Wasted $85 on a 'rare' crystal that was just dyed glass

I bought this 'rare blue celestite' from an online seller last month for my collection. It looked perfect in the photos, but when it arrived, the color was way too bright and even. I did a simple scratch test with a steel nail and it left a mark, which real celestite shouldn't do. Turns out it was just a piece of common quartz that had been dyed. Has anyone else been tricked by fake minerals online? I want to know how to spot them better.

3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

3 Comments

lisayoung7mo ago

My local rock shop taught me the vinegar test for calcite.

7

jamiew246mo ago

Yeah, my buddy got super into rockhounding last year and tried the vinegar test on what he swore was a killer calcite find. Turns out it was just a weird piece of quartz that had some dust on it. The fizz he saw was basically wishful thinking, and he spent a whole afternoon convinced he'd made a big score. It was pretty funny watching him figure it out.

5

charliehill7mo ago

Rare blue celestite" sounds like something they'd sell next to the bottled dragon's breath. That scratch test was a real gut punch.

5