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<blockquote data-quote="Dannyalcatraz" data-source="post: 9628995" data-attributes="member: 19675">I could totally see that using a gem in a spell might not actually destroy it completely, but merely devalue it significantly.&nbsp; After all, a&nbsp; gem cutter might decrease a stone’s value significantly with sloppy work.&nbsp; (Likewise, another cutter might rehabilitate a poorly cut stone, if they’re skilled enough and have enough to work with.)I’ve been a jewelry design hobbyist since the late-1980s, and have been enjoying shopping at the InterGem jewelry shows (including this weekend) for a couple of decades now.&nbsp; It never ceases to amaze me how many variables go into valuation of a stone, and what that can mean in terms of visual aesthetics and/or a gem’s usefulness.I say that to say this: in a world where magic is real and requires material components, something’s suitability for use in magic would be accounted for in appraisals.&nbsp; Gems included.*I know- D&amp;D uses an abstracted shorthand for valuation- a 5kGP diamond is a a 5kGP diamond is a a 5kGP diamond.&nbsp; But in the internal reality of the campaign setting, it might actually matter to a magical practitioner if a diamond were small but clean, well cut, and of a particular hue, as opposed to being a large, uncut crystal of a less desirable color, despite having the same price tag.It’s possible that in such a world, a skilled &amp; knowledgeable caster might be able to restore a gem’s magical utility with the right rituals and other materials.OTOH, magical degradation from being used for casting might be a one-way street, leaving a mundane stone behind, suitable only for semiprecious jewelry or industrial purposes.Hell…maybe magically exhausted gemstones become completely different materials, like uranium decaying into lead.* gemological pun slightly intended</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Dannyalcatraz, post: 9628995, member: 19675"] I could totally see that using a gem in a spell might not actually destroy it completely, but merely devalue it significantly. After all, a gem cutter might decrease a stone’s value significantly with sloppy work. (Likewise, another cutter might rehabilitate a poorly cut stone, if they’re skilled enough and have enough to work with.) I’ve been a jewelry design hobbyist since the late-1980s, and have been enjoying shopping at the InterGem jewelry shows (including this weekend) for a couple of decades now. It never ceases to amaze me how many variables go into valuation of a stone, and what that can mean in terms of visual aesthetics and/or a gem’s usefulness. I say that to say this: in a world where magic is real and requires material components, something’s suitability for use in magic would be accounted for in appraisals. Gems included.* I [I]know[/I]- D&D uses an abstracted shorthand for valuation- a 5kGP diamond is a a 5kGP diamond is a a 5kGP diamond. But in the internal reality of the campaign setting, it might actually matter to a magical practitioner if a diamond were small but clean, well cut, and of a particular hue, as opposed to being a large, uncut crystal of a less desirable color, despite having the same price tag. It’s possible that in such a world, a skilled & knowledgeable caster might be able to restore a gem’s magical utility with the right rituals and other materials. OTOH, magical degradation from being used for casting might be a one-way street, leaving a mundane stone behind, suitable only for semiprecious jewelry or industrial purposes. Hell…maybe magically exhausted gemstones become completely different materials, like uranium decaying into lead. * gemological pun slightly intended [/QUOTE]

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