FAQ ~ WUT? ~ Q&A

I hope you have questions and thoughts about what CLAIM YOUR VIBE is all about because it’s important to be mindful when you’re purchasing crystals.  Fakes, dyes, misrepresentations are hella common in this industry but they’re not even the biggest thing you’d likely be concerned with.

Most of us crystal, mineral, and energy enthusiasts desire wellness for and in the whole world.  We want to do right by nature and we want to do right by our neighbor.  So imagine how upsetting it would be to learn that the crystal you “scored” is from a country that has 679 charges of human rights violations against it for its mining practices. 

 Like, no. We are not supporting that type of atrocious activity and we feel it’s important to take a stand and explain why so that you can also make a more informed choice and we at CLAIM YOUR VIBE can elevate our industry’s selling standards in the process.

That’s the type of content you’ll find here. Welcome to CLAIM YOUR VIBE’s version of FAQs.

Hypothetically asked questions

Right?  Lol.  Crystals are no doubt powerful energetic tools that can assist us in removing blocks or stagnant patterns that hold us back,  but I promise that crystals will never “heal” you.  How could they?  They aren’t medicine, they aren’t within your body, why would anyone place such an unreasonable expectation on a gorgeous rock?

Crystals aren’t going to “heal” you inasmuch as they will support you. 

Crystals are happy to help support you through dark times, good times, and all times.  Please do not look to a crystal for healing, look to them for support on your healing journey.

Purchasing ethical crystals shouldn’t have to be hard but the industry lacks international certification or any enforceable requirements to establish ethical and humane mining standards.  This means the low-priced crystal you saw on a random IG store could come at the high price of child labor, deforestation, or any other form of illegal or destructive mining.  Ugh!  

So how do we navigate ethical crystal sourcing in an unregulated industry?  Well, at CLAIM YOUR VIBE we start by defining what ethical means to us and the type of business we want to be and then make decisions from that space.  We believe in fair wages, safe working conditions, meaningful work, respect for people, the planet, its creatures, and abundance for all!  We want to do right by nature, right by people, right by the universe.  

And when we know better, we do better.  This is why you will not find any crystals on our site sourced or imported from China, even if it means we will have to pass on a lot of potential inventory on ethical grounds.  We’re okay with that because it’s more important for us to live with ourselves. Though there are more Chinese-owned and controlled mines throughout the world than any other, the complaints of human rights violations are common and horrifying.   

In Zimbabwe, where so many of the gorgeous crystals you love are from, The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission asked for accountability from a  Chinese-owned mine for rampant abuse of local Zimbabwe workers, including one who was shot 5 times in 2020 after seeking his paycheck in USD rather than local currency as the mine owner promised.  Yeah, no.

So in an effort to source as ethically as possible, we research our sources and never assume anyone shares our definition of ethical so that we can use the information they provide to determine whether the business does things like offer fair wages, protect employees from dangerous conditions and lapidary related toxins, provide us with genuine product with accurate information regarding its origin, and whether their mining practices are having a positive impact on a local level. 

And when good mines like that exist, we find them and build relationships so that we can feel good about ourselves and the inventory we sell to you.  

This is tough because some sellers are priced so high that it’s equally as suss as the low ones. 

I’m personally suss about anything that is priced significantly lower than what anyone else is selling.  Why do you think you’re getting that deal?  It could be fake, it could be a scam, or it could be genuine but from an unethical source.  Red flag all day. 

Think about it.  A person has to personally mine for these one-of-a-kind crystals and often in uncomfortable spaces.  Those individuals must be fairly compensated along with anyone polishing, shaping, cutting them, and the business that provides me with the product.  And since they are shipped from far off lands to make themselves available traveling the world in gazillion pound boxes, why would these treasures ever come “cheap” when there’s so much cost involved? 

But then there are those that are insanely overpriced.  So then what’s up with that?  If a seller is personally mining the specimens themselves, then pay that man!  Or if they’re a shop that is selling something super rare, then prepare to pay for that one of a kind specimen. Sometimes there isn’t a whole lot available and we don’t need to dig to the center of the Earth in dangerous conditions just so we can all have Ajoite in our homes.

So if it’s not super rare, super large, super high grade, or super hard to get– fair to say it’s super suss.  Use common sense and don’t get ripped off.

We do!  What we don’t sell is baked amethyst (HTA) which is commonly labeled as “Citrine” (but it’s not).

True Citrine is gorgeous and rare but we definitely find it from time to time but it sells out quickly upon landing in the shop.  Trust that I am always seeking Citrine too!  

Intuition is a sense of knowing something without having a logical reason why.  Most people are aware of their intuitive senses on some level or have at least experienced it through something like receiving a text from a person they were just thinking about.  We can strengthen and develop our intuitive nature through meditative practices, crystal work, and various exercises. 

When CLAIM YOUR VIBE says something is “intuitively selected,” it means we use our developed intuition to channel your general auric field to guide us in selecting the specific crystals in fulfilling your order.

When we say something is “randomly selected” it means we aren’t using any intuitive process in fulfilling your order and are grabbing each specific item at random.  

Options like these are important because some people don’t want randos in their energy while others love a vibe-check and sometimes we are different on different days.  

Yeah- no.  There are tons of different types of sage and we won’t sell them because of their cultural significance to Native Americans.  The commercialism of sage has actually caused some species to become endangered, making it more difficult for indigenous people to harvest their medicines.  

Also, I’m not Native American and I haven’t experienced discrimination like indigenous people have in my lifetime so it seems insane to offer products for profit off of what’s sacred to their culture.  But I know a girl!  Shop her!