A person recently got in touch with us and asked if the Tibetan Quartz she had recently acquired from an Ebay merchant was legit – especially the color?
It turns out that no, it was not. It had clearly been dyed a somewhat unlikely green color! Further investigations revealed this Ebay seller had other “Natural” quartz clusters for sale – well the quartz clusters them selves are natural, but the colors? I promptly grabbed some photos, and have posted them with comments below.
OK, check out where I have placed the black circles – these are broken points, yet are covered in the green color! If these were truly natural you would see a ring of the inclusion that caused the color and then the crystals natural color, in this case I suspect it would be clear Milky Quartz – coincidentally the best color of quartz to take on a dye! These Crystals were reportedly from Tibet.
The shame of it is, they look like really nice clusters in their own right! The style is very similar to Spirit Quartz from Africa. Though the terminations are a little different. My guess is they are from a location in China. I personally would LOVE to see some in their natural color – they would be stunning! Here are two more example photos below. The second ones dye job looks like a real dogs breakfast – one the dog rejected!!!
OK, the title of the auctions for the two crystals below said they were rare and yes, natural. Again, coincidentally – they look like the exact same family with different colored shades of dye! Again, my feelings are I would LOVE to see these clusters in unmolested form! That being the case, I would be proud to be able to offer the fully natural versions of these clusters on Majestic Quartz!
Here is a “Rare Yellow Quartz. They managed to resist calling it Citrine Quartz, but still try to make out that it is natural! This is the title of the auction below…..
RARE!! NATURAL YELLOW CRYSTAL TIBETAN QUARTZ CRYSTAL CLUSTER HEALIN”
It looks like the same seller has been trying their hand in the kitchen as well! Reportedly a “Natural Smoky Quartz Crystal from Tibet”. This is almost certainly baked “irradiated” with the oven set to “extreme high”!!! The general rule of thumb for smoky is – if it is extremely black and totally opaque, there is a very high chance it has been “baked”. There are a few exceptions to that rule, but they are very few indeed.
Irradiated Smoky Quartz (baked)
I will bring this blog post to a end now, however if you have any questions for us, or if you are suspicious something is fake, by all means send us a link or place a photo in the comments down below and we will do our best to give you a straight answer.
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Hello,
I am about to spend a bit of money on some Enhydro crystals from China.
I need to know if these are real or not please? Any help would be much appreciated.
The crystals are real, and have been polished.
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Hi, this is a lab grown Crystal.
Hi, and is this real as well?
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Hi, may I know these green phantom bracelets are real?
Hi, sorry, with cut and polished material, it is too hard to tell from photos alone.
Hi Anthony, thank you for your informative article and helping the community to be more aware.
Could I ask if this citrine is genuine? The seller informed me that it's heat treated, however I felt it's quite pale / champagne yellow to look heated.
Hi Chloe, Thak You for your kind comments. I feel that crystal is natural and not heat treated 🙂
Comment *Well, I wish I could agree with Anthony, but I cannot. I hate to burst anyone's "Bubble" (Pardon the Pun) But I definitely see Many very small "Bubbles" inside of the Crystal in the Bottom-Middle area. In fact one of the Bubbles is quite large. I blew up the image to make sure. I think we all have been "Burned" on a wonderful,Colorful, Natural Crystal from China that the seller Swore was not man made or Treated. I have. I bought at the end of the Tucson Gem and Mineral show, The most beautiful and Perfect "Cherry Quartz" specimen. It was about 8" tall and I got it for only $20. (I should have known better) Well when I got it home I immediately had to show it to my wife. Sadly she noticed the "Bubbles" in the center of the Obelisk. "Crap" Well I was till able to sell it for $25 and I considered myself Lucky. I also told him that it was Man Made. but he bought it anyway. Just saying, If you are considering paying for a possible fake, Look at it until the seller starts to look nervous. Then really look at it. Good Luck!
Hi Bryan, I’m not seeing any bubbles that I’ve not seen in natural quartz crystals (some I’ve mined myself). Most bubbles in natural quartz are small blobs of un-solidified quartz still in it’s liquid form. I know what the bubbles look like in the smelt synthetic material, they are quite different. These bubbles look natural to my eye. The easiest way to find out if it is likely to at least be quartz is for Chloe to get a small natural quartz crystal, and see if she can use the bottom of the small quartz crystal to scratch the bottom of the polished crystal in question. If it scratches easily, it is smelt/glass. If it does not, it is very likely quartz.
I purchased this on eBay. Sadly it came broken in 3 pieces. The back part of it crumbles away fairly easily. Is this glued/faked? Fortunately they refunded me due to the extensive damage. (Attached pics are before the shipping damage)
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Hi Nick, that is not fake. It is a Celestite Cluster, they break really easily. I have had several broken ones myself.
Anthony:
thank you very much on your insight.
wishing u a good day ahead.
A.
Hey Anthony:
Thank you for your insights and extensive knowledge that we had shared and benefit all of us.
May I also trouble you to check out this piece that i recently bought for your "review" please?
Terrible sorry to trouble.
A.
Anthony- Sorry I actually mean considering to purchase. Had not done so yet. Hence seeking your advise.
🙂
A.
Hi Andy, while that is certainly a different looking Amethyst Cluster, I do feel it is legitimate.
Hello Anthony,
I came across your website and immediately bookmarked it. More impressive than your knowledge is your willingness to share it with others so succinctly and timely. There are several specimens I'm considering for purchase and would very much appreciate your evaluation as to their authenticity.
Green Fluorite: https://www.ebay.com/itm/403265076661
Yellow Fluorite: https://www.ebay.com/itm/194494103290
Black Tourmaline and Quartz: https://www.ebay.com/itm/402909235037
Blue Kyanite and Quartz: https://www.ebay.com/itm/403279473788
Thank you kindly and I look forward to your insight.
Regards, Lynn H.
Hi Lynn, those are all legit 🙂
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! You're awesome!
Regards, Lynn H.
