Sedat Çam examines each stone he finds, shares them on social media and began selling his collection online in 2020 as interest grew.
What started as a literal trip over a stone turned into a lifelong obsession for one biologist, whose collection has since expanded to nearly 15,000 specimens across 250 distinct varieties, some of which are now exported internationally.
Sedat Çam, 42, who lives in Hatay’s Antakya district and works as a finance officer at a private company, began collecting stones in 2016 after tripping over one during a walk. His curiosity about stones grew as he began researching them and collecting different varieties during nature hikes whenever he had free time.
Çam carefully examines each stone he finds and shares them with fellow enthusiasts on social media. Growing interest in his collection led him to enter e-commerce in 2020.
In 2023, he converted the roof of his home in Kuruyer neighborhood into a workshop to better display his collection.
The workshop now houses nearly 15,000 natural stones from 250 varieties, including citrine, amethyst, fluorite, coral, obsidian, aquamarine and garden quartz. Çam sells the stones both in Türkiye and abroad.
Çam told state-run Anadolu Agency that he spends his free time either searching for stones in nature or working on his collection at his workshop.
He said searching for stones in nature helps him escape stress and find peace, adding that every stone he discovers gives him a different sense of enjoyment.
Çam brings the stones he collects to his workshop for detailed examination and carefully cleans each one.
“We only use pressurized hot water to clean the stones. We never use chemicals and we are against using them. We have never used chemicals for cleaning and do not intend to do so. We have special equipment for this. We also use paintbrush-style brushes and specially purchased toothbrushes to remove particles between the stones. We clean our stones thoroughly with toothpicks and long needles and try to send them to collectors who are passionate about stones,” he said.
Çam said that in addition to stones he collects himself in nature, he also sources stones from different parts of Türkiye, as well as countries including India, Pakistan, China and Japan.
He said stone enthusiasts contact him through social media.
“We have demand from abroad. We have sent stones to Argentina, Belgium, France, England and Romania. Last week, five boxes of stones were also sent to Greece. Our prices start at 200 Turkish Liras, while our most expensive product is priced at up to 45,000 liras,” he said.
