Every specimen here was priced by a scanner, not a guess.

Identified as

Malachite - carved cats and free-forms (lot of 7)

Size it used

15 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£250 – £450

How sure

96%

“Opaque green polished carvings with strong concentric light/dark green banding; five cats plus two pierced free-forms, consistent with malachite.”

Ruled out: banded green jasper/agate, dyed howlite, and resin/block malachite imitations; the natural-looking irregular banding and carving style favor

Identified as

Labradorite - polished freeforms and pebbles (lot of 5)

Size it used

5 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£90 – £260

How sure

96%

“Five polished dark grey feldspar pieces showing blue-green/gold labradorescence on cleavage faces; opaque with vitreous polish. The visible label supports labradorite, but the identification is based on the strong directional schiller.”

Ruled out: larvikite has silvery-blue feldspar phenocrysts rather than broad labradorescence; obsidian is glassy black without feldspar flash

Identified as

Malachite - carved cats and free-forms (lot of 7)

Size it used

18 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£200 – £600

How sure

95%

“Opaque green polished carvings with concentric light/dark banding and botryoidal cavities; malachite is the clear match, with jade/obsidian as rejected lookalikes.”

Ruled out: green resin/plastic imitation and banded jade/agate; the swirled malachite banding and cavities support natural malachite

Identified as

Amethyst - geode section with beaded bracelets and polished pieces (lot)

Size it used

28-30 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£250 – £600

How sure

94%

“Purple, glassy drusy quartz points on a pale quartz/agate geode matrix, plus matching purple beaded bracelets and polished amethyst pieces; the crystal habit and colour support amethyst.”

Ruled out: Fluorite can be purple and banded, but it would not form these drusy quartz points; lepidolite is micaceous/lilac but not glassy pointed dru

Identified as

Stibnite - radiating striated bladed spray

Size it used

8-12 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£60 – £180

How sure

92%

“Lead-grey metallic, strongly striated bladed/needle crystals in a radiating spray; lustre and habit are classic stibnite.”

Ruled out: marcasite/pyrite can form metallic sprays but are brassier; hematite/specularite is darker and not usually this striated-bladed

Identified as

Quartz with Hematite - polished hearts

Size it used

5 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£25 – £45

How sure

92%

“Two polished heart carvings in translucent pale peach quartz with white banding/veining and red-brown hematite-like inclusions; glassy lustre and conchoidal-looking polish support hematoid/fire quartz.”

Ruled out: banded calcite/onyx is softer and usually more opaque/banded, while rose quartz is pinker and lacks these red-brown inclusions

Identified as

Quartz - iron-stained crystal cluster

Size it used

12-18 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£100 – £250

How sure

90%

“Glassy hexagonal prismatic quartz points with pyramidal terminations, pale smoky/clear colour and orange iron-oxide staining; runner-up calcite would be softer and typically rhombohedral or dogtooth, while barite would be more bladed/tabular.”

Ruled out: Calcite and barite are the main confusions, but the visible quartz habit and glassy lustre support quartz

Identified as

Quartz with Pyrite - cluster of white quartz points with brassy pyrite

Size it used

12-18 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£35 – £100

How sure

90%

“White to colourless glassy hexagonal quartz points in a cluster, with scattered brassy metallic pyrite grains/cubes; runner-up species are chalcopyrite (would be more brassy/iridescent) and calcite (softer, usually rhombic/dogtooth).”

Ruled out: chalcopyrite is the main confusion for the brassy metallic areas; calcite could be confused with the white crystals but lacks quartz's glass

Identified as

Quartz - crystal cluster

Size it used

8-12 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£15 – £45

How sure

88%

“glassy, translucent to milky six-sided quartz points with pyramidal terminations in a cluster; dark matrix at the base is minor and not clearly a separate species.”

Ruled out: calcite and barite; calcite would be softer and usually rhombic, barite bladed or tabular

Identified as

Quartz - crystal cluster

Size it used

10 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£15 – £45

How sure

86%

“Pale grey-white to milky translucent crystals with glassy lustre and pointed hexagonal/stubby terminations in a dense cluster; no rhombohedral cleavage or bladed habit visible.”

