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Taomi and Fernando

"I began to work with stones in 1988, when the New Age boom occurred in various parts of the world. I always had an adventurous spirit that released me into the world. As I never had money to pay for my trips, I became a modern peddler. I earned a living buying and reselling arts and crafts. After 1988, my friends' demands for crystals grew and I became fascinated by the business. I love working with crystals; they are nature's works of art, divine light solidified. Each stone has a function and a property. I myself cured a spinal column problem through crystaltherapy.

"We got married seven years ago and we are partners in everything - ever since we met in Cariva, an abandoned paradise by Deus no Sul in the state of Bahia where I've had an inn for more than 20 years. Taomi is Canadian, but has lived in Brazil since she was a child. As she also enjoyed traveling the world, her contacts outside of the country have greatly helped our business.

"We work directly with the rock collectors. Today, the collectors are also farm laborers. They maintain a level of subsistence throughout the year and only during dry spells do they look for stones. From the north to the south of Brazil certain regions are very arid and the rocks there are a great treasure. In general they are poor workers, like all the workers of Brazil, but highly respected in their communities. They are visionaries, when they find an important stone they later spend money without worrying about security. Our relationship with these workers is one of extreme confidence and much of the time I sell their pieces on consignment."