CRYSTALYA Abundance and Prosperity Crystal Set (7 stones) vs New Age Amethyst Stone Pyramid (25 to 30mm)

The CRYSTALYA set is the most useful purchase here because it buys variety, and variety is what makes minerals interesting to look at. The wooden box holds two rough stones, blue calcite and pyrite, and five tumbled ones: citrine, green aventurine, malachite, tiger's eye and tree agate. Each runs 1 to 2 inches, and the full boxed set weighs 1.26 pounds.

Pyrite is a brassy iron sulfide with a metallic shine. Malachite is a banded green copper mineral. Tiger's eye shows a moving silky stripe as you turn it. Blue calcite is soft, at 3 on the Mohs scale, and scratches easily, so keep it apart from the harder stones. Most citrine sold today is heat-treated amethyst, and the listing does not say whether this one is natural.

The abundance theme on the box and guide is belief, not evidence. Treat it as a label on a box of attractive rocks. Two cautions that matter more: do not soak malachite or put it in drinking water, since it contains copper, and pyrite can tarnish in a damp room. Retailer rating: 4.7 from 6,103 reviews, the strongest here.

The New Age amethyst pyramid is the cheapest real mineral in this guide and the smallest. Amethyst is purple quartz, and the pyramid is carved by hand to roughly 25 to 30mm, a little over an inch, with a listed weight of 9.07 grams. It reads as a desk or windowsill object, not a display piece.

Quartz rates 7 on the Mohs scale, which means a pyramid this small survives being carried in a pocket or knocked off a shelf far better than softer stones such as calcite. Expect visible banding and pale patches rather than a uniform violet. The listing warns that shade and pattern vary from piece to piece, and at this price the stone is usually lighter and cloudier than the deep purple in a showcase specimen.

The seller's spiritual claims about amethyst have no supporting evidence. Buy it as a small, durable carved stone for under nine dollars. It is easy to lose, and amethyst can fade if it sits in strong direct sun for long periods, so a windowsill in full sun is not the ideal spot. Retailer rating: 4.2 from 467 reviews.