Rocks and Gems instead of cash and currency?

I was sitting there looking at my wife carefully polishing and caring for a few new items for her gem and jewel collectin and my head clicked (or jarred loose, one or the other). Would something like a collection of gems and minerals, both pretty and raw be worth having in the event of an economic disaster?

If money is worth nothing, then trading and bardering will rule. Perhaps quartz, natural sapphires, tiger's eye, and other minerals would be able to be used as a form of currency.

What does the survivalists here think? Could these common items become the new currency in the event of the inevidable failure of currency?

Food and Shelter are the only true forms of currency.

I highly doubt any minerals or gems will be of value. A very brief list of what I think will be would include:

Firearms and ammunition
Heirloom vegetable seeds (non-hybridized)
Water filtration devices
Hand tools, particularly knives and Hacksaw blades
Prescription drugs
Alcohol
Tobacco
Illegal drugs
Over the counter medications
Generators
Fuel
Batteries
Personal care items: Razor blades, soap, shampoo, nail clippers, etc.

Me? I'm stocked on the first 4 items, I carry about 50 hacksaw blades in B.O.B, they're light and would be great trade items.

Gems?

Sorry but I just can't see them having much value in a TEOTWAWKI.

The currency will be what is needed in whatever situation.

When I read the book Empire of the Sun by JG Ballard I laughed when I read they used condoms as a sort of currency. The funny part was the condoms were seen as so valuable that nobody would dare use them because unused they could be spent again to buy something else.

I do not think so, those rocks hold no more value than cash.
Cash was invented to represent actual goods, because lugging around gold, livestock and whatever else.

Great respones! But lets face it, guns, ammo and food are not something wee will likely trade or get rid of... They are far too important to us to let go.

Even sailors of old would gather trinkets and jewelry. The would use them for the bartering of supplies and (my favorite) ale. Why would this be any differant?

Originally posted by wigit
The currency will be what is needed in whatever situation................

How about nails for use as currency? During WWII sailors learned that a hand full of nails could get them things on the islands. A hand full of nails you could even get an island woman to show you a real good time if you know what I mean. The nails were made into fishing hooks which was very very valve-able to them. So even the most seemly worthless thing can become currency given the right situation.

Ramtha said water will be more valuable than gold so order distillers.

But stuff like rose quartz is pretty/ You might be able to trade

[edit on 13-7-2010 by spiritualgirl]

i would view them as baubles. but i like baubles.
a shot of whiskey is called so because 2 bullets would get you a glass of hooch.
i see all the stuff trotted out on roadshow- mostly useless to me.
finery draws attention of thieves. i tend to look like some sorry hillbilly from
the surplus store. just an old shotgun and a rockin chair on the porch.
i have some gold but what i prize are like guns- ammo -food -tools-
gear medicals..
moonshine- weed- tobacco -sexual favors- might be popular.
WHO RUNS BARTERTOWN?

reply to post by Jkd Up


People don’t get rid of the big ticket items but look at Fallout3 the game you acquire extra weapons booze cigarettes and such Etc.
These will be the currency Habit items survival items food, weapons and lastly will be luxury items clothes gems Etc.
Imagine a fresh Ham sandwich being worth more than a $1000. designer dress.
Rocks and gems fall into the luxury items and will fall to the bottom of the list.
So yeah a sailor would gather trinkets but inevitably they would only be worth what someone is willing to trade.
Personally stock up on booze, smokes and ammo they will be the real currency in my opinion.

reply to post by fixer1967


Your post rang a bell. Along the road a bit from me there's a set of caves on the shore. Back in the 1740s a man called Jonathan used to live in one with his family and he was a nail maker. He used the nails he made to feed and clothe his bairns. Until he was priced out by a new nail factory. Poor beggars, I wonder what he did after that? Got a cave named after him though, so he's not forgotten.


www.wemysscaves.info...

www.thefifepost.com...

Gemstones have always been used for barter. They appreciate around 5% per year on average. Typically they are not considered a good investment as you will likely buy them at a retail price . If you needed cash and wanted to sell them you would likely get a wholesale price for them which means unless you bought them 15 years ago you would be selling them at a loss.

That being said, if there were an economic collaspe gems would be extremely useful for barter. An example would be Zibabwe where they are experiencing hyper inflation. Their money is virtually worthles and gems are readily traded for goods and services.

If for instance, the dollar devalued by 50%, A diamond or emerald that sold for $1000 would then sell for $2000. On the other hand corn flakes would also double.