Thank you for such a thoughtful and helpful post. I love your site – it has just become my go to for new crystal information. Thank you. I’m sorry to ask, but would you mind sharing if you think this is green phantom bracelet is dyed?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/9mm-Natural-Green-Phantom-Ghost-Garden-Quartz-Crystal-Beads-Bracelet-AAAA-/284442237956?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0
The same seller also has other green phantoms that don’t look dyed. Example: https://www.ebay.com/itm/9-1mm-Natural-Clear-Quartz-Green-Phantom-Crystal-Gemstone-Round-Beads-Bracelet-/284487228807?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0
Hi Chris, thank you for the kind comments regarding the site.
OK, to your questions, with a caveat in place of polished items being much harder to accurately gauge authenticity, and not having the item in my hand with a magnifying glass, they do look to be real. But no way would I categorically state they are real if that makes sense.
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Hi there, no text came through with this photo. I can tell you it is genuine natural Citrine from Zambia. That is a great find!
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Another picture.
Love reading all of these great insights on this page! Just wondering if this green quartz is naturally occurring? Thank you!
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Hi Lorraine, apart from the hole cut in it for the tea light, it looks to be a naturally formed cluster that has been dyed green in some way.
I got these Madagascar Cathedral Smoky "Citrines" yesterday, and I am a bit sceptical of them. Some sites say that similar specimens are treated, https://www.fossilera.com/minerals/3-3-smoky-yellow-quartz-crystal-cluster-heat-treated-madagascar–2
while sites show that natural crystals like these do exist.
https://www.mindat.org/gm/1054
https://www.mindat.org/gm/1054?page=9
So are these natural smoky citrine or irradiated?
Is there a way to test irradiated smoky quartz from natural citrine? And whoops. Sorry for the previous comment from mine with the lack of a actual comment. I didn't know how to type things in this site since I am using a phone instead of a computer.
Hi I’m very familiar with these crystals, they come from Zambia, sometimes congo, but they look a little different. The crystals produced by these countries actually border on each other where they are found, so one can assume it is likely the same seam. The ones in your photo are natural. When this family get irradiated, they go a get a lime green tinge to them. So your good 🙂
Hello any info about this large pink cluster would be appreciated. I don't even know what it is or if it's lab grown or natural. Thank you.
Hi Rebecca, I believe this is a man-made version of the crystal called alunite.
Hi will like to seek yr assistance if this is a real purple phantom cluster?
Hi Steven, this is a lab grown specimen.
Thank you for all the information you provide.
thinking about purchasing this? Is it real?
Hi, this is lab grown quartz.
Thank you so much for this article! Can you tell me if you think this is citrine or smoky quartz?
Hi Jessica, for me, it is a bit of both, mostly citrine with just a hint of smoky. Plenty of people would say pure citrine.
Hello, I am finding your information on Tibetan green phantom quartz both fascinating and disheartening. Are these natural or are they lab grown? I just need to know
Thank you!
Here is the other specimen
Hi Jennifer, Lab grown sorry.
Hi Jennifer, Lab grown sorry.
The seller took them back from me. We had a nice conversation. I have learned a lesson here. Thank you!
That is a great result – pleased we could help.
Hi, Can you please advise what this crystal is and if it is real. Thanks.
Yes it is, Dioptase, likely from Congo.
Hi can you tell me if this is real or lab?
Lab Grown
Hi, can you help to identify if this is natural? Thank you.
Hi Vella, Lab Grown Sorry.
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The whole crystal is grown in the lab, and green dye is injected in at the particular growth point to create the phantom inside. (The crystal continues to grow after the dye injection.)
Is this crystal fake?
Yes it is.
Just wondering if this is real 🙂
Going on the color of the green “inclusion”, I would say it is Lab Grown.
Hi Anthony,
This was sold to me as citrine. Is is real?
Hi Laura, the coloring in your crystal is created by Hematite, and possibly a bit of Limmonite too. So while it may not be Citrine as such, it is still a very, very nice cluster with plenty to offer!
Here is the other picture…
This one is real as well – A quartz cluster
What a great site you have. Would you b kind enough to id these two crystal for me and tell me is it real or fake? Thanks a lot!!
Hi John, this is real, it is a agate geode that has been sliced open and polished.
Hye, can you help me with this one. My gut say its labgrown but if it is lab grown, does that make it fake? Is it not real quartz?? Also, can i submerge this lab grown quartz crystal in my aquarium tank?? Thanks.
Hi John, it is lab grown. It is still quartz – just lab grown. If your into the metaphysical side, it does have very different energy to quartz grown naturally. It kinda feels empty. I have one here that a friend got for me, and I have noticed the more I work with it, the more it is seeming to come alive.
Hi there, While i was travelling in Mongolia back in 2007 I found these Crystals laying on the ground. I felt they were so special, and decided to take them with me travelling. Would anyone be able to identify them. Im thinking smokey Quartz but im a novice.
Thank you in Advance
Renee
Hi Renee, yes they are smoky quartz – Great find! And picking them up of the ground means the color will be natural and not irradiated.
Oh Great, Thank you Anthony. A weird question, you cant get bad luck from Crystals, can you. My boyfriend at the time scared me saying its bad luck to take them from the ground where they lay… What are your thoughts
Hi Renee, my experience with crystals is they like to work with us humans to improve ourselves. I’ve not experienced the bad luck angel. I feel that is a human concept, not a crystal one.
Hi Anthony,
Could you please kindly help me identify if this 20 lbs quartz is authentic? Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!
Hi Tony, yes this is an authentic quartz crystal.
Hi,
I got this carnelian and citrin from China.
Could you tell me if they are genuine, please?
Thank you!
Hi Camile, yes they look legit to me.
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Hi is this lab grown ??? Thanks in advance
Hi Sandy, it looks to be lab grown to me – it is the exact shade of green dye that they use. It is weird one with no points on it. Unless the cluster was upside down for the photo?
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Sorry, no message came through with your photo. What was your question?
Your crystal looks to be a polished Quartz skeletal crystal
I just bought this piece on eBay from a seller in China. Now im very worried it's been artificially dyed. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you!
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Hi Lorraine, I have very good news for you – that is completely natural 🙂
Thank you so much! Thanks for your quick reply!
what type of crystal is that lorraine ?
The listing stated pink and green tourmaline.
