Mama's Minerals — Local services in Albuquerque

Buyer Beware! I have been shopping at Mama's Minerals for more than a year. From day one I felt uncomfortable while shopping. On October14, 2021, I learned the hard way that some of the silver was plated rather than .925 sterling. When I brought it to the staff's attention, I was told I had to speak with the manager. I brought the piece in question as well as a read-out from Rio Grande showing that the piece was only 5% silver. When I explained to the manager how this adversely affected my business and reputation, she blamed it on the vendor and said that she couldn't be held responsible for the "error." She begrudgingly credited me the $80 for the bracelet but failed to compensate me for the loss of reputation the situation cost me or for the time I spent making and removing the silver-plated pieces from many bracelets. Despite the fact that she never apologized, I decided to move forward and continued to do business with them.

A few weeks later I returned to the store. Curiosity pulled me to the silver case. The pieces that I had purchased were no longer in the case which led me to believe that they had corrected the error and that, surely, they had tested the rest of the silver to ensure that it was .925 sterling silver and not plated. This left me confident to buy silver from them once again. Which I did, quite often, spending hundreds of dollars over the next few months. Two weeks ago, I saw the manager in the store, and she noticed me. I picked out quite a bit of silver and asked for assistance. She instructed the employee to perform a scratch test on several of the pieces I picked out. Some of these came back plated. The cashier asked me if I was still interested in purchasing them. I told her no, that I did not use silver plated pieces with my real stones.

I could not believe that they still had plated merchandise in the case marked as sterling silver. The following week, the same thing happened. I came home and inspected the bracelets that I had used those same plated pieces in over the last six months and discovered that I had a vast inventory of merchandise that contained these plated pieces. I had been selling these pieces for months thinking that I was selling .925 sterling silver. These pieces are featured on my web site advertised as sterling. I now have to spend hours correcting these issues -- removing the photos from the site and removing the pieces from the bracelets, trying to recreate them without the silver or with new silver pieces. I cannot correct the pieces that I have already sold, nor can I correct the damage that this can do to my reputation and business.

Today, when I asked the cashier why they haven't tested the silver prior to putting it in the case, she could not answer and went and got the manager who had the nerve to tell me that she was sick of bending over to please me and that several employees complained that I was rude -- which is untrue (in fact, it is the opposite). She told me "to bring the silver back." When I explained that most of it was already in bracelets, that the pictures were already on my web site, and that I had already sold a great deal of it, she told me that she was ending our relationship and refused to sell me the merchandise that I already had picked out. I went home and retrieved approximately 70 loose pieces and 50 bracelets that contained "silver" that I purchased from them. I have no way of knowing if any of it is real, because the scratch test was not performed on anything I purchased when the manager was not in the store. This leaves me in a F___ed up position. When I got to the store with these pieces, I asked for the manager. Another manager came out and aggressively told me to leave the store. When I asked to return the loose pieces as the other manager had told me I could, she said that since they were not going to do business with me, I needed to leave the store. I will be posting pictures and proof that Mama's Minerals knowingly sells silver plated pieces as sterling silver. They know they have an issue and continue to scam...

Edited Review I have read the owner's response and appreciate her attempts at clarification. Businesses that have an outward appearance of standing against racism can, and do, still profile individuals. Further, the owner appears to assume that I know the other reviewers ("teens") who reported a separate instance of possible profiling - going as far to suggest I mentor strangers I have no way of contacting. I would extend this same offer to her, as she appears to have known the customers, and has ample resources to provide outreach to such youth as a business owner. Additionally, it is not the primary responsibility of oppressed communities to work to deconstruct racism. However, I appreciate her willingness to collaborate with these groups for change and improvement in our shared community.

I believe that the owner of this business has good intentions. Misunderstandings can occur. Hopefully, what we experienced was not profiling - and if it was, I trust that current employees have been trained to treat customers fairly. I would like to share what spurred my original review, but the owner did not provide a response email or any way for me to respond to her defense. I will visit the store again and re-evaluate my past experiences, as the crystals were always wonderful and the birthday discounts were appreciated.

Original Review: I’ve spent hundreds, if not thousands here. Quality is good, but I haven’t gone in a few years due to customer service concerns. I noticed a comment from 5 months ago that mentioned profiling. Unfortunately, I think this is true. I had been a long time customer and have never stolen. However, I stopped going because I noticed the same profiling behavior from employees. Certain people will be followed around by employees and watched like a hawk (dark-skinned customers, no matter their look or attire) while middle aged Caucasian women are not followed or watched. They are left to shop like regular customers. This is very sad to assume certain people should be watched and others shouldn’t based on age and skin color. This business lost a regular customer in me due to this. I even brought family to this store and they noticed the same thing without me saying anything. If you are of color, I suggest buying your crystals online - you can find the same items and won’t be treated like you’re a thief when you’re there to spend $. You can also visit Liberty Gems or Southwest Minerals in Albuquerque, or Natural Stones in Santa Fe. If you are white and middle-aged you can shop here with no problems and without being bothered. It seems the owner stands behind this practice, based on comment replies. If you are white and looking to steal, this is probably the place for you - no one will be watching, they’ll be too busy staring down the brown-skinned regular customers.

They also have a poor rewards system. After dozens of purchases, I apparently racked up a ton of points which equates to discounts. The employees that informed me of this were marveling that I had so many points accumulated but had never used them on purchases. The reason I had not used those points is because no employees ever informed me I had them, despite me checking in at every visit. Their tracking of rewards apparently needs work. Customer service is just lacking all around. It was not like this when they were located...

I recently visited Mama's Minerals for the first time and can firmly say I was quite impressed by the sheer size of the extensive collections of rocks, fossils, art pieces, and equipment. I learned that this shop is the largest of its kind in New Mexico at 7,000 sq.ft and attracts collectors, art and jewelry makers, and rock/fossil enthusiasts of the like. I am writing this primarily as a reference to others who might be interested in exploring new and interesting places such as this one that offers an experience you would not typically expect in Albuquerque. As I entered Mama's Minerals for the first time I was very impressed and greeted with the display of the very large amethyst cathedral geode and majestic rock fountain. The displays of exoctic rocks and minerals were very organized in specific sections. The lighting was excellent which made close examining of the various items very easy. The extensive display of various minerals, rocks, fossils, equipment and art materials certainly met the expectations that myself along with enthusiasts would have. I have never seen broader collections of fossils and minerals before. The layout of the store is very open and organized although some areas feel a bit cluttered. The staff was very friendly, informative, and resourceful in giving me additional info on different types of rocks and fossils and where they are found or come from. Even though I am aware we live in Albuquerque where crime is above average, I generally do not like the aspect of rod iron doors and windows compounded with high surveillance security which has a prominent presence in this shop. The front of the building is completely covered with metal bars. I take security very serious myself but the rod iron and cameras set a somewhat authoritative aura that can come off as unfriendly at first sight. Overall I enjoyed my visit at this fine shop and would gladly return. I would strongly recommend this location to anyone wanting to step outside the box and experience something out of...