The Crystal Deposit
According to experts, our crystal deposit is a geological gem. It is one of Canada’s great natural phenomena, due to a rare giant quartz vein and 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 (Crystal Sanctuary) and began studying the site 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 crystal deposit 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 use. In our first year (1989) we established several objectives: to collect the crystals on a small scale with respect for environmental concerns; to create an interpretation centre which would present the crystal deposit to visitors; to offer workshops on subjects related to quartz crystals. In 1994, we began giving Sonomeditation® concerts; presentations of musical instruments made of crystalline materials. Between 1989 and 2019, 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.
We prefer to speak of crystal collecting rather than mining, as the crystals are gathered by hand, on a small scale, with great respect for the site and its natural environment. It is both challenging and exciting work!
The entire site is now private - there is no access for the public.Our crystals are sold exclusively via email order.
Since 1989, we have collected quartz crystals with exceptional clarity in the open-pit crystal mine. Here, Gaudry Normand is holding a crystal he just discovered in the deposit. It has to be cleaned, in order for its clarity and brilliance to be fully revealed!
Our largest crystal measures 1 m (3 ft) in length. Since we first began, we have discovered more than 30 shapes or morphologies of quartz crystals in our crystal deposit.
We have extracted thousands of crystals from our crystal deposit 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 collect 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 they have 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 unique gems of nature!
Every specimen from our crystal deposit is sold in a pristine, natural state.
The site is located in the Appalachian Mountains at an altitude of 400 meters (1,300 feet).