Hi Anthony,
I learned a lot from your website. What do you think of this Calcite Pyrite? I saw them on ebay and the colors look interesting. Thank you.
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Hi Dusty, sorry for the late reply, no text came with the photo and it got put in spam, I just found it. This cluster is genuine.
Hi Oumi, yes it does look interesting, and is genuine 🙂
Gosh. Just by scrolling through these posts – this has been SO helpful and am more equipped to shop with confidence! Wondering whether the Quartz crystals with trapped water in them are easily fake? It is a beautiful phenomenon, but ill steer clear if there are a lot of fakes out there 🙂
Hi Simona, I’ve not heard of enhydros (water bubbles) being successfully grown in a lab. This will likely be because these crystals grow in and around water tables and grow in complex layers a a result (the water gets trapped between layers). This process would be tough to synthesize – thank goodness!
Good to know! I guess that is one crystal that I was possibly duped by this seller in china with some other crystals. Are those citrine? and is the middle amethyst? the amethyst has an inclusion that is orange / brown. Grateful for your site! And realize that getting a "good deal" is just not worth the grief 🙂
Wow, I’m so happy I found you. I’ve been wanting to purchase a fluorite piece for a long time but have no idea what is natural, lab grown or dyed. I would really appreciate it if you can tell me what you think of this item in picture.
Thank-you!
Hi Lynn, that is absolutely the real deal – go for it!
Hello, this is another picture of the same stones. I'm wondering if they are actually citrine, especially the point.
Hi Nora – good news, yes the point is natural citrine that has been cut and polished. The other one is more a smoky Citrine I feel.
Hello, thank you for this article. It is very helpful. I am having trouble figuring out if the two crystals pictured are actually citrine. The point looks a little too yellow and I'm not sure it's natural.
Hello Anthony,
May I have your expertise skill to identify my purchased Citrines are legit or not? Thank you so much.
Here the links:
1) https://www.etsy.com/listing/974046680/natural-smoky-citrine-artichoke-quartz?show_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details
2) https://www.etsy.com/listing/975462502/natural-smoky-citrine-artichoke-quartz?show_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details
3) https://www.etsy.com/listing/988056585/natural-smoky-citrine-artichoke-quartz?show_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details
Looking forward to have your reply.
Den
Hi Den, all these crystals you have linked to are natural Smoky Citrine.
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Sorry, no text came through with your photo.
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Lab Grown sorry
Is this citrine real? And if it's real can you tell me from where it might be from?
Hi There, it is Golden Calcite.
I was interested in purchasing this stone but I do not know much about shattuckite and I was curious if you have advice on this piece . It is labeled as shattuckite on chrysocolla. It also has some blue druzy spots as well that you can see in the picture
Hi Brittany, that specimen is likely from Congo, Africa. It is real – and it is gorgeous!
Here is the underside of the same cluster…
Hi Anthony,
I bought this through Etsy from a seller in China. Is it genuine Citrine? The seller did not sell it to me as citrine, but as "Himalayan Abundance Quartz Crystal Cluster."
Thank you,
Ashley
Hi Ashley, yes it is genuine Citrine, most likely from Zambia, slim chance from Congo. Many sellers label quartz from himalayas by default as it is their perception that it makes them more desirable.
Thank you so much, Anthony! So, I don't need to worry that it is treated in any way and is completely natural?
Hi Ashley, you are correct – no need to worry 🙂
Hello around a year ago I purchased on of these "Green Phantom in Quartz" under the impression it was a natural stone for 30$, It is a gorgeous piece and I purchase another from Black Market Minerals for $90 later that year I knowticed there was a second layer of crystals growing on the first crystal but it looked a bit odd and had a powdery layer underneath. I was hoping they are real but if you could take a look I will be glad to send you and email with pictures. Thank you.
Hi Sophia, suire, send photos top anthony@crystal-information.com
I have found your site very helpful!! Thank you for all of your efforts in helping educate us crystal lovers. I was considering buying this phantom quartz but after seeing this article like many others; now I’m wondering if this one has been dyed or grown.
Hi Brittany, nice to hear you are finding the site useful. That specimen is a dyed lab grown one sorry.
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Lab Grown with green dye sorry.
Hi there. Thanks so much for having this article to highlight this issue. I only wish I had seen it sooner. I am now concerned this piece purchased is not the real deal. Would love your opinion. Thankyou.
Hi Melissa, yes sorry, lab grown.
Hi Anthony, thanks for the knowledge on what signs to be wary of with lab grown. I have a question about this specimen and if its 100% natural? Labelled as natural chlorite quartz.
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Yep, real.
Hi Daniel, no worries. That is natural 🙂
Hello ! Thank you for this very interesting article.
Do you know if this cluster is natural please ?
https://www.etsy.com/fr/listing/924360383/angel-aura-quartz-himalaya-clear?ref=user_profile&frs=1
Thanks in advance for your help 🙂
Hi Camille, the clear ones are harder to tell. It looks like the style of the lab grown ones, yet maybe natural. I would be able to tell you in a jiffy if I were able to see it in person, but from the photo, it is a bit to hard to give you a definitive answer sorry.
Thanks a lot for your answer ! This seller has a lot of amazing clusters like this, but also a lot of non-natural ones, and is from China, so I had a doubt. I didn't know if they were able to produce fake clusters like this, but it seems it is possible so I prefer to avoid it in case it would be fake ! Thanks again 🙂
@Camille
There's a TON of these going around on Ebay coming out of china and I fear they are all lab grown and tons of people are getting ripped off. They are going for really high prices too.
Hi! Love this website. So I have many crystals, a lot of which I know are dyed and some that are natural. I have a couple I'm unsure of though. Im mostly concerned about the large amethyst geode on left and the two tanzanite in the middle. But I'm curious about the others. Thanks so much for the informative website.
Hi Jessica, Thank You for your post 🙂 Those items are natural, I’m not 100% sure on the Tanzanite, but would lean towards natural if push comes to shove!
Thank you! I just made some purchases on Etsy, and was lingering over this one I'd never seen..which brought me here, and persuaded me not to buy(though, I'm not above buying just for the pretty-just not for the price of natural). I have a lot of tanzanite, but mostly smaller pieces. Do you ever get tanzanite? Or ametrine? Thanks for your help!
