Growing up, I lived in a mountain town not far from Sedona, Arizona, a world-renowned epicenter of all things “new age.” So, naturally, our downtown had a crystal shop, aptly named Crystal Magic. I always felt a pull to it and was energized by the sensory experience of walking through its swinging door. The smell of patchouli hung thick throughout the shop. Beads, ornaments, and chimes hung from the ceilings, and shiny, sparkling rocks and crystals—all begging to be touched—crowded wall-to-wall shelves.
Now looking back, I recognize the intangible and mysterious pull I felt to Crystal Magic is the very same thing that has propelled the crystal energy and healing industry into the high-growth business powerhouse it has become today.
The Crystal Magic & Healing Boom
Over the past few years, thanks to celebrity attention and new interest in natural health and the metaphysical, business around crystal and energy healing have skyrocketed. Google search history for the term “crystal healing” rose by 40 percent from 2014 to 2018. A search for crystals on Etsy returns more than 2 million results.
Across social media, auction sites like eBay, e-commerce and brick and mortar retail, sales of healing stones are pervasive. Exact figures to quantify the market are hard to pin down, though some sources have estimated the industry at around $1-1.5 billion.
Even before the recent surge in mainstream interest, many entrepreneurs had already staked their claim in this market. The Crystal Magic shop from my hometown has been in business for more than 30 years. One of the pioneers of crystals in e-commerce, Energy Muse, reported that its sales doubled over a few years alongside the latest trends. The company, which started out selling crystal jewelry designed to bring financial prosperity and good luck, has been in business since 2000.
3 Companies Profiting From The Crystal Magic Trend
1. Inner Vision Crystals
Mike Eggleston's Inner Vision Crystals is another small company that's been at the good vibrations business since before it was on-trend. In 2006, Eggleston, tired of the corporate hustle, was looking for a new path. A series of events led him to the Herkimer diamond crystal mines near his home in Hamilton, New York, to start digging on opening day. He sold his findings for $300 on eBay, marking the birth of his new venture.
He continued to mine for inventory and sell on eBay while working at his full-time job. After two years, he had saved enough to resign the nine-to-five lifestyle and focus solely on growing his direct-to-consumer online store. Today, he operates out of a 1,400 square foot warehouse space and retains three full-time employees to help with photography, shipping, and inventory. In 2019, his at-home, bootstrapped business surpassed $1.5 million in sales.
Increased Competition
I asked Eggleston about the increasing competition in his industry. It's clear that he welcomes it and views it as a forcing function for growing his business. It's also reinforced his approach of carving out a niche market, which has helped him build respect and long-standing relationships with sources, jewelers, private collectors, museums, universities, and metaphysical buyers.
“This is not an easy business to think you can just start selling rocks and making money,” Eggleston said. “[Inner Vision Crystals] sticks to offering quality, and staying away from the cheaper stuff puts us in a unique position. We have also built around fast shipping, no-hassle customer service. It takes a lot to make things run smoothly at this level, and I have my team to thank for that.”
Building trust and focusing on specific rare crystals has been a mainstay in Eggleston's business from the beginning. On eBay, he established a 100 percent rating for more than 4,700 orders for high-quality moldavite, phenakite, Herkimer diamonds, and other popular stones. His worldwide customer base eventually transitioned over to his direct website, email community, and social media platforms. He and his team have their eyes on more growth, adding to their jewelry line and continuing to work with sources to offer the best crystals available.
“Be original,” Eggelston offered for aspiring entrepreneurs. “You have to stay true to your vision, or the universe will put you in your place. Key ingredients: be humble, listen, research, don't get greedy and be honest with your clients! Always be honest. Be the best you can be.”
2. Moonrise Crystals
Julie Abouzelof, founder and owner of Moonrise Crystals, an independent online crystal shop based in Hawaii, said she'd met sellers who have worked in the industry for generations. However, she started her business out of her home in 2014, just as the recent trend was picking up steam. Like Eggelston, Abouzelof agrees that the industry is thriving right now. She said she sees a lot of entrepreneurs entering and exiting the market all the time.
“Some people are really worried about competitors, and I don't. There's plenty to go around,” Abouzelof said. “Healing crystals has gotten a little on-trend at the moment, but this is like the most universal thing. I talk to my customers a lot, and it's cross-cultural, all religions, old, young, really rich, really poor. It's a very universal phenomenon.”
Working with customers is one of Abouzelof's favorite parts of the crystal business, and one that she sees as very different from any other retail shop.
“It's not unusual for people to reach out at really pivotal times or with very personal news. A real person is bringing a real-life moment, and we need to be able to honor that, hold space for it and send comfort or celebrate them. With most retail, you don't do that. We take something so intangible and make it a physical thing you can hold, and it becomes an anchor.”
Ethical Crystal Sourcing
Beyond the company's approach of viewing each customer as a “vulnerable soul,” Moonrise Crystals also differentiates through its focus on ethical sourcing. Dubbed by Abouzelof as “earth to pocket,” her brand is centered on high quality at every level, especially the ethics of the supply chain, from mine, to polishing facility, to transport, to distributor. According to her, it's not an area where many others in her industry are focused. Abouzelof is so dedicated to the issue of ethical sourcing she's writing a book to help educate others in her industry.
Moonrise Crystals' differentiators seem to be working. Revenues have grown every year since she started out, and while she was once selling predominantly on Etsy and eBay, most sales now come from the Moonrise Crystals direct-to-consumer site. Abouzelof also measures success outside of financial metrics. She appreciates the financial growth, but at the same time, views her strides toward a more ethical industry as another critical benchmark.
3. Tiny Rituals
In 2007, siblings Sam and Benn Mendelsohn set out to India to connect to the culture of mediation and yoga that helped shape their upbringing. They were shaken by the severe malnutrition of children in impoverished communities—and learned about the prevalence and effects of Vitamin A Deficiency Disorder (VADD), a serious but preventable disease threatening more than 20 million children in India.
With the goal of tackling VADD at heart, they returned home to Encinitas, California, and soon founded lifestyle brand Sivana. In 2019, they carried the mission over to a new venture, Tiny Rituals. An online shop featuring energy crystal bracelets, Tiny Rituals donates 10 percent of profits to supplying vital nutrients to at-risk children and nursing mothers.
Authenticity and social good are the cornerstones of Tiny Rituals' strategy. The company focuses on providing quality products, listening to feedback, and learning from customers.
This approach has led to approximately 50 percent year-over-year growth for their first company, Sivana, every year since its founding. For Tiny Rituals, they see similar growth on the horizon, with the co-founders planning to launch additional jewelry items including rings, anklets, necklaces, and other accessories—with each item tied to a deeper meaning and crystal energy.
Crystal magic is no doubt a massive and growing market. Despite the noise and risk of over-saturation, many of the industry's entrepreneurs bring a passion, focus, and higher meaning not often found in other segments. Each with a unique purpose and specialty, they all seem to agree there is more than enough to go around.
“There is a shift in consciousness happening on this planet; people are becoming more aware, intuitive, open to energy work. I think it will continue to grow, and it's definitely going mainstream,” Eggleston of Inner Vision Crystals said.
