As with any popular product, a market for fake or look alike items pop up seemingly overnight. Crystals and minerals are no different. There is a healthy bogus market for tektites, especially for Moldavite, as it became popular on social media apps in the last few years. As the demand increased, so did the prices which led to a market ripe for fakes. Another known tactic is to give a common crystal a unique name to charge more. For example fake turquoise made of plastic is often called tyrkenite. It appears like turquoise and is marketed by scam artists a special version of this rare item. In this case it is cheap plastic that just happens to be the right color. Another scam is heat treated citrine which is actually amethyst heated until the purple gives way to a yellow tone. Natural citrine is is lighter and usually appears cloudy. As any collector knows it is not always easy to spot a fake. A little help from Google can go a long way. Below are a few tips and a video to help find authentic products.
Tips on how to find authentic crystals and minerals:
Shop at reputable places!
If you are looking online and most sellers have the same product around the same price range, the seller that is much cheaper is probably not the best bet for authentic items.
Follow what feels good to you! There is no blueprint or process of what to buy and when.
As with any collection, it should be something you enjoy and do not go bankrupt collecting.