It’s also important to realize that tangible assets like gemstones and crystals are insurable and it only costs a few bucks a year. Simply add them for the value of their list price on your home insurance policy. 

With that in mind, Kemsley advises the following when making this type of investment: 

• Invest in What You Love – Spend the money on tangible things that you love and cherish because these items may hold a staple role in your life for quite some time.
• Know Your Asset – We always advise that our crystal buyers take the time to understand the quality, grade, and scientific rarity of their purchases.
• Protect Your Investment – Protecting your stones and cleansing and storing them properly is of the utmost importance to serious crystal owners. And it’s easy! All you have to do is dust them off every now and then.
• Purchase From Trusted, Established Dealers – That’s us, the largest and most reputable dealer of high-quality crystals in the United States! And you’ll discover why we are able to say that with certainty as you read further in this guide.
• Know the Marketplace & Value – That’s why we’ve put together this handy Gemstone Buyers Guide to demystify the process of finding high quality, crystal collectibles and equip you to confidently buy stones that will provide some financial security within their stunning natural beauty.

Are Gemstones a Good Investment? 

The above tips are true for all tangible assets, including cars, paintings, jewelry, wine, and more. Now, let’s dive more specifically into the investments we love the most…crystals. 

The Collector’s Eye 

To catch value, tangible assets have to catch eyes, too. That’s where crystals truly dazzle in the investment sphere. Whereas cars, paintings, and other goods tend to cater to particular tastes and can lose value year to year based on certain market and industry trends, the natural beauty of crystal collectibles makes them nearly impervious to the whims of taste.

These stones also tend to have more durable and multipurpose uses. Whereas paintings need wall space and can dictate how a person can decorate a room in their house, crystals can serve as gorgeous artwork that blends seamlessly into the home without overpowering a room or obstructing one’s ability to make design changes.  

Storing paintings that no longer have a place on the wall but that may have value to a financial portfolio can be cumbersome, too. Crystals tend to easily blend into changing aesthetics, making them versatile to keep and maintain as an investment. And they definitely take up less space than antique cars! 

Plus, given their hearty beginnings deep within the earth, properly displayed crystals can stay strong and sturdy for ages with proper attention. That’s why it’s crucial to consult a gemstone buyers guide like this one so you can get the highest quality crystals that will withstand time. 

And let’s not forget that upkeep, unlike assets such as cars and watches, is minimal with gemstones because these natural wonders have existed on their own for millennia already. All that is necessary is to give them a good dusting every now and then.

The Numbers

Now is the time for collecting crystals because these stones are actually appreciating in value! Honestly, with gemstones, it is hard for these assets to depreciate due to their intrinsic natural value as rare, one-of-a-kind cuts of the earth. 

Looking at just the past two years, the price of crystals has risen by nearly 50 percent, owing to supply-and-demand considerations. More people are taking note of the value of these precious stones and are looking to buy, but mining stones for that demand can’t keep up, which isn’t a bad thing.

Meticulously mined crystals have a much greater chance of having limited deformities that take away from their price. What’s more, people who are already in possession of fine crystals can often catch top dollar above what they paid years ago.

The key to making sure you’ve found a crystal that is likely to fetch more money years after you purchase it is to buy top quality stones marked with the characteristics we explain later in this gemstone buyers guide.

The value of crystals comes from their rarity and their quality. Low quality stones are easy to get your hands on and they don’t have any real value. High quality stones will always be rarer and will therefore be more valuable, so whenever you purchase a crystal, get the best of the best if you’re looking for a good investment.

Remember, crystals that you already own could go up in value if that stone becomes harder to come by. When prices go up on our end, it means the mines have raised their prices due to a decrease in supply, but it also means the value of your stones is higher as well.

Crystal & Gemstone Buyers Guide: How to Know You Are Getting Top Quality

Now that we’ve talked about what it’s worth to make an investment in crystals, we can move on in our crystal buyers guide to learning how to recognize top quality gems from all the rest.

What Determines Quality

There are several factors you should consider that determine the quality and value of a crystal. Let’s look at them now…

Ability to Buy in Bulk

First in this gemstone buyers guide, we need to clarify that where you buy your crystals from matters hugely because only the dealers who have access to bulk supplies of stones get top pick of the highest quality crystals. For example, at Cosmic Cuts, we always buy way more than we really should because it’s important to us that we have access to the highest quality lots.

Our most valuable stones come from mines in Brazil and Uruguay, and we have spent years building relationships with suppliers there who give us access to huge selections of mined pieces.

The more you buy, the higher quality lots you have access to at these mines, and we have access to the top tier, making all of our crystals incredibly high in quality.

