My Journey into Crystal Consumerism - What I learned Along the Way

Since the blow up of crystal content on apps like TikTok with tags such as #crystaltock trending around the world (reaching audiences that would otherwise not be exposed to them at all) there’s a lot of information about crystals circulating online now. But how do we sus what’s real and what’s not? And with that being said, where do we even begin to look to buy them from trustworthy sources?

Of course right now I’m writing to you from my own online crystal shop’s blog, so I’d be a fool not to use this opportunity to shout myself out here (check out the homepage for more info, and if you like what you see, consider creating an account & joining our mailing list!) ; moreover I too was once new to the crystal scene, as I'm sure a lot of you reading are, and for the life of me did not know where to look for the types of crystals that I’m now proud to have in my current collection.

A quick Google search for crystal shops in the UK gives me similar results to the ones I’ve

had when trying to search for crystals in local shops and market stalls – a selection of tumbles, raw chunks of common minerals, and if I’m lucky, small but overpriced carvings. The problem with this, is that I’m extremely picky with the crystals I buy. I would rather have a smaller collection of pieces I’m absolutely obsessed with, than a large collection of crystals I don’t feel highly connected to or care much about.

I would watch YouTube videos of people showing off the kinds of crystal collections that I dreamed of having: high quality, rare/unique and statement pieces. I wanted a crystal the size of my head, but all I could find was 3cm tall points on Wish. I regret to admit that the first few crystal carvings I bought were actually from Wish. They were nowhere near the size of my head, but we move.

If you're on the look for something similar, check the link below (I got you!).

XL Rainbow Fluorite Tower

Buy Now

The next avenue I found was crystal Live Sales on Instagram. This was where I first started getting some real success in getting the types of crystals I was after (so much so that before launching the website, that became my main avenue of selling and I still host live sales on my Instagram page to this day!) but the crystal live sale community has grown substantially since I started, and there are definitely some lessons I learned along the way as a buyer that I want to share with you, so you don’t have to learn them the hard way.

I ran into a few live sale sellers who would press for orders to be paid via 'Friends & Family' on PayPal with the explanation being that it would allow them to forego having to pay a seller's fee, which would support them as a small business- while I'm not saying every seller who requests this is a scammer, I do see it as a red flag, and believe it's important that you also know what this means for you as a buyer.

PayPal can only protect you as a buyer if you pay via 'Goods & Services'. If your item were to arrive broken or god forbid not be sent at all, there would be no avenue to claim your money back if you chose to pay this way. As a seller, I would never ask this of a customer, and I would advise any buyer to not use this option unless they truly trusted (from experience) and wanted to support the business on the other side. I've sadly heard a handful of stories of people getting swindled this way, so my advice to you is to always use buyer protection!

Another problem that I experienced a couple of times along the way was assuming crystals purchased online were bigger and then being surprised at the size when they came in the mail (Remember, I wanted a crystal as big as my head). Some live sales can be pretty busy and fast paced, but you should never feel like you can't ask questions. If you're curious, a reputable seller will usually be happy to give you measurements for the crystal in question or give you enough time to get a visual gauge of the size before claiming.

There were definitely a few occasions along the way where I was overcharged because I had no idea what the baseline prices for what I was buying should have been. It took me really doing a lot of research and supplying crystals myself to fully understand the value of different crystals, and what goes into their subsequent price points. I could probably write an entire blog post on this, but in short, a small crystal should not run you over £50 unless it's gem grade or an extremely rare mineral. A good way to compare prices is to search the crystal on Etsy and see the rough ballpark that other sellers are charging. Odds are if it's super rare, you won't find it and that will be your answer!

At the end of the day though, if a crystal calls to you, it just calls to you. I really do believe that they choose us vs the other way around and occasionally you'll find a crystal that you just HAVE to have. I once had a customer tell me she'd sell her sister for one of my more expensive pieces - needless to say it gave me a good chuckle.

Please don't sell your siblings ladies & gentleman. There are payment plans available! And I will take no responsibility for siblings already sold..

All jokes aside, whatever crystals you choose (or choose you I should say) and wherever you choose them from, I hope they give you all the joy, peace & positive vibes. Crystals are magnificent things. Whether you're a believer of their metaphysical abilities or not, you've got to admit Mother Nature did us a solid by giving us such spectacles of natural beauty to admire.

On that note, this is your gal Zeina, signing off.