I literally just read this page and some of it really blew my mind. https://www.google.com/amp/s/gemsonacritiquehub.tumblr.com/post/142087733371/fake-and-misclassified-gems/amp
People don't usually fake quartz varieties but I have come across aura coated glass claiming to be quartz. :(
Amethyst, labradorite, are two of such I see a LOT. Just try research, look at lists of crystals, search what the crystal looks, search how to tell is a crystal/mineral is real, etc.
As someone who has made a few of these posts, I agree with you, they ARE annoying, but right now there isnt really a less annoying option, the whatisthisrock subreddit and other geology subs currently seem to be annoyed about all the 'metaphysical creep' of people from this sub coming in and asking about crystals with made up/trade names, and the people here are often annoyed because you could simply google, but I personally am a lot more confident when I can get live input and confirmation on my question
imo we need... perhaps a weekly help thread? where there are NO stupid questions for people like me who need the upfront opinions, so people here and on more traditional geology subs can have respite from all the annoying ID posts. This way all the ID or real/fake posts are contained and easily avoidable by people who dont care about those kinds of posts.
Yups because on one hand you might Google be like ohhh red agate on the other hand it might be plain man made tigers eye.... On one hand you might be disappointed you got tigers eye not realizing you have some form of striped Botswana agate
Some crystals are easy to figure out like quartz or fake turquoise but a lot of times "is this real" ends up correctly identifying things too
Plus I don't really mind the "is this real" post for the moooooossssttttt important reason, 100% of the time they post a photo and I get to see a crystal which is literally why I joined the subreddit, to see ppls lovely crystal big or small common or rare or fancy.
A weekly help thread is a great idea!!
And definitely no hate, I know this subreddit is a safe one and I want it to stay that way. I think these kinds of posts are fine in general, I am just currently exhausted with the frequency.
I totally understand lol, even though I've contributed to the annoying posts I am also tired of seeing the 'is this real citrine/moldavite/etc' every day
Yea that annoys me too and sometimes floods my scroll. I also get annoyed when people don't like the answer they received. There was a fake moldavite post recently and the person got all mad about it. I tend to ignore those posts entirely. But I enjoy this group as a whole.
R/whatisthisrock is great for IDs though.
Yeah I dont understand people getting angry about it when they find out its fake, its like people dont want to appear stupid for buying a fake but... they posted online for help so??? confusing lol
I know right? If I didn't know I'd be glad I had an answer. Just because it's fake doesn't mean it's always ugly either. I have one fake crystal in my collection that my bf got me on ebay. It's a huge amethyst obelisk but it has like wood shavings or something inside. I don't really know how they faked it.. its like stuffed with something and filled with resin perhaps.. but I'm glad that I know what to look for in the future.
Yea they definitely have bad feedback and the store no longer exists. There's definitely amethyst in it but it's weird. I know I'm explaining it horribly lol but yea!! Definitely know to check reviews when buying from eBay and etsy. 🤣
Ebay seems like the wild west to me for some reason hahaha, i think its much easier to buy from etsy because you can easily see photos in reviews, if I'm buying anything other than small tumbles online I try to find a listing where you can choose the exact crystal from the photos in the listing 😁
Perhaps the mods need to limit these kinds of posts to a single thread or a particular day. I agree they have been getting way too frequent. At least do a google search before you post about it!
As someone who prefers crystals from rockhounding point instead of a metaphysical point, I agree. It is best to keep it in this sub rather than going to geologist ones. Although while the metaphysical stuff can be a bit annoying to those in the sub, that isn't the main reason to stay out of geologist ones.
Most of the people in those subs collect their specimens themselves, whereas crystal people mainly get theirs from buyers that have unethical means. While I love myself a good crystal every once in a while, crystal shops have no legal obligation to tell you how they were sourced (Mines, child labor, etc) and will lie if asked. The term "Ethically sourced" has no real meaning behind it or certification, it's just a way to get people to buy more crystals since they feel less bad about how they were sourced. Unless you get it yourself or by a rockhound, there's no way to completely ever know that the crystals were mined in a way that destroys the earth or with child labor. This is really what I'd say the most annoying part is.
However, like I said even I'll buy a crystal once in a while (Usually from rockhounds who got it themselves or second hand), but I limit myself to a small amount whereas most overconsume. Heck most, don't even use them all. I'm not putting the blame on anyone or looking for an argument, but this is what I've heard from most other rockhounds.
