Crystal balls

Occasionally I look at the wellness craze as harmless enough: if "healing" crystals make people feel better physically and psychologically through the placebo effect, then who am I to criticise? Most of the time, though, it looks cynical and opportunistic, preying on the gullible and the vulnerable.

But, as this article makes abundantly clear, it's not just consumers who are ruthlessly exploited by the crystal industry; on the contrary, those who actually mine the stones do so in an unregulated fashion and in horrific conditions but see only a sliver of the profits. Those who do reap the rewards aren't ignorant of the circumstances but seem unconcerned, paying lip service to the concept of ethical supply chains, swatting away concerns with talk of good "intentions"  and shifting responsibility to the consumer.

(Thanks to Luke for the link.)