Our Industrial Mineral Friends

I know that we sell crystals for healing and we emphasise the metaphysical side of crystals and minerals. But I thought it would do no harm to remember that crystals and minerals have more mundane, but equally vital uses, in our modern industrial world.


Did you know that the water pipes in your house are mostly made of Copper ?

Likewise, the electric cables that carry current to your light bulb when you turn on the switch. These cables are also made of Copper.

Did you know that the coins in your pocket are made of a Nickel, Copper and Silver mix called CuproSilver ?

In the Bathroom each morning, a lot of people powder themselves with a particular variety of finely crushed stone to keep themselves dry. It's called Talc.

Other folk spray themselves under the arms with anti-perspirant containing Aluminium to keep themselves dry.

Still others use natural deodorant sticks made from Quartz.

Fillings in our teeth can be made of Mercury, and crowns and caps can be made from Gold.

Next time you look at your cars engine, look at the blue ring at the bottom of the spark plugs. Those rings are made from Kyanite and they are there to conduct heat away from the plug.

Did you know that Lasers shine red because their light is focused through a ruby ?

Very low grade Diamonds, Sapphires and Rubies are all used as sandpaper and abrasives.

Did you know that Lithium is extracted from Lepidolite to make Duracel batteries ?

Granite is quite popular for kitchen worktop surfaces at the moment.

Did you know that a mineral called Bauxite is mined as the worlds leading source of Aluminium - used for making the car that you drive and the aeroplane that you fly in when you go away on holiday.

And speaking of cars, the roads we all drive on are surfaced with Asphalt and Bitumen, also mined from the earth.

Malachite is used as a green pigment by artists, and Azurite as a blue pigment.

Did you know that Graphite is actually used to make the "lead" in a lead pencil ?

Did you know that Fluorite has a wide range of industrial uses but particularly as a flux (something added to aid fusion) in iron smelting ?

There are many minerals used for jewellery, Rubies, Sapphires, Emeralds, Diamonds and many, many others.

When you cook on gas and you press the little button on your cooker that makes a spark to ignite the gas, that spark is generated by two pieces of Quartz striking each other.

And lastly, lets not forget that nearly everyone reading this will probably, at some time today, have used another finely crushed mineral mined from the earth to sprinkle directly onto their food, which they then happily eat. That would be Halite - or Salt to you and me !


Our world as we know it today, would be but nothing without our mineral friends !

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