Regardless of how you may feel about their more mainstream proponents, many people use crystals; they have become a major component of the $4.2 trillion dollar wellness industry.
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| Image from Pixabay. |
But
the soothing associations of crystals mask an uncomfortable truth –
the global craze for semi-precious stones and minerals drives
unethical working practices in impoverished countries such as Brazil,
Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The
crystal mining industry is unregulated, and mining often occurs in
countries with 'relaxed' or virtually nonexistent labour laws –
meaning that, as with most other capitalist enterprises, the workers
can be paid a pittance while the suppliers rake in profits. People on
meagre wages work long hours in the cramped, dusty mines, often
without proper safety apparatus and at risk of death from landslides.
Many of these workers are children.
Most
of the time crystals are sourced as a byproduct of gold, copper or
granite mining – this causes some
crystal suppliers to claim that crystals don't do much damage,
as the main product from the mines is the real culprit. They point to
the mineral components used in cellphones as more harmful. However,
this makes little difference to those working in the mines in
terrible conditions.
Of
course, there are many things we do that have an unsavoury impact on
the planet – driving our cars, using plastics, disposable sanitary
products, etc. But there's something particularly jarring about
buying 'healing objects' that come to us through human rights
violations and further damage to the planet. If you believe that
crystals take on the energies around them, it's no wonder that people
have to cleanse new purchases!
Compounding
the problem is the fact that many shops, especially smaller
businesses, are completely unaware of where their crystals come from.
They tend to buy through wholesalers, and not many retailers even
think to ask about sourcing or the conditions of the mines.
So,
what can we do?
First
of all, there are some UK-based crystal shops that claim to source
ethical products; two I have used are The
Psychic Tree
and Little
Gems Rock Shop.
Both claim to thoroughly research their supply chain and only deal
with mines, providers and suppliers who enact good working standards
and avoid child labour.
You
can also purchase 'home-grown' crystals from UK mines; these are rare
and tend to fetch a much higher price than crystals from other
countries. Look up the price of amethyst from Devon or Cornwall and
you'll see what I mean....
In
traditional witchcraft and other folk practices, many practitioners
prefer to use found rocks, fossils and shells rather than crystals,
as these found objects are imbued with the spirit of the land. I must
admit, as much as I love to collect sticks, stones and bones, I do
love crystals, especially amethyst. But I will now focus more on
utilising my found treasures, unless I receive crystals that gifted
or ethically sourced.
Indeed
some crystals can be sourced in the wild - quartz, jasper and agate
are fairly common on beaches, alongside a number of fossil types.
They may not be as conventionally pretty as a polished and carved
specimen, but they have their own special power that is unsullied by
mining, processing and chemical cleaning. Sea-glass is a particularly
attractive alternative, and there are plenty of interesting rocks and
stones to be found in woods, caves and other natural areas.
As
you can see, there are plenty of options if you wish to avoid the
abuses of the wider crystal trade. That said, please don't feel
ashamed if you do
have some crystals with unclear or murky origins! I have some from my
early witchy days that probably (read: almost definitely) came from
unethical practices. There's a distinct lack of education and
awareness on this matter, and I hope this blog post will help people
make more informed, ethical decisions when using and purchasing
crystals.
Sources
and further reading:
