Mining crystals
According to experts, the crystal mine at Mine Cristal is a geological gem. It is one of Canada’s great natural phenomena, due to a rare giant vein of quartz with exceptional quartz crystals. This site is known to be a powerful vortex of pure energy.
In 1989, Gaudry Normand and Pauline Normand founded Mine Crystal and began exploratory mining in Bonsecours. They discovered a rich mineral deposit, a giant white quartz vein containing magnificent quartz crystals. Research indicated that this was the only mining region in Canada able to produce both a commercial quantity of quartz as well as first-rate quartz crystals.
Here we see the mining site as it looks today. In the past (1959 – 1963), a company founded by Mr. Joseph-Armand Bombardier explored the possibility of mining quartz rock at this location, for industrial uses. In our first year (1989) we established several objectives: to harvest crystals on a small scale with respect for environmental concerns; to create an interpretation center which would present the mine to visitors; to offer courses on subjects related to quartz crystals. In 1994, we began giving Sonomeditation® concerts; presentations of musical instruments made of crystalline materials. Between 1989 and 2018, more than 350,000 visitors participated in our different activities. In 2019, the tourist aspect was cancelled, as well as public access to the mining site.
Harvesting crystals in our crystal mine is hard work and very exciting!
Current vocations are harvesting crystals as well as conception, production and sales of Quartzophone® instruments.
Since 1989, we have been harvesting quartz crystals with exceptional clarity in the open-pit crystal mine. Here, Gaudry Normand is holding a crystal he just discovered in the mine. It has to be cleaned, in order for its clarity and brilliance to be fully revealed!
Our largest single crystals measure as much as 60 cm (24 inches) in length. Since we first began mining, 32 shapes or morphologies of quartz crystals from our crystal mine have been catalogued.
We have been regularly extracting crystals from our crystal mine since 1989.
Even though quartz makes up a third of the earth’s crust, there are only ten regions where top quality crystals justify their extraction: the Himalayas, Madagascar, Brazil, Columbia, the United States (Arkansas), Africa, Russia, Burma, China and Canada (Bonsecours, Quebec).
We harvest the crystals by hand. The extraction process respects both the environment and the crystals: we endeavor to keep the crystals whole and in a pristine state, so as to offer them as natural specimens.
Geologists have researched the origins of our quartz crystals and determined that the crystals grew at this location some 300 million years ago, in extreme conditions of heat and pressure. It is a privilege for us to participate in the discovery and extraction of these true gems of nature!
All the specimens from our crystal mine are sold in a pristine, natural state.
Mine Cristal is located in the Appalachian Mountains at an altitude of 400 meters (1,300 feet), in a pine tree forest with a view over distant mountains.