Crystal shops in Chico have experienced a dramatic spike in sales of the stone Moldavite, a phenomenon the owners credit to a new trend on TikTok. 

“From mid-January until about two weeks ago, I’ve sold about 300 pieces of Moldavite,” said Harrison Morrison, owner of Lotus Flower Imports.

Ital Imports owner, Scott Hodgkinson, has also benefited from the trend. 

“It’s hard for me to keep in stock,” Hodgkinson said. 

Moldavite is a stone that was created 15 million years ago when a meteor hit the earth over the Moldau River in Czech Republic. The stone has been used for hundreds of years and is believed to quicken one’s spiritual evolution by influencing life changes. Its popularity spread through videos on TikTok, spiking interest and conversation around the stone.

Both owners said that most people who come in asking for a product that they’ve seen on TikTok are uninformed. “They don’t know what they’re looking for, they just want it,” said Hodgkinson. 

According to Morrison, Moldavite has drastically gone up in price and value. 

“Moldavite is extremely expensive,” Hodgkinson said. “Most rocks sell by the pound. This stuff [moldavite] sells by the gram.” 

“I’ve been selling Moldavite for 20 years,” Morrison said. “I used to sell it for $8 to $10 a gram, now I sell it at $30 to $40 a gram.” 

Morrison attributes the inflation to TikTok demand, but also to the closing of the mines because of COVID-19.

Morrison said when people come in asking about Moldavite, he tries to educate them on how to ground themselves and protect themselves when using the stone. According to Morrison, Moldavite is known to give off intense vibrations that can sometimes result in nausea. 

“I’ve had people who come into my store and hold Moldavite for the first time, put it down immediately and say, ‘No way,’” Morrison said. 

“In the last five years people have gotten really into the metaphysical properties of rocks and crystals,” Hodgkinson said.

Hodgkinson believes crystals and rocks provide spirituality for younger generations.

“Moldavite is a life-changing stone,” Morrison added, “and people are ready for change right now.” 

 Hunter Casperson can be reached at [email protected].