'Like robbing a church': crystal trader robbed of $10,000 in gems and stones at Hunter festival

A stallholder at the Newcastle Medieval Festival has reported losing $10,000 worth of crystals, gemstones and other collectibles to theft during the event.

In a brief statement on Wednesday, September 23, NSW Police confirmed they were aware of the incident, and investigators were making inquiries.

Anna Snow, the founder of Cats Crystals Aus - a sustainable lapidary dealer of pre-owned and custom crystals, as well as offering a "spell casting" service - has sought public support after stones, gems, taxidermied insects, tools and other items of her trade were stolen earlier this month.

Police said the incident happened at some point between 5.45pm on Saturday, September 5, and 9am Sunday, September 6, during the Newcastle Medieval Festival at Foreshore Park.

Ms Snow said this week that she, her sister and brother-in-law had travelled to Newcastle from their base in the Hawkesbury region after attending the Newcastle Medieval Festival for the first time a year earlier.

She said they had closed the festival stall at Foreshore Park on Saturday evening, which was within the event's boundaries near a group of other festival workers camping in area.

When they returned the following morning, Ms Snow said it was as if thieves had "been shopping".

"It was one thing here, one thing there," she said. "Overall it was about 80 items."

She said she had lost about $10,000 worth of stock, including about $3000 in opals and a set of specialty tools that her sister used as part of her entomology craft.

Police told her that weekend that there was little they could do, she said, without CCTV of the incident or further leads.

Ms Snow had contacted about 100 businesses in her niche industry, urging them to be on the lookout for the stolen stones, and said most of her colleagues were shocked by the brazen theft.

"I thought maybe they wanted to resell them," she said of the thieves, adding that much of her wares were bought and resold from other traders as a sustainable market practice.

"Everyone that I have spoken to said they have never heard of this happening. You never heard of a crystal shop being targeted like this. It's like a karma thing. It's such bad karma to steal crystals.

"It's like robbing a church."

Ms Snow said that, while her business was insured, her policy did not cover the incident as it was beyond her showroom premises, and the festival's insurance did not extend to the traders' stocks.

She thanked the festival's organisers and insisted the event had been supportive through the ordeal, adding that the setback would not deter her from returning to future events in the region.

"I love them," she said of the event's organisers. "They are great vendor, and we will be back next year."

"We love Newcastle. It's funny, we were saying that because we are looking at buying a house as we were there, I said I wouldn't mind living in Newcastle."

Ms Snow, an expectant mum, established her business in 2020 and travels between Victoria and Tamworth to sell her wares.

She said the profits from market stalls and festivals were funnelled in part towards efforts to rescue vulnerable cats and kittens, including foster care arrangements, supporting desexing and providing food and supplies for the animals.

Since the business began, she said, it had given about $15,000 to the cause.

"That is why it sucks," she said. "They could have literally read the sign that was behind us and known what we do to help foster cats and kittens."

"They targeted a business that wasn't just a crystal shop."

The fundraising campaign, which had garnered about $3000 on Wednesday, could be found online.

Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.