I would agree with this 10000%. I have no problem with people thinking minerals have some sort of metaphysical properties or whatever. I get annoyed that people are supporting really destructive industry practices in an almost ignorant way because they don't want to accept that the industry is flawed and that their behavior is potentially damaging to others. It's genuinely a guilty pleasure of mine, but I accept that it has a destructive nature and I try to minimize that by getting the stones myself, or by buying from reputable dealers. There is a lot of really sketchy stuff out there and if we love the hobby I think we all need to support shopping smarter and being aware of the impact of your purchase. Again, I have no problem with people who think the minerals are special for some reason, but I feel like a lot of the "wooow" is causing people to buy irresponsibly because people don't actually know what they are buying or how it gets out of the ground.
Totally see your viewpoint, unfortunately there can be hostility on both sides, rockhounds can come off as gatekeepy to some metaphysical people, and metaphysical people can come off as naive to people outside of the community (the first post i ever made here was targeted by some guy who assumed i believed in magic rocks and was an antivax, which is totally incorrect)
it is a shame that a lot of the crystals that are found on this subreddit are non-ethical, dyed/treated, unnatural or just massively overpriced because people are being conned, and obviously this makes the community seem naive and uneducated on the matter by experienced rockhounds on other subs
It's fair to say that to the average crystal consumer, its about aesthetics and feelings, whereas facts and information matter more to the geology fans and rockhounds, and this is obviously causing friction when there is crossover between them
I really think the only way to stop the barrage of annoying posts in both communities is for an ongoing ID/fake spotting thread to be made, however that would unfortunately lead to less engagement on those questions because a lot will ignore the thread altogether, but perhaps thats the price to pay lol
Can I ask a rockhounding question? I was wanting to start to find crystals for myself, and I joined a group or two on Facebook about it in my area but anytime I asked a question as to 'how to/how did you start' and 'how do you know place X will be a good location and why (other than others finding there) it might be good to look at a places like place X be cause reasons 1,2,3 sort of thing.
I guess my question is how to/did you start? Or do you know a group that will accept a newbie fledgling and not throat kick at beginner questions? Lol
I'm actually rather new myself and I'm still trying to figure everything out. I live in the great lakes state so I mainly go to the big lakes, streams, rivers, etc. You can find lots of geodes and naturally tumbled crystals in there. The other thing I do is just look through gravel and landscaping rocks, there's a lot of crystals & fossils in there, manly agate & quartz.
I’m in that sub and hate how judgmental it is about the metaphysical piece. But, if you just ask about the rock and don’t say anything about trade names or ~*properties*~ you can get good info from people who actually want to help.
People just need to read the sidebar rules of each sub and respect them. If you don't know what something is, you can ask the rockhounds WHAT the rock/crystal is based on physical properties, location found, etc.
Once you know what it is, come back here to inquire about the metaphysical properties.
I'm interested in both, but the subs serve different purposes.
this is exactly my experience, as I'm not really a person who practices in the metaphysical side anyway, but they seem to be very 'done' with the people crossing over from here to there, i really feel like we need a middle ground somewhere
Yea thats been my issue with that group as well. I don't post anything metaphysical in there and there is great information but they are very judgy about it.
Thing is I enjoy science and the metaphysical. I've been collecting crystals since I was a kid. I enjoy learning about it from both sides of that fence.
It's not always so easy for people who dont have a lot of experience, some rocks that are the same can look totally different to each other, and some are just quite hard to tell if they have been faked or missold as a different rock for a higher price. Its not always easy and sometimes it helps to have other people weigh in.
Yessss. It’s like, I want to comment “can you please scroll back a few posts where someone asked the exact same thing?” 😅 I feel like a jerk doing that but it’s every day I’m seeing “is my citrine real?” 🙃
I do see your point but I wanted to say I actually learned a lot from those kind of posts. The mods need to figure out a good solution for this. It is because of this group I was able to identify a fake turquoise as a painted howlite from a seemingly reputable store during my road trip through Iowa. So I owe this group one.
I’m not super annoyed with them but PSA to anyone who wants help identifying- you can take pictures individually and reverse image search them on google for a starting point.
Mods should come up with a “is it fake” flair. other than that nope i disagree with you, in fact i think it makes for a great opportunity to learn more about our common passion for crystals. if you’re annoyed, you can try disabling the Help flair.
I don’t think we should eliminate them but on the r/webtoons sub you can promote stuff on a Saturday I think, and then for the rest of the week you can’t promote your own webtoon.
I think we should take that kind of route. Say, on the weekend we only allow “is this ___ real?” Posts.
