The gem show is in full swing and the selection of crystals and gems for sale is spectacular. There’s everything from common quartz to the most exquisite diamonds.
While most of what is available comes naturally from the earth, some gems and crystals are lab grown and unlabeled as such. It can be hard to tell the difference but there is help,
Jamie Inglett, founder and owner of the Sedona shop Enchanting Earth, is a crystal educator and crystal energy expert. She gave the lowdown on what to look for when entering the gem collecting world.
“It’s important, especially if people are going to shop the show, to know what to look out for,” she said.
She suggests starting at the Tucson Gem Show on 22nd Street, where there are numerous vendors from all over the world as well as food trucks. As a microcosm of the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show it’s an easy place to spend a block of time. That’s not to say that shoppers should only visit that show. There are numerous others around the city such as the Co-Op Mineral and Fossil Galleries at 1635 N. Oracle Road, the Mineral City Show at 516 W. Lester Street or the Pueblo Gem and Mineral Show at the Ramada by Wyndham, 350 S. Freeway Avenue at Cushing Street. Find a list of shows here: shows.tucsongemshows.net.
For people who want to collect, Inglett suggests starting with quartz. They are an easy door to open and even affordable options are impressive. Here’s how to start.
“There are going to be different price variations so I would say taking time and doing a lot of price shopping, not buying the first thing you fall in love with, because a few tents down you might find it for half or a third of the price,” she said, “or double the prices in some cases.”
Be aware that lab-grown quartz specimens are abundant at the shows, Inglett added, and crystals can often be mislabeled or presented as natural.
Amethyst is a type of quartz so when looking at this purple crystal, for example, look for color variations within the same specimen, not just one solid, evenly colored chunk.
“Natural amethyst is not going to look all the same,” she said. “Natural amethyst are going to have different shades and they’re going to range from a really light purple to … really deep wine-colored amethyst.”
Inglett added that color and shape variation is a clue to determining whether a crystal is natural.
“Lab-grown crystals are going to be very cookie cutter,” Inglett said. “You’re going to see rows and rows of them all having the exact same formation.”
Especially with amethyst, color and transparency also determines price.
“The darker the color and the more transparent the color is going to make it more expensive,” she said. “If you’re looking at a lighter colored amethyst with some inclusions, that’s going to need to be priced lower than a really deep, rich amethyst.”
Other quartz crystals to look for include citrine, prasiolite or green amethyst, rose quartz, which usually comes in rock forms, smoky quartz, tourmaline and black tourmaline.
“There are a lot of nice options,” she said.
For Inglett, all things crystals has been a lifelong journey, she said. She remembers as a little kid collecting fossils from the creek on her family’s Kansas farm. Her grandparents fed her interest by bringing her specimens from their vacations. Her parents helped it along with rock mining trips. It all helped grow her interest in crystals.
“I got into the crystal industry because I have a true love and appreciation for minerals, how they make me feel, how I think they can help the world and uplift us all, help us heal and be more peaceful,” she said, “so I’m doing this from a place of love.”
As someone who makes her living with crystals, Inglett said consumers should buy what they are drawn to. It could be the color or a feeling the specimen gives them when they are holding a particular stone in their hand. Amethyst, for example, speaks to her in a particular way.
“Amethyst, to me, feels very grounded and cleansing,” she said. “It’s a very intuitive stone. It’s got cleansing energy and it’s also very protective of (spiritual) energy.”
Yellow stones such as citrine or yellow opal give off a different kind of energy.
“They’re very joyful and prosperous, they’re positive,” she said. “Yellows connect with the sun and life force energy.”
Amber, which is fossilized tree resin, is another happy material but be cautious when considering a purchase, Inglett added.
“There’s a lot of fake or synthetic amber that’s typically just plastic,” she said. “You’ll see scorpions in plastic and called amber. It will be like, $50. If that were a real scorpion in amber, that would be in a museum.”
To learn more about crystals or Inglett, visit enchanting-earth.com.
Also check out her instagram, @enchantingearthco.