FAQ

If you live somewhere else in the world and would like to see if we're able to ship to you, please contact us at kristen@mooncatcrystals.com and we may be able to set up a listing on Etsy (shipping will be calculated based on international rates). 

Why don't you ship to my country?

There are a variety of reasons for this, including customs regulations and tax issues.

Some countries, like Singapore, do not allow crystals or metaphysical items to be imported. 

Some countries and Unions (like the EU) have recently implemented complex taxation systems that, as a small business, Mooncat Crystals does not currently have the capacity or structure to navigate. However, we are often able to sell via Etsy so that these taxes are handled in that way. 

Other crystal sellers ship to my country - why won't you?

We make shipping decisions based on how we interpret laws, regulations, and capacity. We will not go against what we believe to be the applicable laws/regulations/guidelines. Even if others do.

Despite what some sources would have you believe, most of the crystals on the market are real.

Of course, there are a number of crystals that are commonly faked or are clearly manmade. At the top of this list are: 

• Moldavite
• "Aura" minerals, which have been fused at high temperatures with heavy metals, or have been coated with another kind of material (teflon, for cheaper pieces)
• Opalite (an opalescent glass)
• Goldstone (glass with minerals included to create an extremely sparkly effect)
• Fossils (sometimes cast, but more often repaired without those repairs being disclosed)
• Dyed agate (real crystals, with dye added to make them vibrant colors)
• Heated or irradiated stones, to make them darker or differently colored ("golden amethyst" or "heated citrine" is a common one)

That may look like a lot...but I can assure you, in the scheme of crystal purchasing, it is not. There are entire warehouses of crystals wherein not one is manmade.

In fact, with many crystals, they occur in such an abundance in nature that it would not make sense to fake them - it would cost more to do so, than to just mine them. This includes (but is certainly not limited to): 

• Rose quartz
• Clear quartz*
• Amethyst
• Black Tourmaline

*of course you may see some people selling glass as "smelt quartz"...but these aren't usually clear (and almost always have obvious gas bubbles). Instead, these are often swirled with vibrant colors, making the unnatural wisps the main draw.

At Mooncat Crystals, we know it's important that you know what you are getting.

Therefore, all of our crystals are real, unless they are marked otherwise.

We do sell faux-stones like opalite and goldstone, because they are pretty and people like them. We also occasionally sell aura-coated crystals and heated amethyst citrine...again, because they are pretty and people do like them. But we will always note that these are "manmade," "coated," or "heated" (or use similar language, appropriate to the treatment) right in the listing. 

• How there is no definition of "ethical" - and how difficult it can be, to know the entire story of your crystal's journey
• How the crystal mining industry is only a very small percentage of the mining industry, as a whole 
• How mining for crystals isn't really the big money maker - and what is
• How mining for the minerals needed to produce your smartphone, laptop, and other technologies is FAR more damaging to human lives and the environment than crystal mining ever could be
• How mining for the crystals we are often interested in is a byproduct of mining for the industrial minerals: copper, cobalt, nickel, titanium...and what that means
• The ethics of changing the names of common crystals, to get more money for them - also, "trademarking" crystals

It's a great, rational conversation that cuts through a lot of the issues with the typical "ethical crystals" conversation, and goes deeper into what is behind it all.

Additionally, it's important to remember that we are centering our own, Western perspective in "ethics" as we look globally at crystal mining practices. And we are comparing that perspective to countries and areas that are completely different from anything that we can imagine. 

None of this is to say that the ethics of crystal mining is not something to consider. However, it's important to realize that the entire conversation is much more complex than many of us would like to acknowledge.

All of this said:

Mooncat Crystals sources all of our crystals from vendors who we know, like, and trust.

If something feels off, we always pass on those items. If vendors are shady, dishonest, or downright rude, we don't shop with them.

We purchase as close to the source as we can; and we prefer to purchase directly from the miners or those who have relationships with the miners.

We always do our best, so that you can do yours.

• We believe that Black Lives Matter. 
• We believe that LGBTQIA rights are human rights.
• We believe that women have the right to choose. 
• We believe that diversity makes this world a better place.
• We frequently support select charities, although we do make donations year-round as we see a need. 

Most often, we donate to local animal shelters, food banks, and organizations assisting Native American populations in the Southwest (we make an up-front donation based on what we pay for every wholesale purchase of organic, sustainably-farmed white sage. That way, it doesn't matter how quickly or slowly our sage sells: we donate first, and sell after that).