Sourcing + Ethics
Intentional. Responsible.
Hey beautiful soul!
Lets talk about our core ethics, why they're important in the work we do and how we implement them into our business.
In the depths of my journey within I felt the pull to work with tools, not only because of the immense power each of them carry but because something as simple as a crystal from Mama Earth had the capacity to bring so much joy in my personal practices. The idea of Soul Alchemy derived from my own pursuit of finding a crystal provider that resonated with what I believe the most important part of it all is- ethics, and specific to what I was looking for: intentionality and responsibility. With a foundation of those two core values and deep rooted passion for all things soul-ful, I knew I could build the home of magic that I was searching for.
In all transparency, the birth of Soul Alchemy from idea to physicality was a turbulent one. For the longest time we were at a stand still with where to go and who to work with. The market was heavy with suppliers but few were willing to open up completely when we prompted questions relating to sourcing, fair pay and working conditions and so we stuck to our two local suppliers (at the time) who offered transparency and coincided with our ethics. A year later we finally found our feet in this space and crossed paths with those we were divinely meant to. It took a year to network, to forage, form and establish relationships with suppliers we now have the privilege of calling friends, whose values are just as prominent as our own. Read about them below!
So where do your crystals and stones come from and who are these suppliers? We prefer sourcing direct from origin to avoid encounters with fake crystals. To date, we work directly with 5 suppliers and 3 local Australian importers. Our direct suppliers are small businesses, most of which are family operated and extract their gems on facilities/land which they either own or rent for a period of time. These crystals and stones are either kept in their natural state or carved and polished into your favourite forms. Our 5 suppliers are based in Brazil (heavy with Quartz varieties), Pakistan (heavy with Calcite varieties), Indonesia (heavy with Jasper and Agate varieties), India (heavy with Sunstone and Ruby) and South Africa (heavy with Quartz varieties). Due to our business operating on such a small scale, our access to a broader range of zones directly are limited due to the imposition of large minimum order quantities- this is where our middle men come in. Our 3 local Australian importers. Our 3 importers are reputable, transparent and work with many of your favourite Aussie crystal stores and creators. These suppliers have the capacity to meet the minimum order quantities direct from source so that small businesses like us are still able to bring you the crystals and stones you request. Your crystals journey to you- from origin to hand is a deeply personal and important thing and we take great pride in knowing that we've found the most beautiful team of people that help make that a sacred exchange.
Mama Earth is vastly abundant with treasures in forms of crystals, gems and stones just as she is incredibly abundant in all else- the leaves that fall, flowers that bloom, the food we harvest and water that sustains us. These are gifts from her to us and we can return this love in forms of offerings and practices that maintain her. Give thanks to her often and always!
Aligning with our 2 core values, Intentional & Responsible, we do our best to be as mindful of our impact as possible. From the beginning of 2021 we have changed the rate in which we introduce new crystals to the shop. This has dropped from weekly/fortnightly to monthly so that we can be more mindful of the capacity we are bringing in and putting out, instead we've placed a greater emphasis on bringing you more locally crafted, more handmade and more magic through curated tools beyond JUST crystals. We repurpose all stock packaging that comes into our space in our orders and never introduce new plastic protective packaging, this gives us a chance at furthering the life of materials that would ultimately have ended up in landfills. All packing materials that we do outsource are made from biodegradable, compostable and FSC approved paper. While we are not completely there yet, its our goal as we grow to implement as many eco conscious changes to our processes as possible. Suggestions are always welcome!
Thank you for supporting us on our soul journey here at Soul Alchemy ♡
-leyla
