Many of you are just starting on your spiritual journey. Even for those who are experienced, it can be hard to tell the difference between a real and fake crystal. So first of all, what makes a crystal "fake"? Some producers color glass to look like crystals. Some of the most often found fakes are rose quartz because it is so easy to duplicate, and moldavite because it is also easy to duplicate and sells for a lot of money. Any crystal that has been modified or is man made can be considered a fake crystal. Cherry Quartz, Angel aura, and opalite are all modified crystals, but that doesn't necessarily mean they don't hold energy. Aside from modified crystals, the biggest risk is buying fakes made of colored glass, plastic, or another kind of less valuable stone. To avoid this, especially when buying online, I am going to give you all some tips to spotting fake crystals.
1. Repeating patterns. Some crystals have gorgeous patterns on their surface. As we know, mother nature makes no mistakes, and the patterns on real stones are usually unsymmetrical. If you have found a crystal with patterns that look a little too perfect or are symmetrical, chances are you have a fake.
2. Check for crystalline structure. Crystals are called crystals because of their inner geometry that makes them up. If you have a crystal that you can see through, hold it up in the light and check for fault lines or any geometries inside. If the crystal is clear with no fault lines all the way through, it is most likely a fake. Remember, man made stones like opalite will not have any inner geometry.
3. Saturated colors. While crystals come in many vibrant shades, fake crystals are usually darker or brighter in color than what the real stone will look like. For example, if you have "rose quartz" that is a dark pink color, it is most likely fake. Real crystals do come in different shades, so it would be helpful to atleast have a picture for reference of what the real deal looks like when shopping.
How to avoid buying fake crystals
1. Follow the steps above! Hopefully these tips will give you an idea of what to look for when checking crystals for authenticity. Especially when shopping online, it can be hard to tell if what you are getting is the real deal.
2. Know your retailer. Wherever you buy crystals from, even if it is a crystal shop, might sell fake crystals. It is extremely helpful to get to know about who you are buying from and where they source their crystals from before deciding to make a purchase. You want to shop from someone who is open to answer any questions, is knowledgeable about crystals, and clearly puts their customers needs first.
There are many things to look out for when avoiding fake crystals. But, if you know what to look for, you will be much less likely to waste money on a piece of colored glass. Being familiar with who you are shopping with is also important, so you can always have faith that what you are ordering is genuine healing crystals.
Note: While I do sell man made crystals like goldstone and opalite, I never buy fake versions of real crystals. I hand pick every piece and feel its energy before making my purchase. Man made crystals still hold healing energy. This is why stones like cherry quartz and angel aura are still loved by crystal users. So, while I do sell manmade specimens you can be sure that Spirit Lady crystals are always the real deal.