Ruled out: calcite clusters and barite can form pale clusters, but calcite would show cleavage rhombs and barite would be more bladed/tabular

Identified as

Sphalerite with Pyrite and Quartz - drusy cluster

Size it used

8-12 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£40 – £250

How sure

84%

“dark resinous-to-submetallic granular sphalerite mass hosting brassy pyrite clusters and small white quartz points; runner-up galena rejected because no bright lead-grey cubic cleavage.”

Ruled out: galena (bright grey cubic) and chalcopyrite (more iridescent brassy) are the relevant confusions

Identified as

Sphalerite with Pyrite and Quartz - cluster of black resinous crystals with brassy pyrite and clear quartz points

Size it used

18 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£100 – £260

How sure

82%

“Brassy metallic pyrite grains/crystals with clear quartz points and black resinous sphalerite masses; the black masses lack bright lead-grey cubic cleavage, so sphalerite is best.”

Ruled out: galena would be bright lead-grey and cubic; chalcopyrite is more brassy/iridescent and less clearly cubic here

Identified as

Pyrite with Quartz and Sphalerite - cubic/pyritohedral crystals and cluster (6 pieces)

Size it used

18-25 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£120 – £250

How sure

82%

“brassy metallic cubic/pyritohedral crystals with striations, white glassy quartz points, and dark resinous sphalerite masses; runner-up galena lacks the bright lead-grey cubic cleavage.”

Ruled out: chalcopyrite is more brassy/iridescent and less cubic; galena would be brighter lead-grey and cubic

Identified as

Sphalerite with Pyrite and Quartz - dark resinous clusters with brassy pyrite on druzy quartz

Size it used

8-12 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£50 – £250

How sure

82%

“Dark brown-black resinous to submetallic crystalline clusters with brassy yellow pyrite crystals on white druzy quartz; this best fits sphalerite with pyrite and quartz, with galena as runner-up but lacking bright lead-grey cubic cleavage.”

Ruled out: galena would be brighter lead-grey and more cubic; chalcopyrite would be more brassy/iridescent and less associated with these black resinou

Identified as

Vanadinite with Barite - cluster of reddish-brown hexagonal barrel crystals on bladed matrix

Size it used

8-12 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£60 – £180

How sure

82%

“Dense cluster of small reddish-brown to orange-brown, blocky/hexagonal barrel-shaped crystals on a white bladed matrix; this strongly supports vanadinite on barite.”

Ruled out: Mimetite and pyromorphite can form similar hexagonal crystals, but mimetite is usually more yellow-green to brown and pyromorphite more gree

Identified as

Fluorite - cleaved massive

Size it used

10 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£12 – £70

How sure

82%

“pale green translucent glassy mass with stepped cleavage surfaces and no crystal terminations; runner-up green calcite would be softer/waxy with rhombohedral cleavage, and massive quartz would show conchoidal fracture.”

Ruled out: green calcite and massive green quartz; the vitreous lustre and cleavage steps favour fluorite

Identified as

Sphalerite with Pyrite and Quartz - massive crystalline cluster

Size it used

12-18 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£80 – £250

How sure

80%

“Black resinous to sub-metallic granular sphalerite with brassy pyrite patches and white quartz points; runner-up is galena, but the dark material lacks bright lead-grey cubic cleavage.”

Ruled out: galena and chalcopyrite are the main confusions; galena would be brighter and cubic, chalcopyrite more iridescent/brassy-yellow

Identified as

Sphalerite with Pyrite and Quartz - drusy black crystals with brassy pyrite on quartz matrix

Size it used

10 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£30 – £65

How sure

79%

“Black resinous to sub-metallic drusy crystals with brassy yellow patches and white quartz points; the black granular lustre fits sphalerite, with pyrite and quartz.”

