Crystal Pricing - Don't get hit!

While I WISH I could give you an exact breakdown of how much crystals are worth for each kind, there are just too many variables.  But hopefully this post will give you a little bit of knowledge that can help you determine the worth of a crystal you are looking to purchase.

Crystals have been known to possess immense value for centuries, and their worth is determined by many factors, including their rarity, size, color and quality. Much like a precious gemstone or diamond is, just in slightly different ways and with less specificity. One factor that affects a crystal's value is its origin. Some crystals are only found in certain regions, or even specific smaller pockets within the region, and the rarity of the location can drive up the crystal's value. Additionally, the quality of the crystal, including its color, clarity, and overall appearance, can play a significant role in its value. Moreover, the popularity of certain crystals can cause their prices to fluctuate over time.

Even the 'quality' aspect can have different layers.  Including the clarity, finish, coloring, formation, and breakage (aka does it have damage or not).

One of the main reasons for posting, and something that crystal sellers have been chatting about recently, is not only that I don't want you to end up with a fake, or even worse.... buying a fake at the price of a real one!  Really, I just wanted you to know that you should not gauge a fair market price for a crystal by the fake ones.  A $20 faux quartz is not going to be the same size or quality of a real $20. You can read more about how to tell if crystals are real on my previous blog post.

I did want to mention some things to watch out for on general crystal pricing. Sadly there is no hard or fast rule on how much crystals are worth, or obvious signs, just keep an eye out.

Prices Constantly Change

First off, prices are going to always be changing with crystals. We of course fall in to the supply and demand principles of the world just like anything else (also why we now have the fake crystals in the world). For example a few years back, tourmaline was dirt cheap (pun intended haha), but its popularity inflated the prices. (Not to mention minerals can become more scarce as they are mined). Some sellers will also be able to offer certain items cheaper than anyone else, but other minerals they will have to charge more for. So many factors go in to that. Quality (color, clarity, locality, special inclusions, formations, free of breakage, etc) is the biggest, size, locality, how much the wholesaler bought it for etc. So I'm not telling you to judge any sellers based off of that.

Beyond that, some sellers will be able to get a bulk discount on say pink amethyst, but they can't get as good of a deal on blue aragonite.  Just because that seller has a higher price on aragonite does not mean they are a scammer.  And again, quality matters!  But here are some things you should look for...

What to Look For

What I DO want you to look out for is people who are way too expensive across the board, because there are some who are just flat out being greedy.  Although I'm hoping they just genuinely don't KNOW how off they are on what their crystals are worth.   I'd like to point out that I'm not talking about any of the shops I follow online. What is worse, is these sellers I'm talking about also often do not know their crystals, and don't take the time to learn about them.  (PS, these aren't usually straight up crystal shops, they are people that sell other products typically, but have a crystal section or do live sales occasionally).  If you can't tell a herkimer diamond from a standing milky quartz on point... yikes!

Believe me, there is a lot to learn about the crystal world, and I am certainly NOT perfect and still learning myself, but there are certain things a crystal seller NEEDS to know. A common selenite piece for example, especially when everyone else is selling the SAME EXACT piece for $25 and under should never ever cost THREE times that. Seriously though.  Selenite is NOT a crystal that can range so widely in price, especially for something like a selenite slab or selenite spiral. A Selenite Spiral for example should NOT be $50, believe me I've seen it before!

And while there are a bagillion different crystals to learn, a Herkimer Diamond has a very distinctive look compared to a $15 milky quartz point. I legit saw someone selling a Brazillian quartz point (not even as nice as the picture shown here) as a Herkimer for $200 (that would have been worth MAX $40) and it broke my heart. They look nothing alike. PS, that was the SAME person that was selling the selenite spiral. Ugh!

Above all, remember size is not the biggest determination of how much crystals are worth, yeah it matters (get your minds out of the gutter!), but quality is generally always more important. Just because it is a big crystal, doesn't mean you should be charged hundreds of dollars for it.  A 2 pound rose quartz point could cost anywhere from $50-1000's depending on clarity, color, rarity, and all of those factors mentioned above.  You can't just be a crystal seller and go, wow that's a huge crystal, I'm gonna charge $600 for it. Oy.

We aren't all perfect, don't get me wrong, I make mistakes all the time, but I try to keep learning and growing so I can make it a better experience all of the time! Just remember, if it seems too good to be true then it probably is!

Personal Value

It is important to note that the value of a crystal is to some extent also subjective and varies from person to person. Like with anything in life, the value of a specific piece may be more to some people than others.  I may be willing to pay $50 more than someone else would for a very special collector's piece that you'll only come across once in a lifetime and is something that you have been looking for.  Some may value a crystal for its aesthetics, while others may value it for its spiritual significance.

So don't feel bad if you give yourself a little wiggle room on the 'valuation' of a piece if it rocks your world.  But just don't get taken by some slimy peeps.