Depth of Color  

Now, we turn to the tangible characteristics of stones that indicate high value. Color is a good starting point. Deeper colors can serve as an indicator of its process underground – for example, with Amethyst, a dark purple color means greater levels of iron were pooled as the Quartz took shape and solidified under the earth’s surface.

Thus, as the mineral content affects the color, it also informs us of the level of incredible healing properties that are embedded within the stone, which is an important aspect not always mentioned in most gemstone buyers guides.

Termination Size

A termination refers to the points of the crystals contained in a Geode. The size of the terminations has a great impact in the value of the Geode with larger points catching a higher price than those with smaller points.

Cut of Outside Rim

Next on our gemstone buyers guide is the cut of the outside rim of a Geode. The rim can play a large role in determining value because it is the less desirable part of a Geode, so when it is minimal, it increases the value.

The challenge with this is that the rim is critical to the structural integrity of these natural wonders, and it is very difficult for miners to remove a Geode with a thin wall, which is another reason thinner rims fetch a higher price.

Luster of Stone

We know of opaque stones, like Opal, that are recognized for their milky, cloudy luster. However, most crystal collectibles fetch higher value when we can look into the stone. Thus, minimal cloudiness and more transparency of the crystal tends to indicate better quality.

Jewelry designers tend to seek out the transparent luster in gemstones. The crystals we offer for sale also fit those standards, putting our stones in a whole other league since we aren’t selling tiny gemstones that you would find in fine jewelry.

Even Saturation

We mentioned the deep color of crystals as a prime factor of value, but we also must consider another aspect of color in this gemstone buyers guide, and that is even saturation. This refers to the even tone of color throughout a crystal. While some may find a variety of shading visually appealing, in terms of value, it indicates an uneven, disproportionate formation. 

When examining crystal collectibles, be aware that lower quality Geodes tend to have color saturation around the outside rim, leaving the inner crystals much lighter and opaque. The more uniform the color of the geode or stone, the higher the quality of the crystal.  

Inclusions

It’s important to emphasize in a crystal buyers guide that some value characteristics can be quite personal. Inclusions fit this bill. This refers to the trace amounts of other minerals captured within a crystal that can create interesting patterns and textures to the stone’s look. 

Sometimes, however, inclusions can also look like a bad stain, which decreases a crystal’s value. Those that create a mesmerizing, unique pattern can add significant value, but often crystals without inclusions hold a much higher position on a grading scale since they are considered to be purer. 

Natural vs Heated Citrine

We want to bust a myth in this gemstone buyers guide about a bit of controversy around Citrine. Citrine, a close Quartz relative to Amethyst, gets its shining golden yellow color from the process of irradiation (heating), which sometimes occurs naturally within the earth and sometimes by the hand of talented artisans.

In most Citrine jewelry, the stones have been heated to enhance their color and remove imperfections.

When we collect crystals, it can be common to bolster natural stones in fear of manmade fakes, but it’s important to understand the difference between a fake and a purposeful treatment.

You’ll be hard pressed to find a collector without Heated Citrine in their collection because the heating process doesn’t diminish its value – it just produces a different energy than the natural version. 

In nature, Citrine almost never contains the deep amber color people want, and to find large Citrine Geodes naturally is extremely rare and pricey. For example, the largest cluster of Citrine was 8 pounds and sold for $10,000!  

The process of irradiation gives us the smooth color we are so drawn to in Citrine, and the energy the stone offers is slightly different according to most healers, yet it is just as potent.

Spotting Quality Quartz Cut Pieces

Another important point we want to make in this gemstone buyers guide relates to crystal collectibles in the form of cut pieces, such as pointers, skulls, pyramids, wands, spheres, and other shapes. Because these shapes have been manipulated from their natural forms, it’s worth asking how that impacts the stone’s quality and value.

Be mindful of the market, because many crystal skulls are cut from glass even though they are listed as Quartz. Crystal Points, likewise, can miss the mark when they are shaping the point, reducing their energetic power due to a lack of precision. We offer only the highest quality cut pieces so that you can be sure you are getting top of the line crystals. 

The same can be said for Generators and Wands. Often, sellers have theirs cut from a block of Quartz instead of using a more detailed cutting process. We don’t do that – and you can feel the difference in our Crystal Wands because they are cut perfectly and precisely. 

Final Thoughts 

Our hope is that we have answered three big questions in this gemstone buyers guide:

• Are gemstones a good investment?
• How do you determine value of crystals and gemstones?
• Does Cosmic Cuts sell high quality gemstones?

At Cosmic Cuts, we never skimp on the quality of crystals we sell to the public because we recognize the importance of a solid investment in something so beautiful, powerful, and enduring. You can shop our large inventory of stones with confidence!

* This is not financial advice. Please contact your financial advisor for personal investing advice.