Some crystal aficionados tend to prefer raw, rough looking pieces instead of worked (tumbled or cut) ones. The theoretical reason lies in the idea that a rough crystal is somehow more “natural” than a polished one. But this idea is wrong.
“NATURAL” CRYSTALS ARE NOT FOUND IN STORES
In nature, crystals are not born broken and are not ready and available to be taken home. In order for a piece to be available in a shop and to be purchased, it must have previously been detached from the parent rock (breaking it) and, in most cases, also broken further several times until it reaches a suitable size for sale.
The extraction operations are generally carried out with drillers and dynamite and, consequently, are much more drastic and violent than any subsequent smoothing.
In other words, a piece of rock or mineral that appears raw to us is “natural” only in our human vision, while in reality it has already undergone heavy alterations. The only way to have a crystal in its natural state is not to have it, that is to go and look at it in its mother rock, refusing to break it to take it away.
BUMPS AND SCRATCHES
After extraction, the minerals are moved, loaded, transported and unloaded many times with mechanical machinery, subjecting them to an infinite number of impacts and rubbings, producing fractures and creating internal areas of structural weakness. The last stage of the process, sanding, which some people dislike, is by far the most delicate and respectful and is completely insignificant compared to the previous ones, especially after splitting the rock with dynamite.
ROUGH AND TUMBLED ARE EQUIVALENT
There is therefore no valid reason to prefer rough crystals over tumbled or cut ones, nor vice versa. There is no difference in effectiveness or usage. On the other hand, there may be a personal preference of an aesthetic or practical nature, given that the rough pieces often have points and edges that can be annoying.
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