“In the gem trade, fakes are commonplace,” says Gabriela Farfan, the Coralyn W.
Don Olson, gemstone specialist with the U.S. “For some reason I had to solder a link, and when i did the aquamarine melted. But even some in the high-end collectors’ market are growing increasingly concerned about forgeries as fine mineral specimens skyrocket in value. The pandemic-era healing-crystal boom may be partly to blame for boosting the public’s appetite for inexpensive stones. And in today’s world of online shopping, fakes of every flavor-including cheaply dyed stones, mislabeled minerals, and lab-grown substitutes-are ubiquitous. Although the two groups have very different interests, in sham crystals they share a common enemy. So how do they get away with peddling forgeries? Two crystal campsĬrystal collectors typically fall into one of two groups: rockhounds who approach their hobby scientifically and spiritual types drawn to crystals for their purported healing properties. The sellers’ methods aren’t always subtle. Before you consider splurging on that sparkly specimen, mull over a few best practices. Some experts believe that the fake-crystal problem is getting worse. The crystal business is rife with forgeries and misrepresentations, according to interviews with a dozen industry insiders, including crystal miners, crystal wholesale and retail businesses, and mineral identification specialists. After PayPal refunded her, the seller told Mathis to keep the “clear quartz.” When she informed the seller, they denied the crystals were fake and refused to issue a refund. To Mathis, the bubbles could mean only one thing: They were made of glass. Instead, these trinkets contained free-floating, tiny bubbles, almost invisible to the naked eye-a telltale sign that they had not formed inside the Earth at all. Some flaws are left over from forming under intense heat and pressure deep inside the Earth. Small fractures and imperfections pock most natural quartz crystals. While high-quality quartz crystals can be very clear, Mathis notes, “I’m looking at it and they’re too clear.” “I’m not talking energy or anything,” Mathis, who runs the online crystal shop Mother Nature Minerals, tells Popular Science. NOT LONG AFTER Malika Mathis opened the shipment of clear quartz towers she’d purchased from a dealer in China, she noticed that something felt off.
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