This green crystal/quartz looking cluster was a gift and I’m not sure what kind of stone it is. It has fine fibers all around the base of the crystals. Do you know what this should be?
Thank you I advance for your help!
Hi Francesca, Thank You for your post. It is a lab grown quartz cluster.
Hi Anthony!
I saw a beautiful green phantom quartz in a shop the other day and wanted to know if it was the real deal or lab-made before purchasing it.
Thank you so much for your posts, ones that I go to when I need help figuring the authenticity of particular stones I like.
Thanks for your help!
Manon
Hi Manon, it is a lab grown sorry.
Okay! Thank you so much.
I have started selling crystals and do not want to fraud my customers so I would like your help if that is ok to see if the crystals I purchased are real. Your posts have been very educational and I appreciate any help before I launch my site.
Hi Ericka, yes this is a lab job sorry. I have replied to your email, check your spam if you do not see it.
Great photo of the crystal btw 🙂
Hello! I’m so happy I found your site. It’s sooo helpful! Thank you for sharing your knowledge/experience! Can you please tell me if this is a real cluster, or if it a man-made cluster? I suspect it’s man-made but praying it’s not.
Thank you for your time and help! : )
Hi Lillian, thank you for your kind comments regarding the site 🙂 The photo on the lower left shows a white chalk like substance, this would indicate the cluster is natural – it is a remarkable crystal!
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This is NOT a natural crystal, you can see on the bottom marks from the autoclave rack it was grown in.
I cannot believe that I missed that, thank you for pointing it out.
This is 100% lab grown, fake quartz
Hi, do you think this quartz cluster is natural? Some of the sides have striations.
As someone new to the world of crystals, your website is an incredibly valuable resource.
These as wel. They were sold to me as lemon quartz, and while I understand they are not citrine, I am wondering if the colour is natural and not irradiated. What do you think?
A lot of these are actually natural Citrine and Smokies from Zambia and Congo. The bright radioactive looking near lime green ones have been radiated though. If this covid thing dies down to the point I can leave New Zealand again safely, I plan to visit the mines in Congo and Zambia and find out once and for all what the natural colors for their crystals actually is. I will report back my findings if this comes to pass – which I hope it does!
Hi Thomas, thank you for your kind words regarding the site 🙂 This cluster is definitely natural.
hi can you tell me if this was dyed or modified or just basically lab made?
Hi There, dyed and lab made.
Hi.. could you kindly advise what stone is this? It was sold as citrine, but now i kinda doubt it.. thank you so much
They are both made from Citrine 🙂
Hi Anthony, thanks so much for this post! So informative and great for people who are interested in crystals. Can you tell me if this piece is natural or if lab grown or been chemically treated in any way. I’m thinking of buying this piece. The seller says it’s fluorite from China. I was only a little doubtful because I thought fluorite only comes in a cubic shape
Yes, that fluorite is completely natural 🙂
Hello
can you please advise if this is lab grown.
purchased from a reputable shop as rare green phantom thanks x
Hi Sam, I’m sorry to say it is lab grown. Many shop owners do not realize this as their suppliers simply do not tell them.
Hello Anthony, I recently bought a moldavite and a clear quartz cluster. Not sure if both of them are real natural?
Hi there, the moldavite looks to be real, your photo of the cluster did not come through sorry.
Hello Anthony,
I'm planning to buy a natural Amethyst geode for my wife since she is a geologist. I started bidding on one, and I just want to make sure it is real and not fake. Pictures are attached. Thanks in advance.
Hi There, yes that is real – very nice example it is too 🙂
I purchased this in person at a small crystal store. I believe it's real because I trust the store owner that sold it to me. But, after reading all these scams online about crystals I am now skeptical. If you could confirm its authenticity, I would be grateful for your time.
Hi, that cluster was grown in a laboratory sorry. To be fair to the store owner, ther people they purchased it from probably never mentioned that fact.
Hi, Anthony, would you say if these crystals here are authentic? I'm from Brazil and I bought them as aventurine quartz (the green ones), blue quartz and howlita (the white one)
Hi Lucas, all are authentic and correctly named (howlita translates to howlite in english)
Hi Anthony, I'm thinking of buying this smoky quartz on wish What do you think, is it real or no? Thank you
Hi Franziska, it is real 🙂
Mined in Zambia.
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Is this one real?
Yes
Hello, I just purchased this crystal on ebay. The cost was 1700. Does this look like a real quartz crystal? or lab grown?
Hi Erik, great news – it is authentic – what an awesome specimen!
Hi! I recently purchased a crystal on eBay (so shameful) and after reading this, I believe it’s a fake.
Greetings Stacey, yes I’m afraid that is a fake.
Hello again! One more question… Would you say this is also a fake? Seller on Etsy said it’s natural deep green quartz from Mongolia. I am so new to this and love the color green, I’m afraid I’ve been an easy mark for these fakes. Can you recommend any ‘real’ green crystals to me? Thank you again for your help.
Hi Nancy, I have better news for you on this one. It is genuine. And not only is it genuine, it is an extremely good example of it’s type. Well done on securing this crystal!
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photo please?
Hello! I’m new to crystals. After reading your post I’m afraid this ‘natural green phantom quartz’ I purchased on Etsy is a fake. Can you tell anything from the photos? Thank you so much for your help. I had no idea so many people were selling fake crystals. I paid $125 for this.
Hi Nancy, Thank You for your question. This one is fake sorry.
These are the other 2 that I bought online. Thanks, Anthony.
Hi Anthony, I started collecting and studying crystals for more than a year yet, it is really hard for me to tell what's real and not. Selling crystals online in the Philippines is getting bigger since the pandemic started. I adopted 4 crystals that I saw online coz I feel I resonate with them. Could you please help me identify if these are real? Thank you so much
Smokey Quartz and Clear Quarts points
Hi Jessa, I have good news for you, they all are real. The purple one id Amethyst, and the black one is a Black Tourmaline – great crystals!
Hi,
i bought this green phantom from a online auction. After reading your post, i have a slight doubt on the authentication of the crystal. Could you help me to identify it. I had try to took photos to its best.
phantom
Hi john, yes that is a synthetic cluster, not natural sorry.