The best gems to acquire would be rather expensive well known stones such as sapphires, emeralds, rubies, diamond and tanzanite. Less expensive well known stones such as amethyst, garnet, topaz and citrine which generally retails for around $12 per carat could also be useful.

I am assuming a serious devaluation of the dollar due to an extreme economic downturn not a total collaspe. In a total collaspe goods needed for survival would be your best barter items.
Hope this helped.

Few things i didnt see posted was Salt, Gold, SIver, and foods that dont spoil easy like rice , beans, and can goods.

Bardering would be king, people still do it today just not on the scale they used to. Gems and thing like that or pretty much rocks and you can't eat rocks.

Gold has always held value even since ancient times. it doesnt corrode or break down. it can be used over and over and its just one of those things that has seemed to be important to man since the beginning.

Silver has been a form of currency and still is in some parts of the would. Even in the U.S. you can go to places and turn in your silver for a little under spot value and recieve cash or even barder if you go to the right places and find a gold and silver buyer that wont scam you. Its used in the making of antibiotics and in components in alot our wonderful technology. so this metal tends to be to one to keep an eye out for since its easier to get then gold.

Salt is very cheap right now and very easy to get so stock up. its used in cleaning wounds and more importantly it preserves food ( MEAT )

FOOD and WATER would be the best things to barder with this fits under canned goods and food that dont spoil like rice and dried beans ( about a year self like if stored right). Canned goods some can last upwards of 5 years plus. yams yummy

If we ever do have a crisis like this i think these would be some of the things to stock up on and the nice list asktheanimals has posted on top hes got some important items posted up there too

Gems, Gold and Silver will hold no, if any, value in TEOTWAWKI scenario.

The idea that gold has never been worth zero is flawed. It is all a matter of location and circumstance. If the middle of trench warfare, offer a man a fist full of gold coins or a fist full of bullets and see what he chooses. Items like gold, silver and gems only have value in a recovering economy.

TEOTWAWKI implies base survival. The only luxury items that will have any value are consumable/useable luxuries such as alcohol, drugs etc.

If you are looking to diversify, then having 10% or so of your total investments in gold, silver or gems would be great. The rest should be the typical investment avenues. In a post apocalyptic world, when society does start to congeal again, stock in XYZ is worthless and savings accounts wont exist, THEN hard investments like gold and silver will give you a edge in starting in the new world. This is why having much more than 10% is pointless. I

If you are preparing for a SHTF/TEOTWAWKI survival situation, your best bet is to stick with the list Asktheanimals made.

Alright, now I can understand how rocks may not be what you'd put in your BOB, but economical downfall does not mean the whole world goes to hell. There are differant stages of collapse.

In a bartering society would these (gems and semi precious stones) be important?

reply to post by Jkd Up


I would say that I truly would'nt know.
Unless you found someone with that interest or that were to be one of the barter currency people gravitate towards.
I could'nt say until in that position.
But a poster above suggested you cannot eat them, this is false just please no chewing, they also have very very low nutritional value.
But in the BOB MRE's weigh alot less.
All in all if you have em I would'nt say dump em as at this point in the game metals are waaaay too high priced and cash is probably a bad investment unless you plan on buying goods quickly.

Ill go against the grain and say that pretty rocks will hold some value.

My reasoning is simple. Vainity.

Yes, should TEOTWAWKI come to pass, for awhile, it will be chaos. The other posters are right. Rocks will be worthless. Guns, food, salt, tobacco, coffee, etc... will rule the day.

However. Things will settle down. The "haves" will seperate from the "have nots", this will be seen in larger homes or cabins or a bigger cave, owning livestock, having a supply of sin items, i.e. alcohol, tobacco, maybe even a sort of a harem.

If society never regains a hold, there will still be small segments of people forming their own little societies. No, there will be no true currency in a situation like this, barter will be the only way of trading. But it will come to pass when a "have not" is wearing a large(worthless) diamond, or a gold necklace and a "have" wants it and will trade 3 goats for it, just because they can and have more than enough to ensure a stable existance.

Mankind is vain. Thats why gold, silver, rubies, diamonds, etc... have any value in todays society. Thats why when the dust settles they will hold value in whatever the bearer of the goods is in need of.

reply to post by salchanra

Thank you very much for your post. Very refreshing look into this thread. Also, a very difficult point to override...

Thank you again!