How Much Is It Worth?

[ILoveGems14]

I have this huge rusted over Amethyst crystal and I'm wondering how much It's worth.


Thanks,
ILoveGems14

 

[LD]

Probably not a lot.

For it to have any value, it has to have good crystal that can be cut. From the photos it doesn't look like it has - however, a rider here is that this is a photo.

Most of the people on this forum specialise more in cut gemstones rather than rough (some of us purchase rough to be cut but rely on cutters to assess and advise on the rough).

You've asked a couple of questions about how much things are worth. Unfortunately worth is only how much you can sell something for and the majority of gemstones (a bit like cars) don't retain their value - or increase in value. Only the top gemstones with rare/excellent colour, great cut, rarity etc., will hold and may increase. To buy something like this you need to have deep pockets to being with.

 

[T L]

Why would it have rust all over it? It's not a meteorite.

 

[Marlow]

It is limonite.

 

[ILoveGems14]

TL,
It's because It's been underground for about 3 to 12 million years.

ILoveGems14

 

[cm366]

Can't tell what it's worth as potential facet rough without seeing the underlying crystal, but I see specimens like this sell for $5-500 in various shows and groups, depending on its provenance. If that's a US penny next to it for scale, it's not 'Huge" on the scale of quartz crystal specimens, but if it were demonstrably from, say, the Italian Alps or Germany, it could still be worth a bundle. It would be very much a collector's item though, not something easy to sell.

Marlow's right, it's not 'rust' as such, it's limonite - same idea, though, it's an iron-based overlay.

 

[T L]

Thanks, I'm used to seeing amethyst in very clean and grayish geodes.

 

[Haywood74]

Can't tell what it's worth as potential facet rough without seeing the underlying crystal, but I see specimens like this sell for $5-500 in various shows and groups, depending on its provenance. If that's a US penny next to it for scale, it's not 'Huge" on the scale of quartz crystal specimens, but if it were demonstrably from, say, the Italian Alps or Germany, it could still be worth a bundle. It would be very much a collector's item though, not something easy to sell.

Marlow's right, it's not 'rust' as such, it's limonite - same idea, though, it's an iron-based overlay.

For what you have pictured there, the most important thing to determine price would be location of origin...I could be way off here, but it's probably on the very low end of what was just quoted...

 

[PrecisionGem]

I see material like this being offered for sale in Tucson in 55gal drums.

 

[chrono]

Size-wise, nothing out of the ordinary. I cannot tell whether the material is facetable due to all the junk around it; I'm used to seeing very clean geodes, hence I think it's probably not worth much. It's not particularly attractive as a mineral specimen either.

 

[ILoveGems14]

I'm hope to get It carved but I don't know what to have It carved into.
Any idea's???

ILoveGems14

 

[LoversKites]

I'm hope to get It carved but I don't know what to have It carved into.
Any idea's???

ILoveGems14

are you sure there is a area large and clean enough in there that will allow for a sculpture?

 

[ILoveGems14]

Yep!