Top 10 Most Faked Crystals and How to Spot Them!

The crystal industry is full of beauty, meaning, and unfortunately, imitation. As crystals grow in popularity, many stones are dyed, heated, irradiated, coated, or completely man-made and sold without clear disclosure. Learning how to identify fake crystals helps you buy ethically and make informed choices.

Below are the top 10 most faked crystals, why they’re commonly altered, and how to tell the difference between real and fake crystals.

1. Citrine

Why it’s faked: Natural Citrine is rare, and is often thought to be not as attractive and vibrant as heat-treated Amethyst, so most “Citrine” on the market is actually just heated Amethyst in order to boost sales.

❌ Fake Citrine (Heated Amethyst)

• Bright orange or burnt brown colour

• White or milky base

• Often sold in clusters

✅ Real Citrine

• Pale yellow to champagne tones

• Clear or lightly smoky appearance

• Even colouring throughout

Key tip: If it looks orange and dramatic, it’s almost certainly heat-treated Amethyst.

2. Turquoise

Why it’s faked: Genuine Turquoise is scarce and very expensive. It's been noted that up to 90% of Turquoise sold is actually fake, so buyer beware!

❌ Fake Turquoise

• Dyed howlite or magnesite

• Bright, uniform blue

• Colour may bleed when wet

✅ Real Turquoise

• Natural matrix or webbing

• Earthy blue-green tones

• Feels cool and slightly porous

3. Malachite

Why it’s faked: Its gained hugely in popularity and is becoming more scarce and therefore more expensive and manufacturers believe the bold patterns make it easy to imitate but once you're familiar with Malachite it's usually pretty easy to spot fakes. (The Malachite in the image here is REAL)

❌ Fake Malachite

• Painted or printed banding

• Perfect, repetitive swirl patterns

• Often plastic or resin

✅ Real Malachite

• Uneven, organic banding

• Cold and heavy for its size

• Matte to silky finish

4. Lapis Lazuli

Why it’s faked: Lapis is a highly valued and sought after gemstone that is frequently dyed or replaced with similar blue stones in order to accentuate the deep blue colour to maximise profit.

❌ Fake Lapis Lazuli

• Dyed sodalite or jasper

• Flat blue colour

• No metallic flecks

✅ Real Lapis Lazuli

• Deep royal blue

• Natural gold pyrite inclusions

• White calcite veins

5. Amethyst

Why it’s faked: Often dyed or irradiated to intensify colour.

❌ Fake Amethyst

• Solid purple colour and bubbles indicate it's glass, not Amethyst

• An unnaturally vibrant purple colour

• Perfect clarity

✅ Real Amethyst

• Light to mid-purple tones

• Natural colour zoning

• Minor inclusions common

6. Obsidian (Including "Andara" Obsidian)

Why it’s faked: Often substituted with coloured "slag" glass as it can be manufactured easily and in more colourful varieties than found in nature.

❌ Fake Obsidian

• Very bright or rainbow-like colours

• Uniform sheen

• Marketed with exaggerated mystical claims

✅ Real Obsidian

• Volcanic glass

• Subtle sheen visible only in light

• Naturally black, brown, or smoky

7. Moldavite

Why it’s faked: Natural Moldavite is extremely rare and VERY expensive. It's only found in a very small part of the world, so manufacturers want to capitalise on this and try to sell cheaply made fakes for large profits. True Moldavite is very hard to authenticate with the naked eye, so even seasoned buyers and sellers can be caught out by imitations.

❌ Fake Moldavite

• Bottle glass

• Smooth bubbles

• Cheap price

✅ Real Moldavite

• Etched, wrinkled surface

• Irregular bubbles

• Olive to forest green colour

8. Rose Quartz

Why it’s faked: Commonly replaced with pink glass to maximise profits.

❌ Fake Rose Quartz

• Hot pink or neon colouring

• Crystal clear

• Lightweight feel

✅ Real Rose Quartz

• Soft blush pink

• Milky or cloudy appearance

• Cool and heavier in the hand

9. Smoky Quartz

Why it’s faked: Clear Quartz is often artificially irradiated to produce the smoky appearance. It can often be hard to tell real from fake Smoky Quartz.

❌ Fake Smoky Quartz

• Very dark brown or black

• Uniform colour

• Glass-like appearance

✅ Real Smoky Quartz

• Translucent grey-brown

• Natural colour variation

• Earthy, grounded feel

10. Jade

Why it’s faked: Frequently dyed or substituted with serpentine because good high quality Jade is hard to find and therefore very expensive.

❌ Fake Jade

• Bright green dye

• Colour pools in cracks

• Feels waxy or lightweight

✅ Real Jade

• Muted green or creamy tones

• Smooth, dense feel

• Extremely durable

Why Buying Real Crystals Matters

From a spiritual perspective, natural crystals form over millions of years and carry Earth-born energy that many people seek for grounding, healing, and balance. While treated stones may still be attractive, transparency and honesty are essential.

From an ethical perspective, buying genuine crystals supports responsible sourcing and builds trust between sellers and customers.

How to Avoid Fake Crystals

✔ Buy from reputable Australian crystal sellers
✔ Ask if stones are dyed, heated, or treated
✔ Be cautious of “too good to be true” prices
✔ Learn natural colour ranges
✔ Trust your intuition — energy matters