Authenticity, Quality, and Hidden Magic:
How to Read Your Crystal
As you deepen your relationship with crystals, you start to develop a “eye” for them. You stop looking at them simply as coloured rocks and start seeing the intricate details, the geology, and the telltale signs of their journey from the earth.
But the world of mineralogy can be confusing. You might hear terms like “heat treated,” “synthetic,” “aura,” or “Grade A” thrown around. You might wonder why one piece of Citrine looks bright yellow while another looks pale and smoky. You might worry about being scammed or buying a “fake.”
In this guide, we will teach you how to read your crystals like an expert. We will explore how to spot quality, how to identify man made wonders, and how to find the hidden magical features that might be lurking inside your stone.
Defining Quality: It Is Not Just About Clarity
In the world of diamonds and precious gemstones, quality is defined by perfection. The clearer the stone, the higher the value. In the world of energetic crystals, however, “quality” is a little more nuanced.
While we all love a gemmy, clear piece of Quartz, the spiritual value of a stone is not always defined by its visual perfection.
1. Colour Saturation
Generally speaking, a higher quality stone will have a deeper, richer colour. A deep, grape jelly violet Amethyst is considered higher grade than a pale, greyish lilac one. A vibrant, deep pink Rose Quartz is rarer than a white pale one.
Energetic Note: While the grade affects the price, it does not necessarily negate the energy. A pale stone still vibrates! But visually, deep colour is the standard for quality.
2. Inclusions are Character
The specks, lines, clouds, and veils inside a stone are called inclusions. In traditional gemology, these are called “flaws.” In crystal healing, these are “fingerprints.” They prove the stone is natural. A completely flawless, glass like stone is often a sign that it might actually be glass. Inclusions tell the story of the earth—showing where water, iron, or other minerals entered the crystal as it grew.
The Hidden Magic: Special Features to Look For
Sometimes, a crystal has secrets that are only revealed when you look closely in the sunlight. These naturally occurring features add specific energetic properties to the stone and make your piece truly one of a kind.
If you turn a Clear Quartz, Citrine, or Rose Quartz in the light, you might catch a flash of prismatic colour inside—reds, blues, and greens.
The Cause: This is caused by internal fractures or stress lines inside the crystal that refract the light like a prism. The Magic: Rainbows represent hope, joy, and optimism. They are a beautiful reminder that beauty can come from a “break” or a fracture. A stone with a rainbow is considered a master healer for depression.A phantom is a “ghost” crystal visible inside the main crystal. It looks like a faint outline or a pyramid floating within the body of the stone.
The Cause: This happens when the crystal stopped growing for a period (perhaps due to a lack of water), dust settled on the tip, and then it started growing again, trapping the dust layer inside. The Magic: Phantoms are stones of evolution and growth. They help us overcome stagnation, move past our previous limitations, and learn from our past lives.This is a rare and special feature found on the faces (the flat sides) of quartz points. Look for a small, raised (or sometimes sunken) perfect triangle.
The Magic: Ancient wisdom and Atlantean lore say these stones hold the knowledge of the universe. They are excellent tools for meditation and accessing deep insight.These are incredibly rare and special. An Enhydro is a crystal that has a bubble of water trapped inside it, moving back and forth like a spirit level. This water is millions of years old—pure, ancient virgin water that has never been touched by man. These are considered the crystals of purity.
The Truth About “Fakes” and Man Made Stones
There is a lot of fear in the crystal community about buying “fake” stones. As your guide, we want to bring some clarity and honesty to this conversation.
There is a massive difference between a Fake (plastic sold as stone) and a Man Made crystal (a material created by humans that still has beauty).
The Man Made Wonders
You may have seen stones that look almost too magical to be real. These include Opalite (a milky, iridescent glass), Goldstone (sparkly reddish brown), and Blue Sandstone (dark blue with glitter).
Are these natural? No. They are glass.
Are they bad? No! While they do not have a crystal lattice, they carry the energy of Colour Therapy and the materials used to make them. Goldstone, for example, is made with copper shavings. Copper is a conductor of energy, so Goldstone is excellent for ambition and drive. Opalite is soothing to the eye and spirit.
Dyed Stones
Some stones, like Howlite, are often dyed bright blue to look like Turquoise. Agate slices are often dyed neon pink or purple.
- How to spot them: Look at the cracks. If the colour is darker and pooled in the cracks of the stone, it has likely been dyed.
- Our Advice: While the colour is fun, we generally recommend sticking to natural colours where possible to connect with the authentic vibration of the earth.
The Heat Treatment Debate (Citrine)
This is the most common question in the crystal world: “Is my Citrine real?”
Natural Citrine (which is quite rare and expensive) is a pale, smoky champagne colour. Common Citrine (which is bright yellow/orange) is usually Amethyst that has been heated.
- Is it “Fake”? No. It is still natural Quartz grown by the earth.
- Does it work? Yes. It still carries the frequency of abundance, solar energy, and the solar plexus.
- How to tell: Heat treated Citrine usually has an opaque white base and burnt orange tips. Natural Citrine is usually clear and uniform in colour throughout like white wine. Both are powerful, but it is good to know the difference.
If you want to see exactly what we mean by “authentic” energy, look no further than our collection of Natural Citrine from the Congo. These unique specimens are completely untouched by man made heat.
Unlike the bright orange variety, these crystals have a subtle, smoky champagne colour. They often form in a “Kundalini” formation, where smaller points rise up around the base of the main point, symbolising rising energy and spiritual awakening.
This is the raw, unpolished truth of the stone. It carries a vibration of abundance that feels grounded, ancient, and incredibly potent.
Summary: Trust Your Connection
Ultimately, the most important measure of quality is your connection to the stone.
You might find a chipped, pale, cloudy piece of Quartz that feels more powerful to you than a flawless, museum quality specimen. That is the magic of energy. It is personal.
Use your eyes to check for authenticity, but use your heart to check for compatibility.
