The Crystal Ark

Really cool store on Granville Island. At first, I thought it might be a tourist trap but prices are very reasonable and they have great choice. I always go there when I go to Granville Island because they always get new stuff. I have bought some really cool stones there. You can get a bag of stones for set amounts depending on the size and I would say they are great deals. They also sell crystal skulls and jewelry. Very cool.

This is my go to store for gems natural fossils and anything spirtually linked to the gemstone world. Staff is super knowledgeable and very friendly. Go during the week for a energy lift! Have bought dozens of stones there and always been very happy with my purchases. THEY ROCK! HAHAHAHA.

I love this homey spot. It is so easy to just get lost exploring in here and super fun to take off your shoes and ground in their crystal pit. Going here on a weekday is preferable as it is much more calm and serene. Only of their employees, Melanie, was super friendly and I enjoyed chatting with her. To quote her, «the owner’s mission in opening this shop was to provide crystals to the people at affordable prices, however to still have high end crystals for those who are interested in spending more.»

this is one of my favorite places to visit in the city of Vancouver. when it’s not busy ;) I am a collector of cool stones, crystals and various ‘earth art’, and this place has always had something that blows me away.
at time the crystals in here can be almost beyond belief … clusters of clear quartz with individual points the size of your forearm, amethyst geodes you need a wagon to carry out, and all sorts of smaller pocket stones, rough stones, orbs, wands, palm stones, you name it …
the staff here are always helpful, always down to help answer any questions — and are keen on suggesting stones that might be what you are looking for.
this is a small shop packed with stuff. as a local I prefer to hit this place up early on weekdays when there are fewer tourists and granville islanders everywhere. it can get really crowded in here really really fast — which makes taking time to appreciate the many beautiful objects in here more or less impossible. two groups of tourists and a family walk in within five minutes of each other and all you can see are jackets and the stuff on the outer wall displays .
.and you definitely wanna check the displays in the middle. I have found several amazing stones hidden in those shelves amongst the jewellery. it can be easy to skip these shelves — particularly the lower ones on the register side. as they are easily obscured by people — especially if it is busy in here. I didn’t even see them the first few times I went in here and it winds up these lower shelves around the middle are the ones that hold the most amazing specimens. herkimer diamonds, moldavite, fulgurites ! I scored the most amazing raw malachite here not to mention hands down the most intensely purple piece of superman flourite I have ever seen … perhaps the nicest one that exists :)
of note are the prices — I have been to several other crystal /​rock shops in the city and nobody compares to the prices here. I’m not saying it’s cheap — but the prices are fair — and that’s more than can be said for most of the other places selling semi-​prcious stones and crystals to the public.
someday I will have enough money saved up to buy one of the massive crystal clusters from this place — but for now I am content to pop in and look at the smaller stuff, pick out ones that speak to me, and I enjoy talking rocks with the staff.
highly recommend this place to all lovers of stones and crystals, you can even wax metaphysical with the staff when they have time. when I come here and they don’t have anything that I want (rare but it has happened twice) I spend a few bucks and fill a little baggie with tumbled stones (you can fill a bag with various pocket stones here for a few bucks — depending on the size of the bag). and then I give those stones away to people.
great shop. love it.

I never left this place empty handed. I love real stones and gems and their cuts give the rock a new look. Customer service is fast and awesome. You don’t have to wait too long in the line up even though they are always busy

OMG what an awesome find. I only found this place ’cause I took a wrong turn on Granville Island. It is weird ’cause I at least go to Granville Island at least 6 times a year and never seen this place before. This place is behind the Children’s Market. If the guy at the coffee shop (reviewed earlier) didn’t show me the shortcut than I would’ve completely missed this place all together. I love rocks and gems, especially polished ones in different shapes. I bought a few rocks and crystals as I am into that sort of new age stuff. Very decent prices. Shop is small, however, there is so much quality selection it is amazing. The lady was awesome and nice.

What a spectacular find during my trip to Vancouver!
The Crystal Ark on Granville Island is a cozy little shop full of treasures. They have a beautiful selection of stones and mineral specimens, all at incredibly reasonable prices.
The staff were all very lovely and helpful during my several visits to the shop, allowing me to peruse as long as I’d like.
It’s on my «must re-​visit» list for future trips to Vancouver.

Amazing service and selection. I felt absolutely taken cared of by the staff. Very knowledgable and courteous.

