Crystal Authenticity Checker
A stone in your hand, and a question you cannot answer by looking at it. Tick whatever you have already observed, and this reads the signals the way a gemologist would. It will not hand you a verdict it cannot support, and it will not sell you anything.
Check the price against the stone
The cheapest test costs nothing and catches more fakes than any of the physical ones. Fakes cluster around famous names, so the price is often the first thing that does not add up. These are rough market ranges, in US dollars, for single pieces rather than parcels.
What you are probably looking at
Most counterfeits repeat the same handful of tricks, and each one has a signature. Find the row that matches what you have, then run the check in the last column.
| What you see | What it usually is | How to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| "Jade" under $30 | Dyed howlite, serpentine, or glass | Dye in the crevices, acetone swab |
| Bright "turquoise" with dark veins | Dyed howlite, or reconstituted turquoise | Real matrix looks metallic, dye lines do not |
| Uniform yellow "citrine" | Heated amethyst | Assume heated unless certified natural |
| Flawless clear "quartz" | Glass, or synthetic quartz | Bubbles mean glass; synthetic needs a lab |
| Deep blue "lapis" at a low price | Dyed jasper, or reconstituted stone | Pyrite should look metallic, not painted on |
| "Rose quartz" in a garish pink | Dyed quartz, or glass | Colour in the cracks, acetone swab |
| Oversaturated "amethyst", no flaws | Glass, or synthetic | Bubbles, even colour, low price together |
| "Moldavite" for $20 | Factory green glass | Real moldavite is rare and sold by weight |
Choosing a stone is a different question
The audit covers the nine areas of a home and the element each one responds to, so you know which crystal belongs where before you spend anything.
Frequently asked questions
Can I tell if a crystal is real by how cold it feels?
Not reliably. Real stone conducts heat away fast, so it feels cold at first, but a cold glass bead feels the same, and a stone that has been sitting under a shop lamp comes up warm. Use the temperature test as a tiebreaker after you have checked for bubbles and dye.
How can I tell if a crystal is dyed?
Look at the drill holes, cracks, and pits, where dye pools and turns darker than the rest of the stone. A cotton swab with acetone or nail polish remover will lift dye off many stones when you rub it on an inconspicuous spot.
Is heated amethyst sold as citrine a fake?
No. Almost all citrine on the market is amethyst that has been heat treated, and this is standard industry practice. It becomes misleading only when a seller calls it natural citrine and charges the natural price.
Can I test at home whether a crystal is synthetic?
Usually not. Synthetic quartz has the same hardness, density, and crystal structure as natural quartz, so every home test passes it. A gem lab with a microscope and spectroscopy is the only reliable answer.
Should I ask for a certificate when buying crystals?
For anything over a few hundred dollars, yes. A GIA or IGI report states whether a stone is natural, treated, or synthetic, and it is the only document that carries weight if you resell.
This tool has no affiliate links, no shop, and nothing to sell you. The price ranges are rough guides for the open market, not appraisals, and a single photo can never settle a question that a microscope sometimes cannot. When the money is serious, pay a lab.