Sedat Çam turns accidental stone discovery into export business

Sedat Çam, a biologist living in Antakya, Hatay, has transformed a chance encounter into a successful natural stone business. His journey began in 2016 when he tripped over a unique stone while exercising to lose weight.

After an initial two-year period without any sales, Çam persevered, inspired by the resilience of singer Ferdi Tayfur. He traveled through 79 provinces across Turkey to collect specimens, eventually building a collection of approximately 15,000 stones spanning roughly 250 different species, including amethyst, citrine, and obsidian.

Operating from a workshop converted from his home's rooftop, Çam cleans his stones using only pressurized hot water to avoid chemicals. His stones are priced between 200 TL and 50,000 TL based on rarity, color, and authenticity. The business has expanded from a hobby into an export venture, with shipments reaching countries such as Argentina, Belgium, France, England, Romania, and Greece.