I first met the owner of the lapidary at the 2006 Gem and Mineral show in Tucson, Arizona. At that time I was working for a crystal shop in Utah and was at Tucson primarily as a “pack mule” to help carry all the stones. It was generally agreed by our crew that the “Madagascar” tent contained the most beautiful stones in the entire show.

In 2014, I embarked on my first buying trip for Moonrise Crystals. The company I knew of only as “Madagascar” was the one company I was most determined to find and buy from. This lapidary company only sells at a handful of major gem shows. The only time they are in the USA is for the Tucson Gem Show. During the rest of the year, the lapidary hand polishes their stock and also does charity work in their local community. They continue to offer some of the most beautiful tumbled stones in the industry and are among my favorite suppliers.

In 2019, Moonrise Crystals and the Madagascar lapidary company joined together to financially support a rural school in Madagascar. In 2022, we plan to build a library with books in Malagassi and French.