Can you please help me identify these? Love your site!
Hello Jaye, Thank You for your kind comments. I have done my best to name them for you, the smaller one in the middle is hard to tell from photo sorry.
Hello!
Discovered this super helpful article – as i am trying to learn to tell the difference. – Posting this for clarification pleaseee! – I truly feel this quartz tower i fake looks like straight up glass to me – but i dont see any air bubbles as well it managed to scratch a glass cup.. Same with the smokey/yellow one next to it – was sold to me as smokey quartz but really doesnt look like smokey quartz to me, i believe was heat treated.
ALTHOUGH, i do feel the rose quartz is real – its from a different seller than the other two but would love some confirmation 🙂
Hi Leanne, the good news is they are all real. I would call the Smoky one a variety of Smoky Citrine, it is likely from Zambia 🙂
Comment Hi wow very helpful and informative. I really enjoyed the article as we;l as the comments and helpful identifying comments. I was gitfted some crystals from my cousin in minnesota. I was wondering could you help me identify them.
Hi Stacy, I have put in a photo below of the ones I could identify from the photo.
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I’m looking to buy this large quartz piece from China…wondering if you think it has been irradiated or treated.
Hi Allison, That is natural.
Hello
I bought this Chinese Phantom Quartz Sphere, from an Italian seller, through an auction site.It was sold as a Quartz Sphere, but I am in doubt about whether it has been artificially produced (is manmade), and whether the Quartz is in fact glass. I might try and get it assessed by a jeweller, but I don’t live in a large city, and am in doubt that anyone here, will be able to assess it. Therefore I am writing to you.
However – I cannot see, where I attach the photos? Perhaps that is possible further on in the process?
Thank you in advance.
Best,
Tine H. Jorgensen
Hi Tine,
Thank You for your post. I would be glad to look into this for you. There is a area just under the comment box for you to attach photos. Alternatively you could email photos to anthony@crystal-information.com
Hello! Great article! This has helped me confirm some suspicions about a green quartz I just purchased from a local rock shop. Would you be able to help me identify it?
Hello! Great article! This has helped me confirm some suspicions about a green quartz I just purchased from a local rock shop. Would you be able to help me identify it? The second photo are some of the other crystals I purchased from them.
Hi Elise, Thank You for your posts. Starting from the bottom. That is a Titanium coated Quartz cluster, the coating is a human applied thing. The green one is a lab grown quartz. Then there is a green calcite. The Citrine is actually baked amethyst. The blue one looks to be a very nice blue calcite. the one at the far top is a Selenite desert rose – also very nice! Thank You for posting the photo!
What do you think of this. This was named as rare himalyan lemurian seed quartz. I do feel eneegy from it and it gets hot after my hand chakra is active. I got it from a chinese seller.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F254343863994
Hi Radar, it is not a Lemurian Seed, nor is it from the Himalayas. It is a cascading quartz from Congo, with a light tinge of Citrine. In short, while it was not as described it is still an absolutely awesome crystal.
Hi Anthony,
Thanks for the informative blog!
What are your thoughts on this one?
Hi Mark, I’m not seeing a link or a photo. Please email a photo or link to anthony@crystal-information.com and I will update your post.
Thank you Anthony, your information are so helpful ! I recently got one clear quartz from online shop, the owner said it is from Brazil but after I have got it, I think it maybe man made (Growth from seed)
The front
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-nAfOWflFV7azSbQc-gJHiJ-vc-n67I_/view?usp=sharing
The base is particularly unnatural
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yxblfNhydXWe0TiuvwAQFzVBSNYQvVTN/view?usp=sharing
I think it is hard to find natural quartz cluster now ? Thank you for taking to read and reply !
Anna
Hi Anna,
Good news – that is indeed natural Quartz.
The base is cut that way as quartz is sol;d by weight, so they cut the matrix rock off to make it more attractive to buyers, otherwise it would be very expensive.
My apologies for my late reply, I was in the process of moving back to New Zealand from the USA.
Hi Anthony
So glad to find this site. You’ve already confirmed my question about my “Natural Green Tibetan Crystal Quartz Custer”. While beautiful to look at, I am sad it’s a lab grown dyed beauty. My other ebay purchase in question are a couple of “Natural Citrine” wands. The color makes me wonder about being dyed or possibly smelt? I know there is yellow quartz and lemony citrine, so I’m kinda stumped with these? Any input? Thanks! By the way, great, much needed site.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/MAGIC-215g-2pcs-Natural-citrine-wand-Point-Healing-Reiki-Q1316-/173711237594
Hi Teresa, thank you for your question and kind comments regarding the site.
To my eye it looks like the golden Calcite that comes from china. Like this one below…
I have a green phantom quartz I was wondering if you could tell me if it is real or lab grown.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-NATURAL-Green-Ghost-phantom-Quartz-Crystal-Cluster-Specimen-1023-/264127713042?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=U3KrCRaBf%252FqjrXBr3uxCLdDXal8%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc
I also have another one that looks like this one but much much bigger, see below.
Hi Bethany, those crystals are lab grown sorry.
What a GREAT blog !!! I’ve been buying crystals from China on Ebay recently and have bumped into all sorts of problems. Yesterday’s disappointment was yellow calcite – it looked Corvette or Canary yellow in the pictures, but in person was “dirty back road” yellow-if-you-use-your-imagination tan. Photoshop and lighting. In fact, 1/2 of my purchases have been disappointing from photoshop upgrades. The worst burn was a cluster of chlorite-inclused crystals that had been cemented together with a white, sparkly cement. I did get a full refund on that and a quartz point that had the entire top re-ground from a broken point.
Keep up the good work! Truth will out!
Don Lawler
Thank You for your very informative post Don, I would be happy to post photos for you into it. Just email me either the photos themselves, or links to them and I will get it done! The email address to use is anthony@crystal-information.com
I’m not sure many people realize that ebay merchants are obligated to pay return postage and refund goods purchased through the site. I think it is the only way their acts will be cleaned up if it becomes uneconomic to carry on the deceptions.
