Crystal medals are generally made of artificial crystal, also known as K9 crystal. So, how do you identify the material of a crystal medal?
(1) Light Test: Natural crystal, when placed upright in sunlight, will emit a beautiful brilliance from any angle, while fake crystal will not.
(2) Tongue Test: Even in the sweltering heat of summer, licking the surface of natural crystal will give a cool and refreshing feeling. Fake crystal will not provide this cooling sensation.
(3) Dichroism Test: Natural amethyst exhibits dichroism, while fake crystal does not.
(4) Hardness Test: Natural crystal is hard. Gently scratching the surface with a small stone will not leave a mark; if a scratch is left, it is fake crystal.
(5) Polarizing Microscope Test: Under a polarizing microscope, natural crystal will show four bright and four dark changes when rotated 360 degrees; fake crystal will not show any changes.
(6) Magnifying Glass Test: Examining the surface under transmitted light with a 10x magnifying glass, if air bubbles are found, it is generally considered fake crystal. (7) Thermal conductivity test: Adjust the thermal conductivity meter to the green 4-bar setting for testing gemstones. Natural crystal will rise to the yellow 2-bar setting, while fake crystal will not rise, or only rise to the yellow 1-bar setting when the area is large.
(8) Hair test: Place the crystal on a strand of hair. If the human eye can see a double image of the hair through the crystal, it is natural crystal, mainly because crystal has birefringence.
(9) Visual inspection: Natural crystal often contains some impurities due to environmental influences during its formation. When observed against the sun, faint, uniform, fine horizontal lines or wispy, cloud-like substances can be seen. Fake crystal is mostly made from inferior crystal scraps and glass scraps, melted, polished, and colored to imitate natural crystals, and does not have uniform lines or wispy, cloud-like substances.
Artificial crystal is graded. The price difference between different grades is significant, so you must ask about the grade of crystal material used when ordering. Therefore, when purchasing or ordering, you should not only consider the price but also inquire about the quality.
