Honest labels, consistent grades, careful packing
What you sell has to match what you tell your customers. These are the rules we follow on every order.
Treatment labels
Natural or treated, it says so
Heating, dyeing and coating are common and accepted in the crystal trade. What matters is that they are declared. Every stone we sell carries one of these labels on the quotation, the invoice and the packing.
We never sell glass, resin or reconstituted material under a natural stone’s name.
- Natural
- No treatment beyond cutting, shaping and polishing. Examples: amethyst, rose quartz, green aventurine, labradorite.
- Heated
- Colour changed or deepened by heat, which is permanent. Examples: most citrine (heated amethyst), carnelian, red tiger’s eye.
- Dyed
- Colour added with dye. Examples: bright blue, pink, purple or green agate.
- Coated
- A surface layer such as metal (“aura” quartz), oil or wax. Coatings can wear with handling.
- Stabilised
- Porous stone filled with resin to make it workable. Named as stabilised.
- Reconstituted / imitation
- Crushed stone bonded with resin, or glass. Only supplied on request, and always under its own name.
Grading
What a grade means
Grade names differ from stone to stone, and each product page explains its own grades. Behind every grade we look at the same five things:
Colour
Depth and evenness, compared with reference pieces kept for each grade.
Clarity
Translucency, cracks and inclusions, judged against the stone’s nature.
Form
Intact crystal tips, symmetry of geodes and the banding of slices.
Finish
Polish, flat bases and chips or scratches on worked pieces.
Size
Pieces sorted into consistent size fractions and weights.
Before dispatch
Checked, photographed, then packed
- Counts and weights checked against the packing list
- Photos or videos of the goods sent to you for approval
- Every piece checked for damage before wrapping
- Each bag, box and crate labelled with stone, grade, size and treatment
- Wooden packing heat-treated and ISPM-15 marked
Care & storage
Good to know before you sell
Selenite and water
Selenite is very soft and slowly dissolves in water. Keep it dry and never wash it.
Pyrite and humidity
Store pyrite dry. Damp air can tarnish it and, over time, cause it to decay.
Colour and sunlight
Amethyst and rose quartz can fade in strong, long sunlight. Keep window displays shaded.
Softer stones
Lapis lazuli and selenite scratch more easily than quartz, so store them apart from harder stones.
Sourcing
Know where it comes from
We buy from established miners, processors and traders in the producing countries, and pass on the origin of each lot so you can tell your customers where their stone was found.
Questions about a stone?
Ask us about the origin, treatment or grade of any lot before you order. If we are not sure, we will say so.
Ask a questionTell us what you need
Send your list of stones, sizes and quantities. We reply with what is available, photos of the actual lots and a proforma quotation.