When it comes to choosing and buying crystals, getting started can often feel overwhelming, especially if you don’t know how to tell if a crystal is real.
You can tell if a crystal is real by their soft color, unique shape, transparency, name, and weight.
We have put together this quick guide with some useful tips and tricks on how to tell tell if a crystal is real.
Note: If you struggle with confusion, depression, anxiety, or feel lost in life, read this.
Why real crystals are important?
Authenticity is crucial when it comes to crystals. Crystals possess healing powers, plus they are connected directly to Mother Nature. Why wouldn’t you want these magical, mystical healing gems?!
Even though science debunks crystals to be these wondrous magical healers, mystics like you and us may still believe in the ancient healing practise of crystals.
They’re also really pretty…
So if you are going to use them as healers, it’s imperative to distinguish between the real gems from the fakes.
Wouldn’t it be silly if you were holding a glass while meditating? We think so too.
Before we start our list on how to tell if a crystal is real, let’s take a quick look at the characteristics of real crystals.
Natural crystal characteristics
A natural crystal is purely formed in nature and takes hundreds to thousands of years to be formed. They accumulate all of the earth’s minerals and compounds over time, and that is what makes these gemstones such powerful healers!
With so much change happening in the earth, crystals experience radical shifts in their form and absorb different energies. You can immediately feel its high vibration and energy in holding a genuine crystal.
Try holding one right now! How does it feel in your hand? Sounds made up, but it’s true.
Due to the earth’s pressure, compounds, minerals, light, and water, crystals form into these magnificent structures that hold incredible healing potential.
On the other hand, the makers of synthetic crystals can imitate the aesthetic but not the magical ingredients and energies found in natural crystals that were plucked from the Earth’s womb.
In other words, when you buy a fake crystal, you are getting the same chemicals and compounds but not the mystical energy that was created over time. It’s an energy field that cannot be recreated in a lab.
Don’t worry, science will catch up with us mystics, one day 😉
Real crystals have distinctive growth structures and natural markings that reveal how they were formed.
These are all reasons why it is so necessary to conduct tests on how to tell if a crystal is real.
Healing crystals can be used for a variety of things, including manifestation, but you can’t manifest anything if you’re holding a fake.
So let’s get right to. Here are the 5 best ways on how to tell if a crystal is real.
1. Bright colors
Another sign that your crystal is most likely fake is the color tone.
Real crystals do not have such vibrant colors that punch you in the face. They are rather softer and more subdued.
Remember, crystals form for thousands of years in the crusts of earth and although you may run into one that shines brighter than the sun, it’s highly unlikely.
The colors of real crystals shouldn’t pop and flare with so much color. They should look almost dull and have a more matte finish vs glossy.
No, they’re not as pretty or shiny to look at, but they are the real gemstones that carry the ancient healing powers we’re looking for!
2. Shape
You know how every person in the world looks unique? So do real crystals.
Embrace the flaws and irregular shapes that your crystal has, because those are signs that they are genuine.
The crystals that look perfectly symmetrical as if they were cut by machines were most likely cut by machines and made in a lab!
Crystals should look flawed and misshaped because that is how they were naturally formed in Mother Earth’s belly. The perfectly symmetrical ones… not so much.
3. Transparency
This is such an easy and great way on how to tell if a crystal is real.
If you were to pick up your crystal right now, can you see right through it? If the answer is yes, you’ve got yourself a genuine fake!
Real crystals have a muddier finish and are absolutely not transparent. You can tell the difference almost immediately by just seeing if you can look through the crystal to the other side of the room.
It can be tricky with some crystals like clear quartz. These babies are already quite transparent, but certainly not as clear as a glass window. It should still be somewhat hard to see through!
4. Unusual names
If you come by a crystal that is being sold with an unusual name, such as ‘Chocolate Strawberry Cream Crystals’ (wow, that sounds pretty great), you can guarantee that it’s fake.
Who doesn’t love creativity? It’s fun to add comical names to these pretty pieces of rock but it’s not nice to be deceived of their true nature.
These candy-themed gems are usually made from glass or dyed quartz which looks almost identical to real crystals.
In short, avoid stones with unrecognizable names to be on the safe side.
5. Weight
Crystals weigh much more than glass.
Natural crystals contain lead and other minerals that make them heavier than glass. You can test the weight of your crystal next to a similar-sized piece of glass to see if it is real.
You can also use common sense to tell if it weighs too little. You got this.
Since you made it this far, here’s a bonus tip on how to tell if a crystal is real.
Air bubbles
Here’s another simple trick on how to tell if a crystal is real. Remember the marbles you used to play with as a child? (The good ol’ days!)
Those little round glass stones contain air bubbles.
There will be imperfections in crystals, but they will not look like air bubbles. If you can’t see clearly, you can use a magnifying glass or ask a friend to help you spot it.
In short, if there are air bubbles, it’s glass and fake!
Okay, here is one more bonus tip on how to tell if a crystal is real. This is the last one.
Heat conductivity
This was saved for last because it’s not a guaranteed way on how to tell if a crystal is real or fake. Sometimes it doesn’t work because of the crystal’s unique properties, however it is a fun experiment so here we go!
If you put your crystals on ice and the ice begins to melt in a couple minutes, you’ve got yourself a real one.
However, if the ice does not melt, it is most likely fake.
The reason why is because real crystals are good conductors of heat, as they carry a lot of energy within!
Final Thoughts
Now you know how to tell if a crystal is real. Hopefully, these tips and tricks will help you spot out real gemstones over fakes.
So go, mystic one, and be off on your journey to collecting the right healing crystals for you!
Remember, crystals should not be depended on as they have yet to be proven to have any healing components. If you are struggling with confusion, depression, anxiety, or feel lost in life, read this important article.
If you realized that you have acquired a collection of fake crystals and have a headache now, here’s our guide on the Top 10 best crystals for headaches.