Gemstone Dice

We’ve all seen them, with varying degrees of envy. Another player at the table busts out some gemstone dice, like the malachite ones we see above. And there’s a huge conflict of emotions; we try to hide our judgment knowing that those pretties can cost an absolute fortune, all the while hearing a dice goblin in the back of our minds screaming how we have to have them as well. But spending just a bit of time on Amazon reading reviews of Gemstone dice puts horror in even the most adventurous of dice investors. So where do you go to get a set? Are they even worth it? Let’s take a look today at one specific manufacturer of them found on Etsy.

GemCoCrafts

They are a bit new to Etsy, having debuted in 2019. In fact, they’ve only got about 1600 sales at the time of publishing. And they hail from Guangzhou, China, so it’s not unreasonable to expect communication issues if you have questions or problems with the order. So, why did your favorite review site settle on them? We make purchases with an eye on what drives the average player. GemCoCrafts are the least expensive seven-die sets on Etsy (At the time of purchase, please verify as time goes by). Like you, we want the most bang for our buck, and it was hard to tell the difference between any of the sellers of gemstone dice on Etsy.

Service

I purchased these the same way you would. Through Etsy, with no contact with the seller prior to let them know they would be reviewed, etc. They were quite kind. They gave me a dice box for free (which may have been a Christmas promotion, YMMV) and provided me with their own shipping estimate. They were polite and considerate. But also, it’s Etsy, you have a pretty solid recourse for poor service should it arrive.

First Impressions

They feel great. They are cool to the touch, but warm quickly if you hold them tight. The tactile feel on them is also very different. They are almost a bit slippery, and I often find myself at the game table running the pad of my thumb across a random face just to feel it. I’m weird.

They look exactly like the photos in the shop. This shouldn’t be a problem, and thankfully with GemCoCrafts it doesn’t appear to be, but these fit the description and images online perfectly. Horror stories abound of Gemstone dice having uneven faces, discolored spots, and chipped edges. None of those are present on any of these, and it seems promising.

That is a monster D12. It’s not a trick of the light. It’s not a mistake, the D12s made by GemCoCrafts are not just the biggest dice in their set, but way larger than a typical D12.

How do they look in detail?

Well, they’re pretty. Even when you take them outside, or throw them under super bright LEDs, the Green and Black swirls are really something. They also have a luster too them, a satin finish which helps to reinforce the Gemstone aura of the dice. But you don’t need to throw them under a microscope to see imperfections. They are quite minor, but even in the pictures on this page you can see some minor scratches, and scuffs. To be clear, these photos are taken zoomed in. And technically they’re magnified 2.5 times or more. The scratches are almost imperceptible to the naked eye, but if you know to look for them, you can find them. That is a completely reasonable deal breaker for a lot of people, so keep that in mind if you’re in the market for gemstone dice. They are, however, sized appropriately. I don’t know if they are machining or otherwise cutting these into shape (like WizDice), or if they use some sort of ground gemstone/resin molding(like Artisan Dice) process to create the dice, but the edges and sides are pretty exact. It seems a fair assumption that they will roll randomly.

How do they roll?

Well. We did a Chi square test on them. And got a touch carried away rolling the absolute heck out of these puppies. We recorded our rolls and have them here. Ultimately, these are pretty easy to call fair. Obviously as you scrutinize those numbers, some things seem a bit suspect, like how nineteen and twenty were the two most frequent rolls on the D20, but overall everything fell within expected limitations, and it is unlikely that any of these dice are less than random.

Durability

Durability is questionable. As mentioned above, the dice have a bunch of mini scratches on them. It’s unclear if these are left over from a mold, or if they simply were tumble polished, and over tumbled. Alternatively, they may have picked up those scratches from being smacked together while being transported. I rolled them in a cork bottomed rolling tray to test them out, and continue to use either that or a leather rolling tray when I use them I’d recommend you follow suit.

Verdict

If you’re in the market for Gemstone Dice, these are the leader in the clubhouse. As always, research prices, before making any purchase. But the quality on these is leaps and bounds superior to the quality on many other gemstone dice in the same $50/set price range. If you were hoping to pick up a set, and want something that will suit you well at the gaming table, your choices are these, or to pay the premium associated with the next tier (Artisan/Level Up).

GemCoCrafts Semi-Precious Stone Dice