Real crystals and how to avoid buying fake stones

Real Crystals – and how to avoid buying fake stones

This summer, a customer came into our shop with a small chest full of crystals. She asked me to identify the types of stones for her. But before I could do that, I had to sort them out first – about a quarter of the "stones" were dyed or even completely artificial. After so many years in the industry, with a special focus on collectibles, we hardly encounter such fakes anymore. We source our crystals from controlled sources and therefore rarely come into contact with artificial stones.

However, they keep appearing on the internet. Sometimes it's due to ignorance, sometimes it's deliberate deception. Artificial stones are extremely cheap to produce and have no energetic properties due to their lack of crystal structure.

Recognizing fakes

Here are some signs that may indicate synthetic stones:

• Air bubbles inside – Such bubbles are extremely rare in real crystals.
• Unnatural weight – With few exceptions, real crystals feel heavy in the hand.
• Temperature behavior – Natural stones initially feel cold, while plastics or glass quickly warm up.
• Soft surface – If the stone feels "soft" or slightly yielding, it could be resin.
• Excessive glitter – Multicolored glitter particles are a sure sign of a fake.
• Neon colors or unnatural tones – Such colors are rarely found in nature.
• Too uniform patterning – Natural banding is rarely perfectly symmetrical.
• Molded appearance – A too "perfect" appearance can indicate industrial production.
• Identical shapes and sizes – Natural stones are unique, mass-produced goods often appear uniform.

Buy safely

Generally, only buy from dealers you trust. Reputable sellers do not sell synthetic stones in the first place. If you are unsure, specifically ask about the origin and processing – a competent dealer will be happy to provide you with information.