Hello, I’m a new gem collector and recently, I went to a jeweler to just have my little collection checked out. The lady said my collection was next to worthless, because most is semi precious…what’s up with that?
So here it is, my pile of nothing 
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Hi jewel. You need a new jeweler! You have lots of nice stones. Just because each one is not worth 10,000 does not mean it’s worth next to nothing!
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Welcome to the forum, Jewel! This is definitely a place to learn more about collecting gems and how to identify them.
The term “semi-precious” is out of date for many reasons. Mainly because any gem no matter what species, or simulant or lab grown variant, has some value, monetarily or sentimental. Originally used to describe any colored stone that was not part of the big three (ruby, sapphire, and emerald), it has finally drifted out of use.
I agree with @DarrenK04656. You may want to have the stones looked at by another jeweler. Someone that will at least explain why they think the stones are “semi-precious”.
But this is also a great opportunity for you to learn how to identify the stones yourself. 
You have a nice collection there, but identifying stones with pictures alone is nearly impossible. Do you have a small scale that can measure carats/grams? A 10x loupe is a really good tool every collector should have as well.
Cheers
-Troy
Thank you for the response! I honestly figured I had just went to the wrong place as she only was interested in diamonds ? I do have a loupe and a spectroscope, but am still learning how to read it well- soon I plan to take them up to a pro in my area and maybe I’ll update then ! but thank you, needed the assurance
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I agree with the individuals who responded to your post. I’m an amateur collector and prefer unusual gems such as Turkish Diaspore, Paraiba, and tanzanite. I’ve been to several jewelers in my area and most did not know about or recognize these gems since they focus on diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. Find an expert with a background in gems.I use a Presidium II to identify my gems, but this instrument is not 100%. Beware of lab-created gems. I’ve acquired some gems that were identified as “natural” but after analysis were identified as “lab.” Nice collection.
Hi I agree with what my colleague wrote, there is no need to be discouraged and rely on the words of this person because it seems to me that it is someone who has goods on the shelves and lacks customers and said this out of so-called pain in the ass. I also have a problem with the identification of my sample in most major institutions that deal with such research are staffed by people who either simply would not like the fact that you could get rich in any way simple envy or lack of knowledge or they have connections with major jewelry chains and intentionally mislead people by controlling this market . In my case I hear everywhere that quartz . and quartz is quartz and has no greater value and yet silicates come in many varieties depending on the chemical composition of the % of elements . And you can classify a gem . But according to many it is better to lump others together and promote your own . Be patient and don’t limit yourself to one or two statements if you think your collection is valuable then it is !
Regards