I have to admit, this is a tough topic for me because I have been in love with crystals and gemstones since I was a child. I just think they are beautiful and interesting and love to wear them in jewelry or displayed around my home. As I’ve learned more about sustainability though, I’ve come to learn the sad truth about the sourcing and ethics behind those gorgeous pieces of amethyst and rose quartz I keep around my home.
The truth is there is no real transparency or even information on the sourcing of crystals. The best explanation you will often get from your local crystal sellers is the country the crystals come from. They are often even the by-product of traditional copper, iron, and gold mines that destroy natural environments and include unethical labor practices in their supply chain. There are, however, some smaller and more organic excavators of crystals who go out and hand dig them but even still we are taking a resource from the earth that has taken thousands and sometimes millions of years to form. For what? So we can buy a $5 piece of rose quartz to stuff in our bras to attract love into our lives? While I have admittedly done this and personally do find the energetic qualities of these crystals to be quite powerful at times I think enough is enough and we should instead focus on being responsible for our own energy. Moreso, we need to step up and focus on protecting the earth and its resources instead of exploiting them. This is our responsibility as conscious inhabitants of this earth and we should always think about the impact of taking anything from the earth. No matter if we are talking about mining for oil and iron or healing crystals.
I’ve seen recently a spike in rose quartz, amethyst, and even gold infused beauty products on the market lately and frankly I think it is horribly irresponsible. Firstly for the prior mentioned sustainability & ethical issues but also for the simple fact that there is absolutely zero research showing that this does anything good for your skin. It only makes a product more expensive & more attractive to consumers who like crystals. I know they are beautiful, luxurious, and may make us feel better about something in our lives but these gorgeous gems are not a commodity and should not be treated as a cheap trinket. Instead I think we should treat crystals as what they are: beautiful and rare gifts from the earth to be cherished. Not ground up and stuffed into your skincare or makeup products.
