05/07/2026
*Flat square slabs in the below images are FAKE materials made from resins or clays. They are followed by examples of the real material for comparison*
Can we talk about something very frustrating to honest artisans, dealers and customers? Fraud. I am going to share a very blatant example. Both of these are real minerals. Malachite is the beautiful deep green, and Larimar is the beautiful ocean blue.
Sadly, the fake slabs are listed as natural, top grade and other nonsense by a shop that is a star seller. The genuine high quality stones are sold by small businesses that are just trying to give customers high quality real minerals at reasonable market value.
So why is this happening? Etsy does a lot of work assessing shops to ensure they are handmade/vintage/etc and one of those stipulations is that materials must be presented true to their nature. It also actively tries to prevent promises that some metaphysical sellers make. I.E - this crystal cures ______! However, review of lapidary/natural specimens is challenging because it requires knowledge and the ability to spot a fake, which comes from experience.
These ones were particularly frustrating because they rely on a lack of knowledge, and prey on people who are new to the hobby or industry. The whole crystal industry needs to have accountability to ensure we minimize fraud and allow people to feel confident in their choices and suppliers. If you ever have a concern that a material my not be legitimate, do not assume that because they have high reviews or they are a star seller that they are legitimate. Truly that only reflects that they have higher sales volumes and ship on time. These shops can exist for months or even years before bad reviews or complaints or reports catch them and shut them down.
While it is the case that some suppliers can make honest mistakes, it is the duty and ethical integrity of the crystal seller to know their materials, and to sell legitimately. Customers can defend themselves against fraud by asking questions, checking images up close, or materials up close, comparing it to other listings, asking other established crystal sellers, doing private research, etc. Crystal sellers have far less excuse to sell something that is not real, even if this is an extreme example. What do you think about fraudulent crystals? Have you fallen victim or experienced it?
