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How to Tell Real Crystals from Fake — A Practical Guide
Five universal tests, plus the most commonly faked crystals and how to spot each.
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Fake crystals are everywhere — dyed glass, plastic, reconstituted dust, heat-treated quartz. The mass market often sells fakes without knowing. Five tests catch most. Beyond that, knowing the specific fakes for each crystal is your edge.
Test 1 — Weight
Real crystals are noticeably heavier than glass or plastic of the same size. Glass feels light; plastic feels lighter still. Pyrite especially — if it feels light, it's not pyrite (pyrite is iron-heavy).
Test 2 — Temperature
Real crystals stay cool to the touch even in summer. They warm slowly in the palm. Plastic and resin warm fast. Glass is also relatively cool but warms faster than crystal.
Test 3 — Imperfections
Real crystals have inclusions, cloudy areas, colour zoning, or small natural flaws. Too-perfect, too-uniform colour is a warning sign — that's a sign of dye or synthetic origin. The exception is high-grade museum specimens, which cost accordingly.
Test 4 — Tap test
Gently tap two crystals together. Real quartz, agate, jasper, jade ring with a clear note. Plastic thuds dully. Glass clinks but with a higher, brighter pitch than crystal.
Test 5 — Hardness
Most crystals (quartz family, agate, jasper, jade, garnet) are harder than steel — a steel pin won't scratch them. Plastic scratches easily. This test is destructive in mis-trial — practise gently.
The most-faked crystals
- Citrine — most market "citrine" is heat-treated amethyst. Watch for burnt-white tips.
- Turquoise — usually dyed howlite. Real has irregular natural matrix veining.
- Lapis lazuli — dyed jasper or sodalite with painted pyrite flecks. Real has random gold inclusions.
- Moonstone — opalite glass. Real has soft blue glow that appears inside the stone.
- Malachite — dyed marble or polymer. Real has irregular concentric banding.
- Rose Quartz — dyed quartzite. Real is translucent and softly cloudy, not vivid.
The honest shortcut: buy from a source that can tell you where the crystal was mined and whether it has been heated, dyed, or stabilised. Reputable sellers answer those questions directly. If a seller can't or won't, walk away.
Enquire about these crystals
Each crystal is chosen and cleansed by hand before shipping.