Ahhh, I get some sort of wacko geo-geek-high from writing these particular blog posts on “fake crystals” in my Fakes Series! Thanks for letting me indulge myself once again. You can catch my previous posts in this series here:
I chose today’s featured fakes b/c these seem to be showing up quite often at the gem shows & in my student forums or in our various Hibiscus Moon Private Facebook Groups. I feel it’s most definitely my duty to keep our community informed on this schist.
Now, if you choose to work with man-made crystals that’s totally fine. No judgements from me on that. I, personally, choose not to.
But, I do think its very important that you know what you’re getting & that you not be fooled & that you KNOW geologically exactly what you’re working with.
BTW, sometimes sellers aren’t looking to purposefully fool anyone…sometimes they themselves have no idea.
So let’s get to it!
Charoite
High grade authentic charoite from Russia on the left vs. fake Chinese Fluorite (sold as charoite on ebay on the right)
BEWARE: Chinese fluorite is being sold as “Chinese Charoite”, claiming a new deposit discovered in China. It’s BOGUS. They really look nothing alike to me so I’m surprised this is actually duping people. Some people have been taking low grade Chinese purple fluorite & polishing it up to sell as dupes. You’ll notice that these “Chinese Charoite” fakes have a lot of white in them & no swirly pattern, in fact the purple layers in these fakes have a very angular pattern to them.
As you can see in the above photo, high grade chaorite is vibrantly purple with very little white + a gorgeous unusual swirly purple pattern. All authentic charoite comes from Russia from the Chara River region. It’s the only place in the world where it’s found & its very rare, hence a hefty price. So price point can be a good indicator of a fake.
Real high-grade Russian charoite for sale at the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show
The “Chinese Chaorite” started rearing its head big-time about 5 years ago.
You can determine if your piece is fluorite with a UV light & a scratch test being that charoite is harder than fluorite…(something our Advanced Crystal Masters are well-versed on).
Cinnabar Infused Quartz
Cinnabar crystals also a tough crystal to come by in large quantities or in large pieces. But the fakes? Oh…very easy to come by! I’ve seen many with the name, Cinnabar-Infused Quartz or sometimes they called them cherry + or strawberry quartz (which can also be glass-infused as discussed in Part 1). *Beware the mercury content in cinnabar.*
This very large sphere in the photo below was being sold as “Cinnabar Infused Quartz”!
Although cinnabar & quartz do grow together naturally it’s usually not in a pretty swirl as seen in the above photo.
When it is actually cinnabar, it’s often reconstituted (melted & mixed with other stuffs) with clear quartz & then can have plastics & binders added to it. Sometimes, the creators of this stuff may even add some selenium (Se) to get a more red crystal.
Here’s my big beef with all of this. If the quartz & cinnabar (if there’s any real cinnabar being added at all) are being reconstituted (hence melted down)…then all you’re doing is creating man-made silica glass. So this is no longer holding a crystalline molecular structure = IT’S NO LONGER A CRYSTAL.
And all of this may be totally OK with you. I just prefer my crystals to be actual CRYSTALS and to be 100% Mama Earth made.
But that’s just moi.
Goldstone
Goldstone, aka “aventurine glass”, is another man-made glass “gem” that’s been hangin’ around for quite a long time…since the 17th century! It’s very pretty so I can certainly see why. Check this sparkly baby out!!
Ooooo, Sparkly…but FAKE! (Photo credit: GDK)
There’s a legend that this “stone” came about when some Venetian glass-working monks accidentally dumped some molten copper into the melted glass they were working with.
The process is a bit more complicated but here’s what goes into it:
- After the molten copper is poured into the molten glass …
- It’s sealed off air-tight & kept at a specific temperature that’s hot enough to maintain in liquid state while still allowing the copper crystals to grow in the solution but not melting back again
- Then the solution is cooled forming 1 solid mass
- The cooled mass is broken open for cutting & polishing
The result is teeny crystallized specks of copper strewn throughout the glass, reflecting & sparkling up a storm. Although usually a golden coppery color, I’ve seen “goldstone” come in all colors, based on the elements added in the process.
