Our Ethical Trading Statement

As a second generation family business which has been trading for the last 50 years we have always taken care to find the best people to work with. We visit the factories and mines that supply our products where possible, and from our experience of meeting suppliers and getting to know them and their families we have never witnessed any unethical or exploitative practises. All of our suppliers have been selected for their reliability and trustworthiness, and we have established a network of companies and individuals who we trust implicitly. 

We recently changed our Madagascan supply following ethics concerns and subsequently found Elka. Elka has a well-established crystal cutting and polishing company that employs hundreds of Malagasy people. Elka has committed her life to a business that gives back to the local economy and community in a country where a fragile infrastructure and political instability make running a business extremely difficult. Elka pays her employees double the minimum wage and ensures all her workers are enrolled in health insurance and social security. Read More about Elka's amazing work here.

The crystal trade is generally artisanal which means that by purchasing from an ethical trader you are assured that money is going back to communities, and not big businesses. The vast majority of our products are purchased through uncapitalised individuals who extract crystals as their sole source of income, often in areas where no other sources of income are available. Rough stone for cutting, such as Rose Quartz and Jaspers, may be extracted by excavators, but crystal and mineral specimens are carefully mined by hand, therefore retaining their value.

Regarding the ‘destruction of the land’ debate, most mining is for bulk stone and minerals, where they are pulped in hundreds of thousands of tonnes for commercial use. This type of crystal and mineral extraction is not representative of our business. The mining that produces our products accounts for a maximum of 0.001% of the industry’s total output. Here at Rockshop we have the utmost respect for the environment and the need to protect it, and we take every effort to minimise the impact of our operations on it.

As a company we are committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for all of our employees. There are regular health and safety checks and safety training where appropriate. Employees are treated with dignity and respect with equal opportunities given to all irrespective of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or age.

We build long term partnerships with our customers by being honest and straightforward in our dealings at all times. The confidentiality of any information we have in relation to any of our customers is of paramount importance to us.

Unfortunately, mining crystals and minerals, by nature, can be dangerous and impact on the surrounding landscapes and local populations if not properly regulated. As a business we recognise this fact and constantly push the whole of our supply chain to be more transparent by supplying as much information as possible on their products and materials. If we have any doubts about unethical or exploitative practises within a supply chain we will remove the product from our stock and find an alternative supplier with transparent, ethical, and fair practices.

As the crystal and mineral industry grows, we need to go further and collaborate across the board - from the mines, through to retailers. We all need to take responsibility, and the more we push for transparent and ethical practices, the greater our achievements will be in ensuring this is a trustworthy industry. 

As a company we are driven by a passion, enthusiasm and mutual respect for everything in the natural world.

Jonathan Burhouse
Managing Director
Rockshop Wholesale Limited