Frequently Asked Questions

Mineral chips are usually tumbled to slightly tumbled pieces that can range in size and shape. Most mineral chips are purchased from a crystal wholesaler and are usually sold by retailers on 3rd party marketplaces, like Amazon, Etsy, and Ebay. These stones are rarely curated or tumbled by the actual retailer. Mineral chips are purchased in bulk and sold in bulk, which is reflected in the low price and quality of the product.

Crushed minerals are very different! Currently, crushed minerals are not mass produced. At Maker’s Minerals, we hand-pick the material to be crushed; therefore, we can control the quality and consistency of our end product. From choosing the rough material piece by piece, to removing other minerals and host rock by hand, to processing and packaging our material - we control the entire manufacturing process of our crushed stones.  

We have forged great relationships with many rough stone and gem suppliers from all over the world. We keep in touch throughout the year and visit our vendors at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Shows each February. By keeping good connections with our suppliers, we can offer consistency and quality between each batch that we crush.     

 

ARE YOUR STONES GENUINE?

YES, absolutely! Maker's Minerals supplies quality, NATURAL minerals at an affordable price. All of our minerals are 100% natural and untreated unless otherwise stated. We strongly believe that if any treatment was applied, then it should be clearly stated for each mineral product. For example, we have lab-created or synthetic turquoise AND natural, untreated turquoise. Each mineral/product will explicitly state if the material is natural, lab-created, synthetic, dyed, or treated in the listing description and product title.

 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE THREE SIZES OF CRUSHED MINERALS?

Our crushed minerals come in three sizes: coarse, medium, and powder.  

Our coarse size consists of crushed material that ranges in size from 4 millimeters to 2 millimeters. This material is considered to be very coarse to coarse, similar to pea-sized gravel.

Our medium size consists of crushed material that ranges in size from 2 millimeters to 0.25 millimeters. This material is considered to be coarse to very fine sand.

Our powder size consists of crushed material that is less than 0.25 millimeters. This material is considered to be very fine grained and consists of particles that are silt sized and smaller. Many artists use these powders for paint pigment, but please note our powders do have a slight grit to them, which some artists prefer for added texture. If you require the material to be finer, you can further grind the material down in a mortar and pestle. 

  

HOW MUCH SHOULD I ORDER FOR MY PROJECT?

The starting weight for most of our crushed minerals is ½ ounce or 1 ounce. All minerals have different densities, so the exact amount will vary slightly for a given weight. In general, our ½ ounce offering is approximately one tablespoon of crushed material. However, if a certain mineral is extremely dense (i.e. pyrite), the smallest offering will be 1 ounce and is approximately one tablespoon of crushed material. It is best to remember that a small amount of material really does go a long way. If you need additional help determining how much you need for your project, please contact us at hello@makersmineral.com. 

DO YOU OFFER CRUSHED MINERALS BY THE POUND?

Yes, we offer larger amounts of each mineral in our coarse and medium sizes.  Please contact us at hello@makersminerals.com for availability, pricing quote, and schedule.

Crushed minerals in quantities larger than a pound will be crushed to order and may take up to 2-3 weeks to complete, depending on our schedule and if we have to purchase additional inventory. We have over 1,000 pounds of rough material in storage, so chances are that we do have it in stock!

Mineral powders are much harder to produce, so this size is not offered by the pound. Please note, we are strictly a retail company that does offer bulk pricing; however, we do not offer wholesale pricing for our products to be resold elsewhere.

 

WHAT IS MAKER’S MINERALS' "CLOSEOUT CORNER"?

Our "Closeout Corner" consists of minerals that are not the quality that we normally strive to offer. This is due to numerous factors such as: natural color variations, the presence of too much host rock, the presence of other auxiliary minerals, and/or staining due to natural weathering and erosion processes. We have hundreds of pounds of Missy's "rejects" and offer them for artists that don't necessarily need the highest quality for their particular project. These offerings will be steeply discounted - a great way to find a DEAL and help us minimize waste! Listings will be one time offerings until the material is sold out. Please check back often to see the newest selection. 

 

CAN I USE CRUSHED MINERALS IN MY COSMETIC PRODUCTS?