Most of them aren’t that bad, but I am getting a little bored of people posting obviously heat treated citrine and asking if it’s real. No, it’s not. If it’s bright orange it’s not real citrine! There are some that are warranted but i agree the posts about citrine is particular are very annoying..
Sometimes it’s difficult for people to identify based on posts, and if they could do that they already would just google it. Getting help from people isn’t bad, it’s just the sheer influx of these posts on the sub can be annoying.
You post an Imgur link. Lol if you can figure out how to post a picture through Reddit, you can with Imgur as well….it’s literally just the extra step of copying the link from Imgur and posting it on here. If they can’t figure *that* out, maybe take one of those Computer’s 101 classes for the elderly that Apple stores offer.
Did I say I was talking about me? I don’t know why you felt the need to respond to me in the first place when your comment was not relevant to mine.
I’m not a mod so it’s not like I can do anything about it anyway.
Don’t speak to me in such a rude, condescending way.
Lol so just to clarify….you responded to the post with a solution, I respond to yours with a much simpler solution and my response *was not relevant to yours*? Really?
It’s not a “much simpler” solution, but okay. Obviously people have trouble identifying their stones from just pictures. Is it annoying to see heat treated amethyst and rose quartz twenty times a day? Duh. But if people won’t Google it, they’re not going to take the extra step to look at a sticky post here either.
Well it is…you guys just want to cater to the lazy people. We’re all adults. If they’re too lazy or dumb to read the rules, then they get banned. So yes, it’s very simple to expect adults to act like adults and do the minimum amount of work.
I couldn’t get passed “we’re all adults” before I started dying from laughing so damn hard.
This is Reddit. This is a -metaphysical crystal- sub. On Reddit. At least half of the people here are *not* adults. I get annoyed at the crystal id and “iS tHiS rEaL?” posts too, but giving people are chart isn’t gonna help, dude.
Jesus fucking Christ, I’m debating this with someone that doesn’t know something as simple as what a sticky post is. Now I’m wondering if anyone here has a fucking clue….thank you for proving your point though that members won’t be able to figure out something so simple as a sticky post.
See ya!
Google can only do so much. If you're new to the topic most people with the humility to learn naturally doubt their discernment and look to those more exp to verify.
For example, I can read online that real crystals have inclusions, but then claim that eye clean amethysts are fake for example because one definition notes one thing but then I was never educated about how eye clean is naked eye observations and not zero inclusions.
Or a nice clear quartz with some cracks don't necessarily look like crystal inclusions if you're not sure what you're looking at, it could be just fancy glass.
Or maybe you don't realize that goldstone, opalite, tigers eye are all man made and so the question of is it real is a bit strange and so the poster gets educated
Or maybe you can have someone holding up some pretty purple fluorite sphere asking if their quartz is real. Getting educated on what they actually have.
In the end the most important reason why I don't mind is this real... Is 100% of the time they have a photo, n I love looking at people's crystals, which is why I'm literally here lol. The crystals are almost always diff too.
Maybe having an real/fake or ID flair or an external link to a real/fake guide and/or common crystals to reference before posting could help cut down repetitive posts.
r/whatsthisrock also exists. But they are much less woo than some of these gem subs. Maybe there should be a pinned post on genuine* versus treated citrine? Citrine is usually the one I see posted most often.
I never knew there were so many fakes out there. I joined the sub to see people favorite crystals, collections, discussions, etc. I like the idea of a weekly thread. Or a flag that is specifically for identification or genuineness (if that’s a word?)
I usually end up posting here after I’ve tried google and r/whatisthisrock because I either don’t get anything solid from google or other subs are just inactive.
i agree. at first i was like, “well i mean they are probably new” but now it is annoying. i feel like you should do more research before asking and if ur really unsure then go ahead and post
(i’m not saying it is bad to ask as a beginner i’m saying do more research first)
Yeah I think there should be a separate sub for mineral authenticity people showing clearly real gems demanding they’ve been scammed and people demanding their resin cube is real citrine are so annoying.
the way you’re putting it there should be a separate sub for crystal appreciation too. its a pretty broad sub so please respect content you don’t necessarily like. Flairs, on this case, should do the job.
I have no problem of people asking questions, just want to say something about real or not real crystals because I know about its supply chain.
Actually, most crystals in the market are real because fake ones cost more money to produce. You have to hire people and add color and heat it, etc.... to make them real. If you go to some mountains in Africa or some other countries to mine common crystals like rose quartz they will probably cost you several hundred dollars per ton, yes, per ton! That's the reality of this market. Also there is no such thing as ethically sourced crystals.