Ruled out: galena and chalcopyrite matter here; the black host lacks galena's bright cubic cleavage, and the brassy patches are sulphides rather than g

Identified as

Quartz with Hematite - needle-point cluster with black hematite rosettes

Size it used

25 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£90 – £210

How sure

78%

“Dense spray of elongated prismatic crystals with vitreous lustre, translucent grey-to-smoky colour and small pyramidal terminations - classic quartz points, many partially coated dark at the base. The black material forms platy, rosette-like sub-metallic…”

Ruled out: sphalerite or galena for the black crystals (both rejected on lustre/habit - the black grains are tabular plates forming rosettes, not brigh

Identified as

Quartz - milky crystal cluster

Size it used

10 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£25 – £60

How sure

78%

“Pale milky to translucent prismatic crystals with pointed terminations in a cluster, typical of quartz; runner-up calcite (would show rhombohedral/dogtooth cleavage) and barite (bladed/tabular).”

Ruled out: Calcite and barite are the main confusions, but the visible pointed hexagonal-ish points and glassy lustre favour quartz

Identified as

Druzy Quartz on Barite - bladed rosettes

Size it used

18-25 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£30 – £70

How sure

78% settled by majority of readings

“Majority: crust = druzy quartz (4 of 6 readings), blades = barite (3) over calcite (2). Price = middle of the readings.”

Identified as

Stibnite - striated bladed crystal cluster

Size it used

10 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£100 – £300

How sure

77%

“dark lead-grey to black submetallic bladed crystals with strong longitudinal striations in a radiating cluster; brown patches are likely oxidation/limonite staining.”

Ruled out: wolframite/ferberite and goethite; not galena (no cubic cleavage) or pyrite (not brass-yellow)

Identified as

Gypsum var. Desert Rose - bladed rosette

Size it used

10 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£30 – £70

How sure

77%

“Dark brown-black curved bladed crystals in a rosette aggregate with sandy tan matrix; habit and matrix fit gypsum desert rose best, with barite rose as runner-up.”

Ruled out: Barite rose is similar but usually more tabular/rectangular and denser; hematite iron rose is metallic and less sandy-matrix

Identified as

Calcite - polished nodule half

Size it used

10 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£25 – £45

How sure

75%

“Pale cream granular crystalline interior with a brown botryoidal matrix/rind and a cut/polished face; best fit is a calcite nodule, with quartz and aragonite as runners-up.”

Ruled out: Quartz geode would normally show druzy points; aragonite is often more banded or botryoidal throughout; barite/gypsum desert rose would be b

Identified as

Desert Rose (gypsum/barite) - rosette

Size it used

8-12 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£15 – £40

How sure

75% settled by majority of readings

“All readings agree it is a desert rose; gypsum vs barite split - sold as "desert rose" either way.”

Identified as

Quartz with Sphalerite and Pyrite - crystal cluster

Size it used

8-12 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£40 – £85

How sure

74%

“Milky to greyish quartz points in a granular dark matrix with small brassy metallic flecks; the dark resinous-looking matrix and pyrite suggest sphalerite with pyrite, rather than bright cubic galena.”

Ruled out: Galena is the main confusion, but it would normally show brighter lead-grey cubic cleavage; the dark matrix here is duller and more granular

Identified as

Sphalerite with Pyrite and Quartz - crystalline cluster

Size it used

8-12 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£25 – £60

How sure

73%

“Dark resinous to sub-metallic granular areas with brassy pyrite patches and small clear quartz points support sphalerite with pyrite and quartz; runner-up is galena.”

Ruled out: galena would be brighter lead-grey and cubic/cleavage-based, while these dark areas are granular/resinous; chalcopyrite is possible for bras

Identified as

Calcite - rhombohedral cluster

Size it used

18 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£35 – £100

How sure

72%

“pale cream rhombohedral/blocky crystals with vitreous to pearly lustre and intergrown crust-like habit indicate calcite; runner-up is dolomite.”

Ruled out: dolomite would tend to be more saddle-shaped and pearly, while barite would be more bladed/tabular

Identified as

Stibnite - radiating needle spray

Size it used

8-12 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£25 – £75

How sure

72%

“Dark lead-grey metallic, thin bladed/needle crystals in radiating sprays with brown matrix; lustre and habit support stibnite over goethite/pyrolusite/manganite.”