Maker's Minerals strongly discourages any use of our crushed minerals in cosmetic applications such as: creams, makeup, body scrubs, bath salts, etc. Natural minerals are made up of many different elements, like Iron (Fe), Chromium (Cr), Magnesium (Mg), Silica (Si), Aluminum (Al), and Titanium (Ti) (just to name a few) and should not be applied to skin, inhaled, or ingested. Crushed minerals are also jagged with varying degrees of hardness and can damage skin if used as an exfoliant in a body/skin scrub. Remember that just because an item is natural, does not make it safe to apply to the skin or to ingest.

 

WHAT PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT SHOULD I USE?

We recommend that customers use nitrile gloves when handling crushed minerals, especially mineral powders, to avoid contact with skin. To avoid inhalation of mineral particles, we also strongly recommend wearing a N99 mask if you are sanding minerals or are using mineral powders. In addition, make sure that you have proper ventilation when there is a possibility of any particles becoming airborne.

For example, we always wear 4 mil nitrile gloves, an N99 mask, and eye protection during the crushing process, when risk to exposure is high. 

 

DO YOU SHIP INTERNATIONALLY?

We ship to most countries and we generally use USPS, UPS, and on occasion, FedEx if requested. We will always strive to provide our customers the best shipping rate based on size, weight, and destination. All shipping options will be available at checkout. Please choose the appropriate shipping speed and courier for your location. 

Be aware that all shipments that are imported into ANY country outside the US may be subject to taxes (e.g. VAT), custom duties, and fees by the destination country. The duty rate varies depending on the type of product and the country where it was manufactured. We have absolutely no control over these charges as we are not informed of these fees prior to shipping and we cannot predict what they may be. Customers are responsible for settling all charges in accordance with their countries' laws prior to or upon delivery.  

Orders from the European Union OR the UK will not have VAT charged through this website, so VAT will be due upon delivery. Please contact me before purchase if you wish to buy on a site where VAT will be charged at the time of your purchase. 

***I am currently unable to ship to Germany and France due to EPR packaging laws. More European countries may be added to this list as EPR laws for each country are enacted. I apologize for the inconvenience.***

 

WHEN WILL MY ORDER ARRIVE?

We strive to process our orders within very short timeframes and ship within 1-2 business days, even during busy sales or holiday periods. The time it takes your package to get to you depends on the shipping method you choose at checkout and the destination of your package. If you reside in the US, most packages shipped with USPS Ground Advantage (formally First Class) will arrive in 3-5 business days, and most packages shipped with USPS Priority Mail will arrive in 2-3 business days. These are general delivery estimates for domestic orders; we do not guarantee delivery dates as there are many factors that can delay a delivery that are not within our control.

International delivery estimates can vary and are dependent upon the destination country. Please contact us if you would like more details.

 

WHERE IS MY ORDER?

Maker's Minerals ships all orders with tracking, including to locations outside of the United States. Our customers can follow their order using the tracking number that we always provide via email. Please contact your postal provider if you did not receive your package, especially if your tracking says "delivered". If you reside in the United States, we are happy to help you locate your misplaced package by calling your local USPS and getting GPS coordinates to help resolve the issue. 

Most of the time, our packages arrive on time without delays, but on some occasions, a package can get lost in the mail or arrive later than expected. Please note that the package must be more than 15 days late prior to filing a claim with most shipping companies. If your package has been delayed and you do not have the package when expected, please contact us and we will try to get as much information as possible.

Be aware that we are not responsible for errors made by the shipping carrier such as delays, additional fees and taxes, or packages being stolen off your doorstep or mailbox. If you suspect a mail theft issue in your neighborhood, please arrange to pick your package up at the courier’s location. 

Maker 's Minerals may include signature confirmation on larger orders, including international orders where tracking is less than optimal. Please make arrangements to sign for your package. 

 

DO YOU ACCEPT RETURNS? 

We accept returns for any reason as long as the item is returned in its original condition within the 30-day window. If you wish to return or exchange any product in your order, please send products back to us within 30 days of the delivery date.

Please email us at hello@makersminerals.com to request a return/exchange. In addition, please include your order number along with a brief description of the nature of the exchange/return. We will then provide you with our return mail address. 

Shipping fees that are incurred to send the product back to us are the responsibility of the customer. Once the item is received, we will submit a refund for the cost of the order minus the original shipping fees. For exchanges, the exchanged items will ship to the customer at no extra cost. 

We aim to refund you as quickly as possible. Most refunds are processed within 3-5 days of return, but can vary depending on the payment processor. All refunds are completed using the same payment method used on the original transaction.