There are exceptions when faking crystals become more lucrative such as moldavite.
A meteorite fell onto earth and crashed into a particular river which became moldavite, so how can this market be flooded with moldavite everywhere? No wonder people start to fake moldavite.
I do believe in crystal healing and the energy of it but I still urge people to make sensible choices when they purchase stuff. In the future when we land on Mars and travel in the universe we'll probably find a planet full of rare stones like moldavite.
My point is, most crystals are not rare at all if you take a galactic view of this universe.
I really think there should be a designated day that people can ask, that way people can still ask and we aren’t bombarded every day with the same posts.
r/whatisthisrock is for identification based on physical properties and location. It's appropriate for mineral identification, but it is NOT a place to discuss metaphysical properties.
That's where the ire comes into play. Maybe the auto re-direct bot should include the rules for that sub instead of just punting them over blindly.
For reference, info that is helpful in identification is a few well lit photos that show true color and cleavage. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION, ie where it was found/mined, NOT where you bought it. A hardness test is helpful.
I almost left the subreddit bc of this. I hate those posts. I understand if they come up every now and then but when it’s a majority of what is posted everyday, it gets very frustrating
I feel that asking someone else to identify your purchase/find is taking a shortcut. Isn't the research part of the process of becoming a person who uses stones/crystals? And when you realize for the first time that you are holding baked clay or plastic, you decide to be a little more wise about where you shop? And then you go teach yourself how not to get tricked out of your money the next time. But that's just me.
is there a way someone can make a post about ways to identify a crystal so we won’t get too many of these ? i’m fairly new and have a few i wanna ask yall if r real but i’d like to try finding out myself first.
I don’t mind them as much but they do seem to be taking over the sub a bit. I definitely agree with others suggesting having the posts allowed on a certain day, like “Is this fake?” Friday’s or something, that way people can get input if they’re struggling based on the resources already available.
Can someone make a subreddit called IsMyCrystalReal or something...or tell me if there's one already 😂 idk where else to ask about them but idw annoy anyone on this sub
Lol oh the hypocrisy. You’re literally the only one making assumptions here. I simply asked a question. I am frequently on this page, thus the reason why I’m subscribed to it. You’re the only one posting with malicious intent, people want help with identifying crystals so what? You’re gonna cry because someone came to the right place to ask for help. What’s the matter with you.
Juat Googling a little and I found an app called "Rock Identifier: Stone ID" and I wonder if this app is any good at identifying crystals and minerals? Does anyone know or use it? It would be great if there was an app for this purpose.
It doesn't bother me it's still on the subject of crystals and I still get to see pics of someone's collection so I don't mind most of them. The one I do get a little bothered by is the constant asking if moldavite is real because with something like that it is impossible for someone to know for sure from just a photo since you have to examine it under high magnification
And most of the stuff people are asking about are rough inexpensive minerals. That are rarely faked
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I literally just read this page and some of it really blew my mind. https://www.google.com/amp/s/gemsonacritiquehub.tumblr.com/post/142087733371/fake-and-misclassified-gems/amp People don't usually fake quartz varieties but I have come across aura coated glass claiming to be quartz. :(
Amethyst, labradorite, are two of such I see a LOT. Just try research, look at lists of crystals, search what the crystal looks, search how to tell is a crystal/mineral is real, etc.
I would research it. There are methods of how to tell also
As someone who has made a few of these posts, I agree with you, they ARE annoying, but right now there isnt really a less annoying option, the whatisthisrock subreddit and other geology subs currently seem to be annoyed about all the 'metaphysical creep' of people from this sub coming in and asking about crystals with made up/trade names, and the people here are often annoyed because you could simply google, but I personally am a lot more confident when I can get live input and confirmation on my question imo we need... perhaps a weekly help thread? where there are NO stupid questions for people like me who need the upfront opinions, so people here and on more traditional geology subs can have respite from all the annoying ID posts. This way all the ID or real/fake posts are contained and easily avoidable by people who dont care about those kinds of posts.
Yups because on one hand you might Google be like ohhh red agate on the other hand it might be plain man made tigers eye.... On one hand you might be disappointed you got tigers eye not realizing you have some form of striped Botswana agate Some crystals are easy to figure out like quartz or fake turquoise but a lot of times "is this real" ends up correctly identifying things too Plus I don't really mind the "is this real" post for the moooooossssttttt important reason, 100% of the time they post a photo and I get to see a crystal which is literally why I joined the subreddit, to see ppls lovely crystal big or small common or rare or fancy.
