation to prove their supply chain, are disinclined to share it.

And even if we are fortunate enough to find a small mine, we must then vet their mining process for equity, transparency, sustainability. We cannot travel to parts of the world like Afghanistan, Africa, Myanmar to investigate the mining operations are be certain of the source of our product.

What is the solution?

One option is by cultivating relationships with legal, reputable, ethical mines and with other shop owners who share this philosophy. By forming a community of like-minded people who are committed to changing this business.

On a systemic level, change is sorely needed. Regulations within the crystal industry are necessary to enact such change. An independent, third-party regulatory body should be formed. Transparency, in the form of paper trails, along the entire supply chain is critical. And some sort of certification scheme for crystals, as there is already for precious and semi-precious stones, is long overdue.

Forageandsustain.com published a piece in 2021 with a great quote on this subject:
“Reform should be implemented at two levels: correct enforcement of regulations and, more importantly, increasing the efficiency of mining operations. Improving mining techniques and environmental technology (e.g. drilling, use of explosives, pitting techniques) at artisanal and small-scale levels would make extraction both more efficient and less harmful to both the environment and worker safety” (Laurent E. Cartier).

As retailers, I believe that we need to also do better. We need to commit to knowing the origin of every stone we source. If we cannot authenticate it, then we simply don’t buy it. That is obviously much easier said than done. It will limit us to purchasing our inventory only from certain suppliers or from the mines themselves; the ones we know for sure can meet our higher standards. It will mean that we don’t carry certain stones, ones that are considered “conflict minerals.”

A stone or gem is classified as a conflict mineral when its sale helps fund war and fuels human rights abuses in the countries where it's produced. The most obvious examples are the "blood diamonds'' mined in African countries, including Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia, which were used to fund war in those countries. Yet there are also examples in the crystal world. Lapis Lazuli, for one. The group, Global Witness, appealed in its new report to have lapis lazuli, a blue stone almost unique to Afghanistan, classified as a conflict mineral. The lapis lazuli mines are mostly concentrated in northern Badakhshan province where the stone has been mined for centuries for use in jewelry and ornaments, prized for its bright blue hues. The province has been "deeply destabilized'' by violent competition for control of the mines between local strongmen, law makers and the Taliban, Global Witness said.

But I believe this can be done. It may take more time, money, and research on our parts. There are people out there who are doing it.

We also need to be more conscious, as shop owners and suppliers, of the cultural significance behind spiritual items. We should strive to know their origins also. And how they were used by the cultures or peoples who originally employed them. For example, palo santo sticks were originally used by Incan Shamans to cleanse negative energies. While we use these in much the same way today, perhaps we learn more about their origins and even pay homage to their original users.

What can you as a buyer do?

Ask where your stones come from! The retailer should be able to tell you. If they cannot, then it’s likely they themselves do not know.

Be prepared to pay more. Often the ethically sourced stones cost more for the retailer to purchase. This added cost will likely get passed on to you, the consumer.

Use your voice. If this problem really concerns you, speak out. Let your representatives know about your concerns. Tell your friends and family. Educate others.

Educate yourself. For more information check out the following:

https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/conflict-minerals/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/12/10/three-questions-to-ask-when-investing-in-ethically-sourced-gemstones/?sh=880414d6ddea

https://newrepublic.com/article/148190/know-healing-crystals-come-from

For my part…

As a brand-new crystal business owner, I am making the commitment to know where my products are coming from and to educate myself on the pitfalls of this industry. I am trying to find people that are like-minded and share my philosophy and values. I am looking for business partners and contacts that I can cultivate relationships with and trust in their process and product. One such company is Gemrock International, a Peruvian lapidary and crystal mining company, and its owner Stefan Austermühle. He shares the goals of sustainability, social responsibility, and ethical mining that are important to me. I am learning from him about ethical gemstones and how I can operate my business in a way that remains true to my personal philosophy and beliefs, while also attempting to change the crystal industry from the inside. He tells it like it is. He shows the harsh reality. But he also offers hope. He has big plans and ideas for how to educate people, how to make lasting change, and how to build a community of companies that work together to create that change.

And as for the spiritual items that will stock our store, I am determined to learn about the products we carry; what culture they came from, who used them, how they were used, how are they supposed to be used. I am hoping to purchase such items from artisans within that original culture, so that I support them rather than take advantage. I also plan to make many items myself, such as the gemstone jewelry and fabric bags to sell in our shop, repurposing materials.

It is also important that our shop practices what I preach at home; that we use eco-friendly packaging and reuse materials whenever possible. We will set sustainability goals for the business. The first one is to research our carbon footprint, both at the storefront, and in our shipping practices, and how we can work to reduce that.

I have always loved rocks, stones, gems, and crystals. They make me happy. They decorate my home. I wear them as jewelry. I carry them in as totems in a medicine bag. I believe crystals have been used throughout history and that they have the power to help and toheal us. It would be hypocritical of me to harm our land, other people, and other cultures in order for me to sell those beloved stones.

“It would be a great shame,” says Sophia Pickles, the campaign leader at Global Witness, “if consumers buying goods that they believe help them ‘connect with the Earth’ are, in fact, making purchases that are connected to grave human-rights abuses, environmental destruction, conflict and corruption. Unfortunately, this is a very real risk for products like crystals.”

(taken from https://www.theguardian.com/global/2019/jun/16/are-crystals-the-new-blood-diamonds-the-truth-about-muky-business-of-healing-stones)