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Mineral and Fossil Mining in the Resale Marketplace

The bohemians of the sixties made owning crystals popular. New-age stores brought them to the masses. Now, many shoppers are discovering the immense savings of mining glistening mineral specimens from the secondary market. Crystals aren’t the only earthly elements people incorporate into their daily décor; fossil rocks and geodes are also in high demand. Alongside the trendy marble and quartz used in current interior design, adding these natural touches of beauty creates a home environment that resonates with our environmentally conscious younger generation of shoppers.

Crystals Are More Than Pretty to Look At

A rock is a solid, natural substance composed of crystals of different minerals fusing. A crystal is purely mineral. This unique composition is said to carry mystical properties. The theory behind the power of crystals is that they conduct specific energies due to their atomic makeup. Piqued interest in using crystals to boost a person’s overall well-being has led to people collecting chunks of amethyst, jade, citrine, and white quartz, among others.

Each color or type of crystal serves a purpose; for example, citrine is supposed to promote abundance, positivity, and self-improvement. Many believe that if incorporated correctly, crystals can tune our bodies physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It seems prudent to display these little helpers throughout living spaces to invite healing into the everyday routine. They are nature’s semiconductors, each having unique properties. Those who believe in the power of crystals are fanatical and never own just one.

14 3lb 6pcs natural rainbow citrine 1 ef36823012616ac3a86a1ff16f0aa3f4
Natural rainbow citrine quartz polished points for healing.

When we get mineral collections at our estate sales, the multifaceted, often colorful specimens are scooped up immediately upon opening. The younger generation of shoppers will become giddy when they score a chunk. Crystals are expensive little treasures! We sell pieces with distinctive points for about $25 for an average baseball-size formation. One would expect to pay at least twice that much in a store.

If the semi-precious stone is carved into a form, or better yet, a sphere, the price inflates greatly! Obelisks and pyramids are popular items created with quartz and amethyst. Jade is often used in Asian sculptures varying from fruit to trees, religious icons, and horses. Jade is the one mineral we have many debates over. Every buyer who picks it up denies its authenticity. We like to use the scratch test. If you take a sharp object or knife to a piece of authentic jade, it will not scratch easily.

Pieces of History Embedded in Rock

A fossil is the preserved remains of an ancient organism, plant, or animal. The living thing ceased to exist centuries ago, but its physical evidence of existence embeds into a rock forever. The many textured indentations that create the interesting features of a fossil are made by the act of fossilization. When a living thing is buried by sediment, it will eventually compact and turn into rock. If water seeps through the rock, minerals begin to replace the structure of the deteriorating remains, leaving a rock replica in its place.

Fossil slabs are often displayed like a piece of art, propped up by an art easel or stand. Sometimes, entire slabs form furniture pieces that are extraordinarily heavy but highly valued by shoppers. We once had a fossil slab dining table that took three grown men movers with arm straps to facilitate transport. It was black, with minuscule shell imprints, and highly lacquered—a truly stunning and unique piece. It went for $1800. I didn’t think it was a steal until I saw a similar one selling at a Las Vegas store for over $8000.

Large 16 9 genuine polished 1 f5c9a33758c39527d06eb3e668e15122
Genuine polished Orthoceras fossil slab.

Natures Little Surprise Inside

Geodes are the perfect blending of rock and mineral. Inside their bumpy, crusted exterior, jewel-like clusters form. The clusters commonly consist of macrocrystalline quartz, amethyst, calcite, pyrite, barite, celestite, and chalcedony (agate). A dramatic display of crystal points lies inside the hollow of geodes’ walls. They are a surprise gift waiting to be opened, their beauty revealed only when the rock shell is cut open.

As a result of volcanic rock being invaded for millions of years by hydrothermal fluids or groundwater depositing minerals into its hollow cavities, crystal-lined geode chunks can vary in size. Large floor-standing specimens can run well over $1,000. The most sought-after are called cathedral cut and are oblong, rounded wonders. We count ourselves lucky to encounter smaller baseball-sized geodes. More commonly, we have geode bookends at our estate sales. They sell very quickly for about $30 to $40.

Amethyst geode 116 71 lbs 21 2 tall 1 bc6cf154f2d481eb3b5b4a482acddc9c
Nearly 2 ft tall cathedral amethyst geode.

Wearable, Natural Art

Everyone loves the shine of crystals and semi-precious stones in jewelry. Clear quartz catches light almost as well as a diamond! A single pendant made of a crystal point is a sure sign of a crystal lover. Slabs of quartz and geodes make for dazzling pendants. Many of our estate sale clients entertained themselves by making jewelry as a hobby, encasing semi-precious stones in copper or silver, and creating a jewelry line for craft fairs and flea markets. We often find the remnants of their business stored in various plastic organizers—small crystals and cut slabs divided by color, waiting for a fastener to be attached. The market for this type of jewelry is soft, but kids will be a buyer at under $15.

925 sterling silver jewelry lot used 1 62a059ae87eadabc9e854f9188b2c2e1
Sterling silver jewelry with geode stones.

The use of nature’s gems to enhance our personal space is nothing new, but it is amusingly avant-garde to millennial shoppers. It is as if they think they are doing something ultra-hip by decking out their bookcases with geodes and crystal points mixed in with their succulents and records. It’s encouraging to see teens and twenty-somethings excited about discovering elements their hippie ancestors embraced long ago. We are happy to support their search for a peaceful vibe. The crystals, fossils, and geodes the younger generation have started to collect have been around for centuries; they deserve the reverence the kids are giving them.


Christine Douglas is an Accredited Estate Liquidator with the American Society of Estate Liquidators and a Graduate of the Asheford Institute of Antiques. In conjunction with conducting Estate Sales within the San Francisco Bay Area, she is the Associate Editor of 110° Magazine in Brentwood, CA.

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