I’m sure you have many opinions of your own to share about my “Featured Fakes” here today. You know I always welcome a mature & respectful debate, so please do comment below. Or if you’d simply just like to share your thoughts, that’s welcome too!
Have a Sparkly Day!
There is always so much more to learn….thank you for posting your information!
My total pleasure!
I am seeing so many fakes coming out of China. The latest (laughing atm) ‘blue moldavite’, and the charoite as mentioned above. Saddens me that so many are sucked in thinking they’re getting genuine while they lay out $$$ for nothing.
I don’t mind fake stones as long as they aren’t priced like rare natural stones. I don’t have anything against costume jewelry as long as it’s not priced like Tiffany.
I’ve put brown Tiger Eye quartz ($8/strand) in a kitchen oven for 90 minutes and it came out red Tiger Eye ($38/strand). Did I fake anything?
The funniest scam I’ve seen is “Super 7” or “Melody’s Stone.” The story goes that the seven minerals that compose this stuff are all psychically connected via another dimension, so even if one or two are missing from the specimen I’m trying to sell you that’s OK. You’ll still get the full awesomeness of all seven and so you can pay me full price.
Seriously. 🙂
You know the thing on the right in the top photo – next to the Charoite – well is it not really Tiffany Stone type Fluorite (which is expensive in itself) – OR Yttrian Fluorite?
I’d love to know about Yttrian Fluorite, see it, and maybe buy it.
Also, yes, Goldstone whether blue or brown, and so called crackle quartz is unappealing, except possibly to children.
Thanks for the info. Sometimes you can look at a crystal and think – oh it just doesn’t look real!
Oh, my, Hibiscus Moon,
Thank you so much for all the lovely information you have given/are giving to those interested in crystals. I have so much to learn. Namaste
Sparkly rainbow blessings of love
Gayle
LOVE this series. Thanks for educating the crystal community about the fakes out there!
While I know goldstone is man-made and have never seen anyone claim otherwise, I do like them. They have a neat kind of … bubbly? energy. Not really sure what word to use there. It’s also a good stone to use in lue of copper, and it comes in a variety of colors to match your intentions. (Yes, I am aware of pennies but who likes pennies)
I was given “thunderstones”. They aren’t very pretty on the outside and I have never seen one opened up…..they are supposed to help with anger. The story is that when God became angry with the people on earth, he threw fire and brimstone and these are some of what He threw. Any truth to any of this?
No such story exists in any Hebrew or Greek Christian texts.
Those aren’t the only religions that exist, she might be pagan for all you know.
Also, there are writings outside of canonical religious texts that um, may mention such thing?
Hi 🙂
Thank you for this great and informative site! Totally appreciate this! 🙂
Im REALLY confused about Charoite. :/
Ive been some cabs of it on ebay and some are light.
So I read what you wrote and then started typing “fake charoite” and “Genuine Charoite” etc on the web and well I saw a reputable gem site that does show Charoite in super light colors.
Will you please help me on this?
The site is called Magpiegemstones
I typed in their search bar Charoite
They sell beads ,cabs etc
Check out the beads they are REALLLLT light.
Are these real or fake?
Sincerely,
LilyA
Personally I go a lot on how a stone “feels” to me. That being said, I have gotten some great results from a couple of “fakes”. I love goldstone in all of its colors…and in fact use ones that are all of the chakra colors. It is a great visual treat for myself and doesnt cost as much. I also use goldstones for elemental points…I love the rich colors. That being said, anything can be utilized…I have had some great luck with dyed howlite and dyed agate. Now would those be considered “fake”? obviously agate slices don’t come in brilliant purple and pink. But I do think that for those that buy their crystals online, this is a great resource to hopefully not get scammed.