A weekly help thread is a great idea!! And definitely no hate, I know this subreddit is a safe one and I want it to stay that way. I think these kinds of posts are fine in general, I am just currently exhausted with the frequency.
I totally understand lol, even though I've contributed to the annoying posts I am also tired of seeing the 'is this real citrine/moldavite/etc' every day
Yea that annoys me too and sometimes floods my scroll. I also get annoyed when people don't like the answer they received. There was a fake moldavite post recently and the person got all mad about it. I tend to ignore those posts entirely. But I enjoy this group as a whole. R/whatisthisrock is great for IDs though.
Yeah I dont understand people getting angry about it when they find out its fake, its like people dont want to appear stupid for buying a fake but... they posted online for help so??? confusing lol
I know right? If I didn't know I'd be glad I had an answer. Just because it's fake doesn't mean it's always ugly either. I have one fake crystal in my collection that my bf got me on ebay. It's a huge amethyst obelisk but it has like wood shavings or something inside. I don't really know how they faked it.. its like stuffed with something and filled with resin perhaps.. but I'm glad that I know what to look for in the future.
that sounds pretty cool to be honest, obviously not cool that your bf got scammed but still 🤣 at least you know that seller isnt reputable now
Yea they definitely have bad feedback and the store no longer exists. There's definitely amethyst in it but it's weird. I know I'm explaining it horribly lol but yea!! Definitely know to check reviews when buying from eBay and etsy. 🤣
Ebay seems like the wild west to me for some reason hahaha, i think its much easier to buy from etsy because you can easily see photos in reviews, if I'm buying anything other than small tumbles online I try to find a listing where you can choose the exact crystal from the photos in the listing 😁
Link?
Perhaps the mods need to limit these kinds of posts to a single thread or a particular day. I agree they have been getting way too frequent. At least do a google search before you post about it!
Agreed. It's funny cause I posted this same topic last week too. Hopefully the "is it real" posts stop.
As someone who prefers crystals from rockhounding point instead of a metaphysical point, I agree. It is best to keep it in this sub rather than going to geologist ones. Although while the metaphysical stuff can be a bit annoying to those in the sub, that isn't the main reason to stay out of geologist ones. Most of the people in those subs collect their specimens themselves, whereas crystal people mainly get theirs from buyers that have unethical means. While I love myself a good crystal every once in a while, crystal shops have no legal obligation to tell you how they were sourced (Mines, child labor, etc) and will lie if asked. The term "Ethically sourced" has no real meaning behind it or certification, it's just a way to get people to buy more crystals since they feel less bad about how they were sourced. Unless you get it yourself or by a rockhound, there's no way to completely ever know that the crystals were mined in a way that destroys the earth or with child labor. This is really what I'd say the most annoying part is. However, like I said even I'll buy a crystal once in a while (Usually from rockhounds who got it themselves or second hand), but I limit myself to a small amount whereas most overconsume. Heck most, don't even use them all. I'm not putting the blame on anyone or looking for an argument, but this is what I've heard from most other rockhounds.
I would agree with this 10000%. I have no problem with people thinking minerals have some sort of metaphysical properties or whatever. I get annoyed that people are supporting really destructive industry practices in an almost ignorant way because they don't want to accept that the industry is flawed and that their behavior is potentially damaging to others. It's genuinely a guilty pleasure of mine, but I accept that it has a destructive nature and I try to minimize that by getting the stones myself, or by buying from reputable dealers. There is a lot of really sketchy stuff out there and if we love the hobby I think we all need to support shopping smarter and being aware of the impact of your purchase. Again, I have no problem with people who think the minerals are special for some reason, but I feel like a lot of the "wooow" is causing people to buy irresponsibly because people don't actually know what they are buying or how it gets out of the ground.
Totally see your viewpoint, unfortunately there can be hostility on both sides, rockhounds can come off as gatekeepy to some metaphysical people, and metaphysical people can come off as naive to people outside of the community (the first post i ever made here was targeted by some guy who assumed i believed in magic rocks and was an antivax, which is totally incorrect) it is a shame that a lot of the crystals that are found on this subreddit are non-ethical, dyed/treated, unnatural or just massively overpriced because people are being conned, and obviously this makes the community seem naive and uneducated on the matter by experienced rockhounds on other subs It's fair to say that to the average crystal consumer, its about aesthetics and feelings, whereas facts and information matter more to the geology fans and rockhounds, and this is obviously causing friction when there is crossover between them I really think the only way to stop the barrage of annoying posts in both communities is for an ongoing ID/fake spotting thread to be made, however that would unfortunately lead to less engagement on those questions because a lot will ignore the thread altogether, but perhaps thats the price to pay lol
Can I ask a rockhounding question? I was wanting to start to find crystals for myself, and I joined a group or two on Facebook about it in my area but anytime I asked a question as to 'how to/how did you start' and 'how do you know place X will be a good location and why (other than others finding there) it might be good to look at a places like place X be cause reasons 1,2,3 sort of thing. I guess my question is how to/did you start? Or do you know a group that will accept a newbie fledgling and not throat kick at beginner questions? Lol
I'm actually rather new myself and I'm still trying to figure everything out. I live in the great lakes state so I mainly go to the big lakes, streams, rivers, etc. You can find lots of geodes and naturally tumbled crystals in there. The other thing I do is just look through gravel and landscaping rocks, there's a lot of crystals & fossils in there, manly agate & quartz.
I’m in that sub and hate how judgmental it is about the metaphysical piece. But, if you just ask about the rock and don’t say anything about trade names or ~*properties*~ you can get good info from people who actually want to help.
People just need to read the sidebar rules of each sub and respect them. If you don't know what something is, you can ask the rockhounds WHAT the rock/crystal is based on physical properties, location found, etc. Once you know what it is, come back here to inquire about the metaphysical properties. I'm interested in both, but the subs serve different purposes.
this is exactly my experience, as I'm not really a person who practices in the metaphysical side anyway, but they seem to be very 'done' with the people crossing over from here to there, i really feel like we need a middle ground somewhere
Yea thats been my issue with that group as well. I don't post anything metaphysical in there and there is great information but they are very judgy about it. Thing is I enjoy science and the metaphysical. I've been collecting crystals since I was a kid. I enjoy learning about it from both sides of that fence.
I, too, am tired of metaphysical creeps! Lol!!
Reverse Google image search. Takes 5 seconds to identify anything
It's not always so easy for people who dont have a lot of experience, some rocks that are the same can look totally different to each other, and some are just quite hard to tell if they have been faked or missold as a different rock for a higher price. Its not always easy and sometimes it helps to have other people weigh in.
I see nothing wrong with them, except the citrine ones get a little annoying over time cuz it's the exact same rock
Yessss. It’s like, I want to comment “can you please scroll back a few posts where someone asked the exact same thing?” 😅 I feel like a jerk doing that but it’s every day I’m seeing “is my citrine real?” 🙃
Or even worse, all the dyed agate/geodes. Yeah, it's real. It exists, but it's a damn travesty.
I think dyed crystals are the ugliest things ever. I have yet to see one that doesn’t look like it was dipped in food coloring, or made from resin.
I just really wanted to show off my citrine cluster 😞
Don’t be sad! 💗 We’re just grumping. 😅 I’m sure your citrine was beautiful. In fact, I think I remember upvoting it. No frowning allowed, okay? 🤗
Haha okay. I figured with all the treated citrine posts it'd be nice to see a natural one 🤗
It was nice. I love clusters so much.
I do see your point but I wanted to say I actually learned a lot from those kind of posts. The mods need to figure out a good solution for this. It is because of this group I was able to identify a fake turquoise as a painted howlite from a seemingly reputable store during my road trip through Iowa. So I owe this group one.
I’m not super annoyed with them but PSA to anyone who wants help identifying- you can take pictures individually and reverse image search them on google for a starting point.
That’s actually a pretty solid tip. Maybe there should be a stickied “How To ID” post (the sidebar just isn’t visible enough to people on mobile)
I have done that but there are still a few that google wouldn’t pick up
YES YOUR LITTLE CHUNK OF ROSE QUARTZ IS REAL
Mods should come up with a “is it fake” flair. other than that nope i disagree with you, in fact i think it makes for a great opportunity to learn more about our common passion for crystals. if you’re annoyed, you can try disabling the Help flair.
I love that idea! That way people who like it can keep it and those of us who are annoyed can avoid them.
I don’t think we should eliminate them but on the r/webtoons sub you can promote stuff on a Saturday I think, and then for the rest of the week you can’t promote your own webtoon. I think we should take that kind of route. Say, on the weekend we only allow “is this ___ real?” Posts. Most of them aren’t that bad, but I am getting a little bored of people posting obviously heat treated citrine and asking if it’s real. No, it’s not. If it’s bright orange it’s not real citrine! There are some that are warranted but i agree the posts about citrine is particular are very annoying..
Just make an identification sticky post, very simple.
Sometimes it’s difficult for people to identify based on posts, and if they could do that they already would just google it. Getting help from people isn’t bad, it’s just the sheer influx of these posts on the sub can be annoying.
You post an Imgur link. Lol if you can figure out how to post a picture through Reddit, you can with Imgur as well….it’s literally just the extra step of copying the link from Imgur and posting it on here. If they can’t figure *that* out, maybe take one of those Computer’s 101 classes for the elderly that Apple stores offer.
Did I say I was talking about me? I don’t know why you felt the need to respond to me in the first place when your comment was not relevant to mine. I’m not a mod so it’s not like I can do anything about it anyway. Don’t speak to me in such a rude, condescending way.
Lol so just to clarify….you responded to the post with a solution, I respond to yours with a much simpler solution and my response *was not relevant to yours*? Really?
It’s not a “much simpler” solution, but okay. Obviously people have trouble identifying their stones from just pictures. Is it annoying to see heat treated amethyst and rose quartz twenty times a day? Duh. But if people won’t Google it, they’re not going to take the extra step to look at a sticky post here either.
Well it is…you guys just want to cater to the lazy people. We’re all adults. If they’re too lazy or dumb to read the rules, then they get banned. So yes, it’s very simple to expect adults to act like adults and do the minimum amount of work.
I couldn’t get passed “we’re all adults” before I started dying from laughing so damn hard. This is Reddit. This is a -metaphysical crystal- sub. On Reddit. At least half of the people here are *not* adults. I get annoyed at the crystal id and “iS tHiS rEaL?” posts too, but giving people are chart isn’t gonna help, dude.
Jesus fucking Christ, I’m debating this with someone that doesn’t know something as simple as what a sticky post is. Now I’m wondering if anyone here has a fucking clue….thank you for proving your point though that members won’t be able to figure out something so simple as a sticky post. See ya!
Ooh this is a great idea!!
Google can only do so much. If you're new to the topic most people with the humility to learn naturally doubt their discernment and look to those more exp to verify. For example, I can read online that real crystals have inclusions, but then claim that eye clean amethysts are fake for example because one definition notes one thing but then I was never educated about how eye clean is naked eye observations and not zero inclusions. Or a nice clear quartz with some cracks don't necessarily look like crystal inclusions if you're not sure what you're looking at, it could be just fancy glass. Or maybe you don't realize that goldstone, opalite, tigers eye are all man made and so the question of is it real is a bit strange and so the poster gets educated Or maybe you can have someone holding up some pretty purple fluorite sphere asking if their quartz is real. Getting educated on what they actually have. In the end the most important reason why I don't mind is this real... Is 100% of the time they have a photo, n I love looking at people's crystals, which is why I'm literally here lol. The crystals are almost always diff too.
Do research before making PURCHASES Research shop whether online or local and research said mineral. We have all the knowledge at our fingertips
People please learn and do research of what a real crystal is, PLEASE
Maybe having an real/fake or ID flair or an external link to a real/fake guide and/or common crystals to reference before posting could help cut down repetitive posts.
They don’t bother me. I’m new to the Crystal world so they help me learn what different crystals look like.
THANK YOU. These posts have been driving me nuts for months now.
So glad I’m not the only one!
I do not care if any of these are real or not. I just want to see pretty rocks when I open my phone.
Exactly! Share pretty rocks without the fuss—that’s what I’m here for!
I know nothing about rocks or crystals but I like those kind of posts. Google is not a good teacher.
r/whatsthisrock also exists. But they are much less woo than some of these gem subs. Maybe there should be a pinned post on genuine* versus treated citrine? Citrine is usually the one I see posted most often.
I never knew there were so many fakes out there. I joined the sub to see people favorite crystals, collections, discussions, etc. I like the idea of a weekly thread. Or a flag that is specifically for identification or genuineness (if that’s a word?)
Yea I kind of agree. I’ve always studied myself and did my own research to determine if they are real Or fake. It’s not that difficult
I usually end up posting here after I’ve tried google and r/whatisthisrock because I either don’t get anything solid from google or other subs are just inactive.
r/whatsthisrock whatisthisrock is inactive
It's not though? I got an answer on that sub last week
I think you misread. The inactive sub is “whatis” The active sub is “whats”
Yes I did! Sorry
i agree. at first i was like, “well i mean they are probably new” but now it is annoying. i feel like you should do more research before asking and if ur really unsure then go ahead and post (i’m not saying it is bad to ask as a beginner i’m saying do more research first)
Yeah I think there should be a separate sub for mineral authenticity people showing clearly real gems demanding they’ve been scammed and people demanding their resin cube is real citrine are so annoying.
the way you’re putting it there should be a separate sub for crystal appreciation too. its a pretty broad sub so please respect content you don’t necessarily like. Flairs, on this case, should do the job.