Hi I was wondering if these green phantoms are real? Thanks for your help!
Yes, they are a naturally occurring crystal. These ones have been polished, that is to say they mined them, then polished the sides and the terminations as the original surface was likely crusty – thus hiding the very nice inclusions inside.
Hi there,
I hastily bid on this auction and won. Now, after having read this thread, I’m having serious doubts to its authenticity.
I have yet to pay the seller; wondering if contacting eBay in order to retract would work?
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F303017396666
Hi Ilana, yes, lab grown quartz with fake color I’m afraid.
You can try and retract, and cancel the order. If it has shipped, send it back. Ebay stipulates the seller must pay your shipping charges.
Hello Anthony,
I bought fluorite on ebay, but I don´t know if it is not fake. Could you help me please?
Crystal came yesterday but its surface is not as shiny as on the pictures on ebay, it is dim, not bright.
Thanks a lot for answer.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Beauty-Rare-Blue-Cube-Fluorite-Crystal-Mineral-Specimen-station-China-62g-/233041236105
Hi David, thank you for your post. The good news is, that Fluorite is real, it is not a fake. The not so good news is that A LOT of ebay sellers oil their specimens to make them shiny and bright. They then remove the oil before mailing it to the customer. This is a very common practice on ebay. Another common one is the sellers turn up the color on photo shop to make the specimens look more colorful than what they are. They often put messages on their auctions that that the color maybe different due to different monitors, graphic cards etc. What it really is, is a straight out excuse for them to crank up the colors in photoshop and get away with it.
Hi again Anthony,
I am feeling quite inspired by your help in assessing the authenticity of various items sold on ebay, and would like to help other potential buyers from being deceived by dubious sellers.
Could you please check those two for me? Both sellers have been accused of forgery by previous customers.
1- https://www.ebay.com/itm/292g-New-Find-Yellow-Blue-Phantom-Quartz-Crystal-Cluster-Mineral-Specimen/323628345501
2- https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-13lb-New-Find-Blue-Yellow-Phantom-Quartz-Crystal-Cluster-Mineral-Specimen/372552798160
And here is another one with a striking color combination – is it natural?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/277g-Natural-rare-purple-green-dichroic-fluorite-and-yellow-calcite-china/254050282197
Thanks a lot!
Hi Dominique,
Thank you for your posting.
OK, this quartz below is lab grown and the color is fake, as are all variations of this materiel and colors.
This mineral below is actually natural. The yellow material is Barite, not Calcite as they say in their description. However, as mentioned this crystal is completely natural. They have the torch out for the photo again, but that is fine as it shows amazing Fluorite colors. On my sales site at majestic-quartz.com, I always specify what photos have back-lit style photos so people are informed.
Comment
Lab Grown
Hi Anthony,
Is this item naturally colored? It almost looks too good to be true…
https://www.ebay.com/itm/484gWOW-Rare-red-fluorite-blue-purple-fluorite-crystal-Mineral-Specimen-China/323588253891
Thanks a lot!
Hi Dominique, yes it is naturally colored – BUT, what they do not explain is that half the photos are taken with a strong torch light running through it, hence the almost too good to be true look to it.
Photo with Torch Light
Photo with no torch light
Hi,
Thanks for a very informative blog.
I have just started bidding on crystals on eBay, and reading your article “The Misrepresentation of Crystals – Part 2” made me wonder whether some of the beautiful stones I am attracted to have been dyed.
Here are some examples:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/142g-PINK-Aura-Quartz-Crystal-Titanium-Bismuth-Silicon-Cluster-Rainbow/113506537682
and
https://www.ebay.com/itm/167g-GREEN-Aura-Quartz-Crystal-Titanium-Bismuth-Silicon-Cluster-Rainbow/113459267965
Can you please help me?
Thanks a lot, and a very Happy New Year to you!
Hi Dominique,
Thank You for your question.
The crystals you linked too and are in the photos in your post are not a naturaly colored. They have been coated with a chemical substance to give the unnatural pink and green colors.
As a rule anything sold with terms such as “Aura Quartz Crystal Titanium Bismuth” “titanium Aura”, “Aqua Aura” and so on are treated crystals. These sellers have a very loose interpretation on what constitutes as being “natural”. These crystals start off as being natural, and are then treated with all sorts of metallic coatings, and to the sellers minds, it is still fine to call these crystals “natural”.
Hello,
Can anyone confirm if these green quartz clusters are fake or not, please:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-31lb-Clear-Green-Phantom-Quartz-Point-Crystal-Cluster-Healing-Mineral-Specimen-/232944495678
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/wholesale-high-quality-natural-green-phantom_60760536664.html?spm=a2700.7724857.normalList.49.21d4186fpPjNlD
Best Regards.
Daniel
Hi Daniel, yes they are fake.
Comment
Sorry, no text came through with your comment, this is a genuine specimen if that helps
Good evening. I am a collector of Quartz and recently fell victim to the Quartz coming out of China that is getting better and better at looking 'Natural' (Not that I have a problem with China and her people by any means). If it's too good to be true, it may well sadly be the case. I recently purchased this item. It appears genuine to me out of many that are not. I would appreciate your thoughts. Excellent site by the way.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/82g-large-red-phantom-in-green-Quartz-crystal-cluster-from-Inner-Mongolia-minera/172932334114?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
Regards
Ant
Hi ant, Thank You for your input. I have added in a photo from the Auction you referenced before it disappeared. OK, this one has me scratching my head a bit. The crystal is exactly the color and shape coming out of Zambia at the moment, so I think the crystal is real. The inclusion though is different. They never actually show a decent photo of the inclusion for me to get any certainty about it. At this point, I’m leaning towards this crystal actually being completely natural. I’m thinking possibly a mixture of Hematite and Green Chlorite as the inclusions. Actually looks pretty legit to me 🙂
Thanks for such a swift reply and for you input – great knowledge my friend. Yes – my gut feeling is that it's kosher. Interesting you mention Zambia as the seller states that it comes from madagascar – which is interesting.
Best regards
Hello,
I recently bought a piece of Tibetan green quartz and although they claimed it’s natural I have my suspicions. Is there naturally occurring green quartz. Also wanted to show you a few pieces I’ve been looking at on eBay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/635g-New-Find-Natural-Beatiful-Green-Tibetan-Quartz-Crystal-Cluster-Specimen/192416825983?redirect=mobile
https://www.ebay.com/itm/345g-RARE-NATURAL-yellow-CRYSTAL-TIBETAN-QUARTZ-CRYSTAL-BIG-CLUSTER-HEALING-64/283220179992?redirect=mobile
thank you for taking the time to educate people. It’s a shame that people are so dishonest.
Daniel
Hi Daniel, Thanks for your input. Yes, there is naturally occurring green quartz, a lot is coming out of Inner Mongolia that is the real deal (Among others).
The two items you link to on E-bay are fake. It is basically green dye infused quartz grown in a lab. The yellow one is the same. \
Check out the link below for images of the Mongolian Green Quartz I mentioned.
More good info – cheers!
Hi there. I am looking at the tangerine quartz regularly for sale on eBay nowadays. It looks fake, and they do not actually call it tangerine quartz, but yet that's what they are implying it is when they sell a "natural" orange quartz.
I am not sure why the sellers from China so often slather their crystals with oil to photograph them. Seems like a bad idea all around.
Click HERE to view crystals mentioned above on ebay.
Hi Sally, thank you for taking the time to comment. OK, those are actually tangerine crystals, however, it is highly unlikely that they are lemurian seed!
Many crystals, including these tangerines often have a white powdery coating, or are a bit crusty. The oil makes that disappear! The sneaky sellers also use oil to disguise that a so called polished item, is not really polished at all. Many of these sellers buy unfinished polished items from the carving polishing workshops as faulty seconds at a cheap price, then oil them up and market them as finished items!!!
Hi Anthony,
I thought you would be interested in these two links on Etsy, one lemon yellow quartz cluster with a blue phantom point and the other
Green Cactus Quartz Cluster with a yellow phantom point.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/614122579/hypnotic-lemon-yellow-cactus-quartz?ref=user_profile
https://www.etsy.com/listing/614120367/large-natural-green-cactus-quartz?ref=user_profile
Regards,
Sophia
Hi Sophia, yes those are the lab grown varieties, they are getting better and better at making them unfortunately. Thank You for sharing!
Hello,
A friend just gave me a purple, well called aura lemurian seed crystal. We are glued about this. I know, I am correct, these do not come on purple, right? They have been dyed, Right? I want to clarify that with her. They come in clear, red, yellow, is that correct? Thanks, I just want to let her know that the crystal is very pretty and light and shiny, but has been dyed.
Thanks,
kim Weatherford
Hi Kim,
Lemurian seed crystals can very, very rarely form in Amethyst, not a super deep rich Amehtysty, just a light shade. I cannot stress how rare they are, most people would not even know they exist and they are extremely expensive.
Feel free to send a photo to my email address at anthony@crystal-information for a more definitive answer.
Hello
I recently stumbled across this ''too good to be true'' type of seller on Ebay. I must say that I actually wanted to purchase alot of pieces from them because they are soo incredibly cheap. What do you think, smelt quartz for sure?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/supercrystals/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=
Hi Jana, Smelt Quartz is actually glass, so not real crystal. They can make it very cheaply. Though it can be pretty, it is not real Quartz.
Hello crystal information!
Recently, i got 2 stones similar to your post…
Well we call it kecubung teh ijo…
Well surfing in internet found our great post similar to my stone.. Please help me to check this.. Whether these are dyed or natural…
According to your article.. I think i suspect one of them is dyed but one i cudn't figure it out..
Please help me and you can share this photo here for a third part.. Heheh… Thanks a lot and looking forward to hear from u soon.
I cant attach my pics here.. Please gimme a gmail id… So that i can send you the pics.
Best regards
Krish
From: indonesia
Hi There Krish,
You can email me the photo at anthony@crystal-information.com and I will make comment then – Thank You! 🙂
HI. Thank you for this! Great information. 🙂 I am wondering what the hell this is?? http://www.ebay.com/itm/14-12lb-6405g-Naturally-PRETTY-YELLOW-QUARTZ-CRYSTAL-CLUSTER-HEALING-B327-/282104565189 –It looks like yellow crystals have been glued all over it. lol
If you can identify it, I would love that. Thank you! -Matt
Wow Matt, You have found a real humm dinger there! Unfortunately for me it asks more questions than answers! I readily admit this one has me stumped! The color looks so much like the baked Amethyst passed off as Citrine. The form is just "wrong". My best guess is they took quite a large natural quartz crystal and then grew the little ones all over it in some sort of lab. The reason I say that is clearly the bottom of the “donor” crystal has been cut, yet the little yellow crystals have “grown” underneath the original cut!!! There is an outside chance it is natural, but my feeling is for sure it is tampered with. I have been reading up on synthetic quartz grown in labs and it is a fascinating subject! I'm planning a blog post in the near-ish future covering what I have learned so far regarding the subject. In the mean time I have saved a photo from the listing you mention and put it in below so others can scratch there heads long after the listing has gone from ebay!
Hi Anthony!
I've recently become very interested in purchasing crystals for the first time in my life to help enhance my meditations and increase my consciousness abilities. I'm one who has naturally been able to astral project and see my past lives since a very young age – however today at 32 years of age, I'm finding that my abilities are dwindling down and quickly. I'm unsure what the cause is, and I've had a million theories but no real answers. Normally "hard times" in life have not stopped me from being able to have out of body experiences and contact with the higher realms as well as spirit guides. I feel like a blind bat and am looking to whatever necessary to re-awaken my third eye that I've always been almost spoiled to have high access to, until now.
Anywho, I am looking to purchase "THE REAL DEAL" when it comes to lemurians. But it seems like there's so much mixed information on them. Would you possibly be willing to take a peak at a crystal I bought, and tell me if its authentic? I'm also very interested in a particular Ebay store that claims to be directly out of Brazil selling nothing but enormously sized Lemurians. I see the "ribbing" effect, but unsure if that's real proof.
