Where do your stone come from & how are they prepared?

We only use basalt stone for our massage stone sets. We have sources along the beaches in Central and South America that we harvest them from. They have been power-cleaned, sorted and then evaluated for their surface quality before matching, packaging and labeling them based on size and function. The stones are not treated with oil prior to shipping. Oil, when left on the stones and then sealed in a plastic bag, provides ample opportunity for bacterial growth and rancidity to develop during transport. This can put both the practitioner as well as their clients at risk. Also, different therapists like to use different oils in their treatment, and we leave it to you to decide what product to use when initially coating the stones. You will notice that once you apply any oil or get the stones wet they will take on a darker color. After the first application of oil the stones will partially absorb the oil through the microscopic pores that occur naturally in basalt stone. As the stone absorb the oil they may return to their natural color, which is typically lighter a less vibrant than when they are coated in oil. Once oiled, or 'seasoned' they will typically take on the darker more lustrous appearance that you see in pictures.