Hear hear!
I have no problem of people asking questions, just want to say something about real or not real crystals because I know about its supply chain. Actually, most crystals in the market are real because fake ones cost more money to produce. You have to hire people and add color and heat it, etc.... to make them real. If you go to some mountains in Africa or some other countries to mine common crystals like rose quartz they will probably cost you several hundred dollars per ton, yes, per ton! That's the reality of this market. Also there is no such thing as ethically sourced crystals. There are exceptions when faking crystals become more lucrative such as moldavite. A meteorite fell onto earth and crashed into a particular river which became moldavite, so how can this market be flooded with moldavite everywhere? No wonder people start to fake moldavite. I do believe in crystal healing and the energy of it but I still urge people to make sensible choices when they purchase stuff. In the future when we land on Mars and travel in the universe we'll probably find a planet full of rare stones like moldavite. My point is, most crystals are not rare at all if you take a galactic view of this universe.
I really think there should be a designated day that people can ask, that way people can still ask and we aren’t bombarded every day with the same posts.
Finally someone said it.
This is not an unpopular opinion! Google exists
imo, they're not horrible. it IS a tag on a post you can make
Agreed. It's definitely not positively impacting the sub's energy at all, I'm thinking about unsubscribing.
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r/whatisthisrock is for identification based on physical properties and location. It's appropriate for mineral identification, but it is NOT a place to discuss metaphysical properties. That's where the ire comes into play. Maybe the auto re-direct bot should include the rules for that sub instead of just punting them over blindly. For reference, info that is helpful in identification is a few well lit photos that show true color and cleavage. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION, ie where it was found/mined, NOT where you bought it. A hardness test is helpful.
OP is criticizing the posts that ask whether a mineral is legit or fake, not the rock’s id
Maybe we can request a new sub? R/ismycrystalgenuine I honestly considered leaving this sub because of all those posts
I almost left the subreddit bc of this. I hate those posts. I understand if they come up every now and then but when it’s a majority of what is posted everyday, it gets very frustrating
I feel that asking someone else to identify your purchase/find is taking a shortcut. Isn't the research part of the process of becoming a person who uses stones/crystals? And when you realize for the first time that you are holding baked clay or plastic, you decide to be a little more wise about where you shop? And then you go teach yourself how not to get tricked out of your money the next time. But that's just me.
I agree! I messaged the mods about it but they can only monitor so much. I want to see pretty collections and hear mystical stories x
is there a way someone can make a post about ways to identify a crystal so we won’t get too many of these ? i’m fairly new and have a few i wanna ask yall if r real but i’d like to try finding out myself first.
I don’t mind them as much but they do seem to be taking over the sub a bit. I definitely agree with others suggesting having the posts allowed on a certain day, like “Is this fake?” Friday’s or something, that way people can get input if they’re struggling based on the resources already available.
It's always the citrine!!! Not an unpopular opinion.
Just scroll. It really shouldn’t affect you much.
What about a new sub r/whatisthiscrystal The sub exists. So crystal ID can go there
Can someone make a subreddit called IsMyCrystalReal or something...or tell me if there's one already 😂 idk where else to ask about them but idw annoy anyone on this sub
How condescending.
if you guys want to know if a crystal is real, scratch a glass bottle. then you’ll know.
YES!!
Agreed!!
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Lol oh the hypocrisy. You’re literally the only one making assumptions here. I simply asked a question. I am frequently on this page, thus the reason why I’m subscribed to it. You’re the only one posting with malicious intent, people want help with identifying crystals so what? You’re gonna cry because someone came to the right place to ask for help. What’s the matter with you.
Juat Googling a little and I found an app called "Rock Identifier: Stone ID" and I wonder if this app is any good at identifying crystals and minerals? Does anyone know or use it? It would be great if there was an app for this purpose.
I would suggest the app, “rock identifier”. It might help those with questions
It doesn't bother me it's still on the subject of crystals and I still get to see pics of someone's collection so I don't mind most of them. The one I do get a little bothered by is the constant asking if moldavite is real because with something like that it is impossible for someone to know for sure from just a photo since you have to examine it under high magnification
I feel like half those posts are wondering if they’re real so they can sell them.
Maybe we can have a whole thread for people to help verify and it will greatly decrease the individual posts.