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Sharing a passion with others at Tottenham Vendors’ and Farmers’ market

August 1, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

Some people just see a rock.

Alex Thompson sees more than a rock – he sees the beauty of different kinds of rocks and crystals and brought his collection to the Tottenham Farmers’ and Vendors’ market on Sunday, July 27.

Alex collects unusual, unique, and valuable rocks from around the world and sells them at markets around the region.

There is a surprising number of people who appreciate the colourful rocks and take them home as decorative items.

“I was just in Austria hunting for garnets,” Alex explained. “You’ll find different stones from all over the world here (at his vendor stand). There are stones from Brazil, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and from all over the world. I find as many as I can. I make bracelets with them as well. In Canada, you have to have mineral rights to take stones out of the ground and sell them commercially.”

He became interested in geology after seeing the collection at the Royal Ontario Museum.

“I have a passion for it,” Alex explained. “I think it started in the Royal Ontario Museum after I spent a whole day in their rock room there. I pick them up as I travel.”

His collection has all sorts of beautiful rocks but also some very unusual ones. He has a large piece of lithium, which most people have heard of and know is used to make batteries, but probably have never seen it.

He has large pieces of amethyst that he got from a mine in Thunder Bay.

Alex is also very aware of gathering stones while protecting the environment.

“I’m making it my mission to make sure we are a responsible supply of crystals and minerals here in Ontario. It’s something I’m very passionate about.”

Alex displays many of the rocks and crystals on his Instagram site and you can see them at @OneKarmaCounty.

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