How we choose the stones

Where the stones come from

We buy from a small number of wholesale suppliers in Jaipur, Gujrat and Delhi. They cut and finish rough stone sourced from mines in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, and they import the material that is not found in India, most amethyst and citrine, for example, comes from Brazil and Zambia through the same trade.

We are a small shop and we do not visit the mines ourselves. We cannot, therefore, make first-hand claims about mining conditions at the source. What we can say is that we buy finished stone from established suppliers who provide testing documentation, and that we ask them about their material.

How the stones are tested

A sample from each batch we buy is tested by an independent gemmological laboratory in Jaipur. The report covers whether the stone is natural rather than synthetic or reconstituted, and whether it has been dyed, heat-treated, coated, or fracture-filled.

Testing is done per batch, not per individual stone, because most of what we sell is inexpensive tumbled and raw material where per-piece certification would cost more than the stone. For higher-value single pieces, large clusters, towers, lamps, we supply the specific batch report on request.

• Natural vs. synthetic or glass
• Dyeing and surface coating
• Heat treatment (relevant for citrine and some amethyst)
• Fracture-filling and stabilisation (relevant for turquoise in the 7-chakra sets)

What “natural” means here

Natural stone varies. Colour is uneven, there are internal veils and clouds, and no two pieces match a photograph exactly. Tumbled stones may have small pits or flat spots. Raw pieces have rough edges and the odd chip. None of this is a fault, it is what distinguishes a real stone from moulded glass or resin.

Where a stone is routinely treated in the trade and cannot be sold otherwise, we say so on the product page. The turquoise bead in a 7-chakra bracelet is stabilised so it survives daily wear; that is standard for turquoise at this price and we do not present it as untreated.

What we do not do

We do not sell dyed stone as naturally coloured. We do not sell glass or reconstituted powder as solid crystal. We do not describe heat-treated amethyst as natural citrine. If a supplier's batch fails testing on any of these points, we do not list it.

We also do not make health claims. Descriptions elsewhere on this site of what a stone is “for” draw on traditional and folk belief. They are not medical advice and crystals are not a substitute for care from a doctor.

Packaging and the blessing card

Every order ships wrapped in cloth with a printed care card and a hand-written blessing card, a few lines in Hindi and English. If the order is a gift, tell us at checkout and we will address the card by name.

Questions

If you want the batch test report for a piece you have bought or are about to buy, or you have any other question about sourcing, email hello@dadimaashop.com and a person will answer.