The pricing scale generally follows a stable per-kilogram increment structure. At The Crystal Matrix in Glendale, Calif., you can purchase a piece of quartz that you can hold in your hand for a couple hundred dollars. A piece of malachite and azurite nearly 10 inches across sold for £12,500 in Christie’s May sale; a similar piece just over three inches across sold for £3,750.
On the other hand, there is something to be said for having the biggest piece of something.
“When you get into really big center pieces for a museum exhibition, prices shoot up again,” Hyslop says. “The biggest ones are incredibly valuable—six and seven figures.”
The third rule of crystal shopping: There’s no “right” crystal to collect. Focus on the ones that spark your interest, then learn as much as you can about their provenance, follow auctions that sell them, and ask insiders and experienced dealers for insight.
“Buy a crystal for its beauty or get a crystal to use for healing,” says James, the artist. “What is relevant is your intention.”
Intention, it seems, will strike from anywhere, even outside the desert. Last week, on the way to Malibu, I passed an unmarked van parked along the Pacific Coast Highway, rear doors opened wide to reveal towers of brilliant amethyst and tourmaline stacked inside.
I had half a mind to turn around and go back.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.