Bright Blessings,
Kestral
Goldstone is fugly AF and has NO PROPERTIES WHATSOEVER! it’s all in your mind, sweetheart! But seriously: how bad is your taste that you keep buying this KHRappe? And dyeing stones kills them. So no, no value either, other than bringing death and brimstone to you, your house and your family. Also. ,Hibiscus moon is a fat fake and she can’t even use her real name because she goes to A.A. and narc anon. She’s a meth head. Now you know!
Wow you sound like a complete child. Grow up. It’s smart to not use your real name on the internet, do you know how many people get doxxed? Just per day? Besides, all of it is in your heads. Crystals don’t have any more energy or whatever than a piece of plastic. Everything has some. Goldstone is gorgeous, especially that picture she posted. It looked like stars in space. This woman has done a huge amount of research on crystals and pretty much everything else she talks about. People have weird beliefs, this is like calling a catholic priest a fake just because you don’t understand their motivations. You’re being a big baby.
Love what I read. I’ve recently seen a new addition to the ‘natural rock’ scene. Specular Hematite, highly polished with a brilliant glossy finish. I questioned the seller and got the schpeel of how it is found in Michigan and how what she was offering was 100% natural. I said it looks like it has a varnish coating on it (and showed her what looked like a drip on the side). I called it ‘blue goldstone’. ANYWAY, I’ve looked it up as best I can on the internet, and I’ve read it’s a bit rare, it has mica which creates the sparkle, and it’s fragile. What I’m seeing for sale is not fragile, highly polished, and rough pieces that look like blue goldstone. So, is this being mass-produced by China now, or should I trust this to be real? THANKS for your time!
Blue goldstone is powerful stone. Wear it. To feel is to believe. Yes this is man made but with earth elements like copper & sand:) Discovery made by combining elements & become powerful. Peace.
Im seeing a lot of fake aura quartz (actually just mystic coated) and a LOT of ruby zoisite fakes.
It upsets me when they are sold as natural and at full whack.
Even more annoying is the ones sold at wholesale prices which means inexperienced jewellery makers/gemstone collectors inadvertantly add them to their creations and collections.
Hm didn’t know goldstone has more colors than blue and brown..
But do you still believe in the powers it has even tho it’s man made? And opalite wich is also man made?
I still love both of them
Everything has energy in it. Even plastic does, it can even be converted into electricity and fuel. I think, if any of this is real, it just depends on the feelings you get from them. Some people prefer the natural feeling, some people like other stuff. I don’t know this still all sounds whacky to me lol
Thanks I have a blue goldstone pendant that I love. The sparkles resemble the stars in the night sky. That alone is enough to make me feel good wearing it. But it does have mineral qualities in it too. So man made or not, it is special.
are the rocks we buy at the gift shops (in bags) fake rocks?
I wouldn’t really call them “fake” but more of “something else”, something that is not in the gemstone category but in another category but I don’t know which, for example, you may say “oooooooo its sparkly” but to me, it reminds me more of space even though its glitter, yes a defective Gold stone is not a gemstone but its not fake either, its glass, goldstone is made from quartz sand, its more of a “quartz glass” I would call it, but when it comes to gemstones its not a gemstone, its kind of like “Bismuth”
I’m pretty new to crystals and today had my first encounter to the famous tingly sensation. The person who helped me find and gave me the stone wouldn’t give me a fake. I’m scared about the place she got my Tiger Eye from. She got it from a local high school, who does, in fact, have a glass making class…
Not only that but for the big chunks…they were only a dollar a piece. All were extremely vibrant…
I know you have mentioned that even if it isn’t 100% real it can hold the same effects. Like I said I am still new to this, and a very scientific person, so I still have some speculation. I also want to have a connect to a 100% real stone because the feeling will actually mean something and will not be an artificial feeling.
I’m guessing the needle trick may work, but I don’t know for sure. Please help, I’m scared that it is fake.
