Shilajit is a rare resource that is not easily found nor restored. Genuine, 100% shilajit resin may only be derived from rocks containing the substance characterized as mineral pitch. These rocks store organic matter, including amino acid bases, from plants mostly medicinal and adaptogenic. A unique combination of factors must be present for shilajit with beneficial properties to be formed. These components together undergo humification, the process that forms mineral pitch. Thus, shilajit may only be foraged from certain regions of the world; that includes Caucasus, Altai, Himalayas, Siberia, and Mongolia. Although rocks bearing shilajit may also be found in places as far as Antarctica. The right environmental factors such as air pressure, temperature, solar radiation and extreme changes of temperature must be present to create the healing qualities of shilajit. In contradiction to popular myth, that shilajit is only found at very high altitudes, high altitudes are not always a factor in the formation of shilajit. The substances must also be ripe enough for optimal levels of beneficial nutrients to be formed. These processes must be allowed to continue for at least 40 years. When conditions are ideal, a shilajit-bearing rock is formed. This is the only source of real, unadulterated shilajit. Most commercial brands of shilajit are sourced from a substandard form only. This is known as a sedimentary rock formation which is very different from shilajit bearing rocks. It only contains remnants of the mumie where very low concentrations of shilajit can be extracted. Of course, the substandard quality of the end product naturally follows.