About the guide
A practical guide to what you can see, what you can ask, and what remains uncertain
ICHA Crystal Guide exists for beginners and casual collectors facing similar-looking stones, incomplete product descriptions, and seller claims that are difficult to assess before buying.
Scope
Comparisons built around buying decisions
Pages compare common crystals, visible features, material categories, disclosure language, and plausible alternatives. Seller labels are treated as reported claims, not as proof. Symbolic meanings, when relevant, remain separate from physical properties and health claims.
The site does not issue identifications, appraisals, certificates, medical advice, or investment guidance. When appearance cannot resolve a material, treatment, or origin question, the appropriate next step may be professional gemological testing.
How to use the pages
Start with the claim that affects your purchase
Compare the listing language with what the photographs actually show. Note variation between specimens, ask what material category or treatment has been disclosed, and decide whether the remaining uncertainty is acceptable for the price and purpose.
Use the Seller Claim ChecklistEditorial method
Observation and interpretation stay separate
The editorial workflow compares labeled specimens, seller photographs, product descriptions, and documented testing limits. Each guide aims to distinguish what is observed, what is reported, what is merely consistent with a possibility, and what would require stronger evidence.
Published pages are revisited when terminology, examples, seller practices, or uncertainty statements need correction or clearer qualification.