The New Age message may mystify many, but in Mt. Ida they dig it--and its value is crystal clear.

MT. IDA, Ark. —  This is crystal country, New Age nirvana. They measure their crystals here by the ton.

Mt. Ida, in the heart of the Ouachita Mountains, is the self-proclaimed “Crystal Capital of the World,” home of the annual Quartz Crystal Festival, not to mention the World’s Championship Quartz Crystal Dig.

Some folks hereabouts have been mining quartz crystals for generations. But most of them barely eked out a living, selling what they had dug from the red clay to gem and mineral enthusiasts.

Then along came the New Agers, a loose network of spiritualists with beliefs in reincarnation, miracles, astrology and communicating with the afterlife.

They also believe that crystals have healing and energy-channeling powers. Actress Shirley MacLaine is perhaps the most famous of the crystal proponents. Actress Jill Ireland also has been known to use them, as has country singer Crystal Gayle.

Ancient Knowledge

Other users think putting a crystal cluster on top of the air conditioner will cut down on the electricity bill, that they increase gas mileage and that crystal technology was used on the fabled lost continent of Atlantis, and therefore the minerals carry ancient knowledge.

Whatever the case, belief in the power of crystals quickly translated into a multimillion-dollar industry for Arkansas, where 99% of the quartz in this country is mined. One estimate in 1987 put the amount of crystals bought in the United States at $100 million.

The place that felt most of the effect of the crystal craze was right here in Montgomery County, one of the poorest regions in the state, with perhaps the richest lode of crystals anywhere. It began a veritable Crystal Rush of the ‘80s.

“We’re sitting on the largest deposit of pure quartz crystal in the world,” said Paul Griffith, the coordinator of the Mt. Ida Chamber of Commerce.

Many crystals--pieces of clear, transparent quartz--are strikingly beautiful. Some of the larger crystal clusters, which sell for as much as $200 a pound, have clear points that shoot out in all directions, giving them the look of a huge, glittering jewel.

Major Producers

Back before the New Agers, quartz mining was the domain of three or four major producers who dug in huge, open pits. But when the prices started to climb in the mid-’80s, crystal seekers started showing up by the busload. By last year, more than 10,000 claims to mine quartz in the Ouachita National Forest had been filed.

“There are people who just go out in the forest and start digging,” said Gary Monk, a deputy sheriff charged with law enforcement in the national forest. “We’ve found holes that are 4 or 5 feet deep and 10 feet in diameter. The rangers are concerned about the people tearing up the land and not replacing it.”

At other times, thieves would hear about a good new vein of crystals that had been discovered and would dig it up at night, pulling out thousands of dollars of quartz in a few hours. Now, said Griffith, mine owners will post guards if they find a rich vein.

Market Saturated

With the huge increase of people mining for crystals, the market has become saturated and prices have fallen. Much of the business of dealing with crystals has returned to those who are in it for the long haul.

One of those is Sonny Stanley, whose grandfather began digging for crystals in the 1800s. He figures he has 200 tons of crystals sitting on tables in his back yard, give or take a ton, and that the family’s private crystal collection would be worth $500,000, if any of it was for sale. He has watched the crystal craze with some amusement.

“Some people thought they could come in here and make a bunch of money,” he said. “There’s a lot going to be out of this business pretty quick.”

But at least Mt. Ida will have the crystal festival to show for the craze, and Griffith takes much of the credit for it.

“Nothing would make me happier than to have it inscribed on my headstone that I was the founder of the Crystal Festival,” he said.