Best,
Angela
Hi Angela,
Thank you for your words. Modern life sure does throw up an ever increasing array of “roadblocks” and noise to prevent us from accessing the higher realms. Yes, crystals can be a great way to reconnect and break through the barriers back to the true self and ones full abilities. For me it has been important to realize that the higher realms are s till there beyond the noise. Reconnecting by getting to nature and just “be” is also a great way to reconnect.
I will look at and comment on the link provided in your next post.
Thank You and brightest blessings to you and yours!
Anthony
Hi Anthony,
I am wondering about the authenticity of Lemurian Seed Crystals that are being offered on EBay right now. Some list that they are from Brazil and others don't say. How does one safeguard themselves when purchasing one of these types of crystals? Should there be a certificate proving their source, or some other documentation to request when considering making a purchase? How does one spot a reputable seller?
Thanks,
Patty Lynn
Hi Patty,
Thank you so much for your post. I just checked E-bay for Lemurian Seed crystals now, and there are very few that I personally would consider to be true Lemurian Seed. Lemurian Seed crystals are not country/location specific, they have been found in several different locations and countries. I talked about the subject of Lemurian identification in another post found at the following link…https://crystal-information.com/the-misrepresentation-of-crystals-part-1/ and here is the link to our Lemurian Seed information page listing the traits to look for and example photos at the following link….https://crystal-information.com/encyclopedia/lemurian-seed-quartz/
I hear you regarding the need to safeguard yourself while shopping on E-bay to make sure you get "The Real Deal". The best you can do is study the photos and make sure they match the criteria, and if you need to ask for more photos, do so. As English is not the first language of many sellers, you may have to get creative to let them know what angle you would like them to photograph. In fairness, I'm guessing a lot of Ebay sellers do not realize they are not representing the crystals correctly. With this in mind – I feel the best approach is to research the crystals you are interested in then use your discernment and a healthy dollop of intuition. Possibly a technique that may work for you is tuning into the crystal through the photo. Quartz crystals are used in radios to tune into different radio stations (frequencies), by stilling yourself, you can gaze at a photo and tune into the crystals frequency.
I have been buying and selling crystals for over 20 years now, and one of the things I have learned is that when it comes to tracking down the exact location a crystal comes from, you really need to be talking to the person who mined it. Once the crystal starts going through other crystal dealers/suppliers hands the facts tend to get swallowed up as if in sifting sands of a desert! If a crystal comes from only one location in the world, then certificates of authenticity can be a valid option – with the associated price scale. If multiple locations are involved – for me at least, all bets are off!
The trademarked "Super Seven" franchise is an interesting case study. They are beautiful and interesting crystals, and one can get a certificate of authenticity for them. However, just a stone throw away (literally!) is another mine that produces crystals that look exactly the same, but are not trademarked and the prices are in the realms of sanity. I choose to buy from the latter – though I do not present them on my sales website (http://majestic-quartz.com/) as Super Sevens, I let people use their discernment and intuition to see if the crystal in question is the right one for them. Because at the end of the day, that is what is most important. We humans can give crystals any name we like, that in itself will have little effect on that particular crystals gifts. The key thing is – will that individual crystal co-create with the individual you? It is extremely likely that it will. Attraction is mutual – if you are attracted to the crystal, you are almost certainly seeing that attraction being reflected back towards you.
Thanks Anthony,
I like what you say here about the draw of the crystal to the individual and vice versa. That's usually how I choose my crystals when I'm there in front of them. I am getting more cautious now as I'm beginning to make larger investments to purchase more valuable crystals, and going online to do so. I don't want to spend $500 on something that is a fake. I need to be more informed, which is what I am attempting to do in finding websites such as this one that helps to guide the buyer. I think it's wonderful that you share this type of information with your readers, and I've loved learning about the different types of crystal formations, what they are used for, and how to work with them. Maybe there should be a book published on this subject by someone who's very knowledgeable about this subject. I would certainly be interested in reading it. I did check out your links to your other pages. Thanks for taking the time to reply, and so thoroughly. I loved reading it.
Patty Lynn
Hi Patty,
I can well understand your desire to make informed crystal purchases.
Totally agree a book focused on accurate crystal identification would be a great thing. Though I author websites, I myself still prefer a book and paper in my hands! Though it is not a book, I have added a print button to the bottom of the crystal information pages and it formats it nicely to print black text and at the tick of a box you can choose to print the photos as well – or not.
Thank You for your kind comments and we are pleased you have found Crystal Information useful.
Thank you VERY much for posting this. I almost bought some pieces off ebay. I knew that they were too good to be true (… and with free shipping from China). I Googled "Tibetan Quartz dyed" and found this post. Good job. You may consider posting about people reshaping and polishing broken crystals to upgrade them – as part 3.
Hi Don, Thank You for your post. Glad you dodged a bullet there! Yes, I will definitely consider your suggestion for part three.
I checked out your site, wow you do superb work. I highly recommend people check Dons site out at http://www.donlawlersculpture.com
Glad to see this article. I bought my first three or four quartz crystal points on EBay also. I lucked out maybe as it was going back a few short years now. There are only a couple of dealers I have dealt with that use EBay, but since hearing stories have only shopped in their own stores since and again have not been burned. But so much on EBay now is a farce.
You really have to know your crystals, and even then can't tell if they have messed with them. The new place to watch now also is Etsy. Many private stores on it are selling all sorts of quartz, crystal and more…I have fun looking but find I am constantly questioning the low to high differences in pricing for same product, and often such high prices for such small product. I guess it's the same all over the internet with people wanting to make a buck. I was lucky, I was shall we say 'raised' with one crystal dealer in Arkansas who not only wrote a book on the Crystal People, but her goal is to give her friends a good
home. She doesn't sell them, she calls them adopted out. She leaves them on the store site with ADOPTED under the pictures. She feels blessed to be able to act as intermediary to match up families. That's how I feel about my crystal friends. They are sentient beings, very aware …and should be treated with the utmost respect.
To hear they put them in ovens and dye them makes me sick actually. Thank you for your own site of information and store to shop in a beautiful and peaceful place while you attempt to 'connect' with a picture of what may be your new friend coming to move in with you. Bless all the crystal people, and bless those of us who really care about them. They are a great gift from the Earth and should be treated with love.