I decided to try the needle trick on the tiger eye…
Which I have identified not to be a cat eye or a hawk eye.
I heated up a needle-like tool (idk what it is) and pressed it hard on the tiger eye. nothing had happened so I figured it wasn’t hot enough. I heated the metal until it became iridescent coat looking. I then repeated the last step of pressing it on the stone. Nothing occurred. I’m guessing and hoping that means it is legit. Along with that I noticed that the gem was chipped on a corner. I’m hoping that tiger eyes are polished because it looks like a layer of polish may have been chipped off. That fact terrifies me because if I am correct…they naturally are shiny right?
Oh no…
Generally they are legitimate rocks polished in massively big tumblers, probably from China. Beware of vibrant colors like purple, quartz died purple to imitate amythist. Rub any such too vibrantly colored rocks/crystals to see if the color comes off on your fingers… rip offs.
Wow….I actually just bought a “blue goldstone” from whay i thought was a reputable gemstone place. It claims to provide strength, creativity and self confidence among other benefits listed on the card it came with. I did not know it would be fake!!
Hi ! Can somebody please help me . I,ve just bought agate on ebay from chinese suppliers , i have doubts if it,s real thig. Seller claims that those from Madagascar , madagascar banded agate ebay. What do you guys think?
I bought some of these Madagascar banded silk agates too and I am convinced they are colored art glass. There are too many odd bandings and colors. The polish is too shiny and smooth. They feel like glass not stone. They are all coming from a few chinese sellers who seem to have hundreds of these and no one else has any stones like these.
Some of the dealers sell real madagascar agates which are real and like none anywhere else. They are extensively tumbled, and do have a hard glassy finish because they are a form of quartz. There colors are enhanced by heating which can oxidize the iron contained in the bands. The patterns are amazing.
Pretty much all the Madagascar Agates/Silk Agates are treated – they are first heat-treated in a kiln to make them more porous, then soaked in a sugar solution for weeks and boiled in sulfuric acid to give them that stunning enhanced coloration and patterning.
hi, Hibiscus, i can’t seem to find your comments on Melody Stones anywhere in these pages. can you direct me to it, please? info needed.
best wishes and thanks for all you share of your knowledge.
Hi, thank you for all this information you put out. It must take a lot of time, so thanks. I have A LOT of crystals, and I ordered from a site that I didn’t know was a Chinese vendor. I purchased small towers and smaller spheres. I’m sure hoping they are real now. I don’t want to buy anything from China right now during this pandemic, but I do LOVE my crystals and the energies they have, especially after being charged. Second full moon on Saturday/Halloween. My porch gets A LOT of rocks on it on full moons! Lol To each is own, if you don’t believe in the beautiful gifts Mother Gaia/Mother Nature has given us, that’s on you. Move on and don’t comment, nobody wants to hear your opinion. YOU chose to come on this site and type mean spirited things, so choose to move on to a site that interests you. To the others that appreciate these awesome energies continue loving and learning. If a crystal gives you that feeling than you need that crystal if it doesn’t it’s not for you right now. I have bought crystals thinking for me but it’s been for someone else. They get the feeling instead and THAT’S a cool feeling.
Actually, all fluorite specimens do NOT fluoresce.. Just another flaw in language, where we name something based off a characteristic before we truly understand it and it’s various forms and expressions.
I literally was just looking up how to spot authentic chaorite tonight, as I saw a great piece in an auction on eBay earlier.
New follower, looking foward to reading the other parts of this series.
You’re an awesome writer and i definitely need to know more about spotting fakes 🙂
Actually it’s very easy to distinguish between real or fake crystals. This method will work if you have 2 crystals. Just ‘clash’ them together and there should be a vibration sound. If the sound is too clear or have no vibration at all, then it’s a fake.
And most crystals will feel cold more longer if you hold them in your palm rather than the fake one. The fake one will get warmer soon after you hold them.