Ruled out: black acicular goethite, pyrolusite and manganite sprays; stibnite is more metallic and striated, though this piece is dull/tarnished

Identified as

Calcite - iron-stained scalenohedral crystal cluster

Size it used

9 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£30 – £70

How sure

72%

“dense cluster of translucent white to pale honey-yellow, vitreous, stubby scalenohedral/rhombohedral crystals with iron staining; best fits calcite, with quartz as runner-up.”

Ruled out: quartz would normally show clearer six-sided prisms and pyramidal points; dolomite tends to curved saddle rhombs; barite is more bladed/tabu

Identified as

Epidote with Calcite - striated prismatic cluster

Size it used

8 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£20 – £90

How sure

72% settled by majority of readings

“Majority 4-2-1: epidote (DeepSeek x4 + close-up: dull olive striated prisms, not metallic) over pyromorphite (x2) and hedenbergite (x1). Our earlier "pyrite" read was wrong.”

Identified as

Barite - cockscomb crystal cluster

Size it used

8-12 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£40 – £130

How sure

70%

“White to cream bladed/tabular crystals forming a cockscomb-like crust with larger tabular crystals below; vitreous/pearly lustre and lack of obvious hexagonal quartz points or dogtooth calcite terminations point to barite.”

Ruled out: calcite (rhombohedral/dogtooth) and quartz (hexagonal points) are the main confusions; this lacks clear quartz points and the larger crystal

Identified as

Serpentine - carved horse

Size it used

12 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£35 – £75

How sure

70%

“pale green, waxy/translucent carved animal with dark inclusions and a brown rind; best matches serpentine/bowenite, often sold as 'new jade'; runner-up is nephrite jade.”

Ruled out: nephrite jade is tougher and usually more valuable; soapstone is softer, duller and more opaque

Identified as

Pyrite with Quartz - granular metallic slab

Size it used

10 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£15 – £35

How sure

70%

“Brassy metallic granular core with bright yellow patches and a white/pinkish crystalline rim; no cubic faces visible, so pyrite is the best fit, with chalcopyrite as runner-up.”

Ruled out: chalcopyrite (brassier/iridescent), marcasite (paler, unstable), native gold (too soft and not in this matrix style)

Identified as

Quartz - rough crystalline chunk

Size it used

10 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£9 – £27

How sure

68%

“Translucent white/clear glassy blocky fragment with irregular conchoidal fracture and brown iron staining; no rhombohedral cleavage or bladed habit, so quartz is best; runner-up calcite.”

Ruled out: calcite (softer, rhombic cleavage), fluorite (octahedral cleavage, often coloured), gypsum/selenite (bladed/fibrous)

Identified as

Scolecite - radiating acicular crystal cluster

Size it used

10 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£25 – £60

How sure

65%

“dense radiating sprays of thin, colourless to white, vitreous/acicular crystals with pointed terminations; the starburst habit fits scolecite better than quartz, which would normally show thicker six-sided prisms, or aragonite, which is usually more opaque…”

Ruled out: natrolite/mesolite are visually very similar zeolites, and acicular aragonite can resemble this; exact separation needs locality or analytic

Identified as

Trolleite (lazulite-blue quartz rock) - polished freeforms, lot of 3

Size it used

13 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£95 – £220

How sure

60%

“Three polished freeforms of massive mottled material - slate-blue to teal ground with white blotches, greenish patches and small rust-orange speckles, high polish, no crystal faces or cleavage visible. This mottled blue-green-white-tan appearance matches…”

Ruled out: sodalite (more uniform deep blue, white veins), dumortierite in quartz (fibrous blue, less blotchy), chrysocolla in quartz (turquoise-blue,

Identified as

Manganoan Calcite (pink calcite) - druzy botryoidal crust

Size it used

8-12 cm (read from the photo)

UK retail range

£20 – £80

How sure

58%

“Pale pink, porous, honeycomb-like crust of tiny druzy crystals with a waxy-to-dull vitreous lustre and cream/white patches; no metallic lustre, no bladed habit, no banding. This micro-crystalline bubbly pink crust best fits a manganoan (pink) calcite…”

Ruled out: rhodochrosite druzy crust (richer pink-red, higher value - would raise price), pink aragonite or dolomite crust (similar look, similar low v