The lady in black today was so nice today!!! She helped us so much and answered every question that i had and she had a lot of knowledge on stones!

Pretty rocks. Dirt cheap.

Beautiful selection of stones and crystals with knowledgable staff who will let you know what’s-what. I’m always happy to see this place with multiple customers, despite the tight quarters. I have been able to find an array of gorgeous crystals and bracelets here, really great quality. I also thing the outdoor space with he stones you’re encouraged to walk shoeless on is super rad.

Crystal Ark has a beautiful selection of stones. Their jewelry is absolutely gorgeous. The woman that helped me was very knowledgeable about the stones and very friendly. The vibe in the store is very relaxing, there is something in there that puts you at ease.
Crystal healing may not be for everyone but there is no denying that the jewelry is beautiful.

Imagine a guy walks into a lumber yard:
GUY: I need some lumber.
CLERK: We have many kinds of lumber. There’s Spruce. This here is Maple. We also have Fir.
GUY: What’s the difference?
CLERK: Spruce can make you more creative if you build with it under a full moon. Fir can assist you in decision making if you build with it during the Winter Solstice. And Maple retards hair loss if you rub it on your scalp before going to sleep.
GUY: Whaaa? It’s just lumber.
CLERK: Well yes, but THIS lumber has special properties.
GUY: How so?
CLERK: It’s all about energy.
GUY: Energy? I don’t understand. Energy is a measurement of something’s ability to do work.
CLERK: It enhances your Chi.
GUY: What the hell is Chi?
CLERK: Chi is energy.
GUY: So this lumber enhances my energy? I absorb it’s power and then my body converts it into chi?
CLERK: Uh, yeah.
GUY: Do I eat it?
CLERK: No, generally people rub it on their body or let it hover over them. Some lumber prefers to be swung from an expensive gold chain.
GUY: And this transfers the energy to my body how exactly?
CLERK: Well the precise mechanism remains a mystery.
GUY: Are you sure you’re not just using the word ‘energy’ because it sounds scientific? Don’t you really mean omnipresent unmeasurable invisible mystical life-​force?
CLERK: Look, do you want the magic lumber or not?
GUY: Well it is pretty nice lumber. How much?
CLERK: $ 7.00 a yard.
GUY: But I can get the same lumber across the street for $ 4.00 a yard.
CLERK: Ah yes. But they sell regular lumber. THIS lumber has magic powers.
GUY: Okay. I’ll take three yards of Fir. What are those things over there?
CLERK: Those are bricks. My brother-​in-​law had kidney stones so I threw one at his head. He passed the stone which proves it works, except now he speaks with a lisp.
Replacing the word ‘crystals’ with the word ‘lumber’ illustrates the wacky world of Crystal Therapy.
I bought some beautiful crystals here (long story) and was charged a premium due to their magical properties. I later discovered I could have rented them elsewhere or bought them for a lot less.
This store sells really interesting geological oddities which I think is pretty cool and educational. I don’t understand why they can’t leave it at that. They are beautiful and in many cases rare. That’s enough for me. I don’t need them to be magic too.
If you want to believe they have magical healing powers go ahead. I don’t care. Surely no one is gullible or desperate enough to use them as an alternative to real medicine are they? I hope not.
But for giving their products special powers that don’t exist simply to drive up the price Crystal Ark lands on my Swindler’s List list.

I enjoy looking at the huge pretty crystals that I could never justify buying. If you like doing that too, then this is the place for you.
This place is full of crystals, stones, jewelry, and other goodies. If you don’t have a lot of money, there are plenty of reasonably priced stones and crystals to choose from.
A great thing is the rock pit at the side of the store. For as little as $ 3 you can take some pretty stones home. It’s also a free babysitter for kids, since there are tons of stones they can dig through.

I’m not a big fan of crystals, but if you are then you’ll probably adore this place. It smells like incense and it is full of crystals in all shapes, sizes and colours. You’ll find plenty of aquamarines, amethysts, and emeralds here too.

This Granville Island mainstay is pretty cool. A store full of polished stones, crystals, fossils, jewelery, and more. You can bag your own gems for about $ 5 per small baggie, or ask the knowledgeable and spiritual staff to help you choose. I prefer bagging my own, as slipping off my shoes and entering barefoot into a «sandbox» full of smooth rocks was a treat for my feet!