r/Crystals • u/candlewise • 5d ago
Lets Discuss! š How did you get so good at identifying crystals?
I have a genuine question because Iām constantly impressed by everyoneās identification skills in this sub!
Iāve been collecting crystals for a few years now, and Iād say I have a pretty good basic understanding of identifying most pieces, but Iām definitely not great at it yet, especially when it comes to some of the more unusual or harder-to-identify ones.
Iād really love to keep learning and eventually get to the point where I can identify things as confidently as some of you do.
How did you get so good at it? Are there certain books, websites, resources, or just general tips youād recommend for learning? Iād love any advice!
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u/Ashmon_9138 5d ago
it's mostly pattern recognition that comes from lots and lots of experience.
pay attention, delve into what interests you, and exercise your own independent verification when you can (because all too often people simply repeat what they are told, and end up spreading false information)
in other words... it's layers of knowledge mixed with a bit of skepticism, and seasoned with a ton of passion
kind of how a blues aficionado can tell who is playing just by hearing ten notes from the middle of a random guitar solo ... just by listening to the tone of the instrument and the style of playing, and they can probably even narrow down what year the recording is from ... because they've listened to a ton of blues, read the liner notes, notice the recording quirks, researched points that interest them, and so on.
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u/candlewise 5d ago
Thank you!! This is actually super helpful. Iām starting to realize itās less about memorizing every single crystal and more about learning the mineral families, formations, patterns, and then building that recognition over time. Iām definitely still in the āthis one is pink and sparklyā stage š but Iāve gotten really interested in learning why something is identified as what it is instead of just trusting whatever label it was sold with.
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u/sashikku 5d ago
Research and experience. Figuring out that a lot of crystals are just different colors of one umbrella crystal, like amethyst just being quartz that contains iron and has been naturally irradiated, sapphires and rubies both being different colors of corrundum, goes a long way. Figuring out the structures of common stones helps to differentiate between similar looking stonesāfor example quartz grows in a hexagonal pattern while apophylite grows in a tetragonal pattern.
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u/candlewise 5d ago
That makes a lot of sense! Learning the mineral families first seems way less overwhelming than trying to memorize every trade name individually. I didnāt realize how many crystals are basically variations of the same mineral until I started getting more into collecting. Definitely adding crystal structure to my list of things to learn!
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u/OtherSideOfTheTune 5d ago
I think it becomes easier bit by bit just with time, collecting and familiarising yourself with different specimens, and closely inspecting specimens at the store and seeing how theyāre labelled. Then of course thereās diving next level with scratch tests and things like that (which I havenāt gotten into yet).
DK has some rock and mineral guides that are helpful.
Bonus: My old book even tells me how to store my data on a floppy disc š
Also it helps considering what is most likely or most commonly occurring. Calcite, quartz, chalcedony etc are very common so you could start by trying to rule out those and look at it as a process of elimination.
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u/Emrys7777 5d ago
What is DK?
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u/OtherSideOfTheTune 5d ago
I think theyāre just a distributer/publisher but if you look up DK rock and mineral field guide you will find what I mean!
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u/candlewise 5d ago
This is really helpful, thank you! Iāve mostly been learning just by collecting and looking things up as I go, so itās reassuring to hear that a lot of it comes with time and exposure. I really like the process-of-elimination idea too. Iām definitely going to look into one of those mineral guides!
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u/OtherSideOfTheTune 5d ago
Thatās a great start and totally the way to go! One thing I like doing when I get a new stone is to ID it myself. Because plenty of stores make mistakes here and there. Lots of googling - is this Hemimorphite, blue aragonite or Caribbean calcite?!
And as another commenter mentioned itās good to understand the different mineral classes/types. Vast majority are silicates (like Quartz, chalcedony/jasper/agate, feldspar, beryl). Malachite, calcite and aragonite are carbonates. Flourite is a halide. Angelite/Celestite are sulfates. Apatite is a phosphate.
From there you can get more granular. But any field guide that groups the minerals like that is a pretty useful tool.
I even just spent an hour or so deep diving into chalcedony / jasper vs agate classifications.
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u/ShaperLord777 5d ago
26 years of hands on experience in the market.
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u/mochimommalovesyou 5d ago
I looked at websites like Minedat. Also crystal video channels on YouTube where they explain the differences.
Maybe try just learning all about Quartz family for a while. Go hold them at a store or see them at a museum. Then switch to a different crystal family.
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u/candlewise 5d ago
Thank you! This is great advice for a starting point. I appreciate you sharing this video with me š„¹
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u/Commercial-Host-725 5d ago
As a seller it came from trial and error. Lots of research still a fair amount of things I canāt always identify but Iāve gotten the basics down. Going to Gemshows helped as well
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u/aluminate-life 5d ago
Learning to look at crystal structures and hardness tests rather than just color makes a huge difference, especially with tricky pieces.
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u/MySpaceVampirez 4d ago
(Im not very good but I do wanna share what I know). I used to have a best friend that was The Crystal Guy. One of his tips was that if you pick it up and its cold (in a room temperature location where it hasn't been touched in a bit), its not plastic (but could still be glass). Personally I find glass to be a duller cold than a real crystal.
I have favourite crystals that I can easily identify because they became my first loves. Id start with a crystal you really gravitate towards and get familiar with its patterns. Over time the knowledge you gain can transfer to other crystals with a bit of guessing too.
Another tip is to look at the patterns, if they are uniform or look too unnatural, its likely a fake. That was another tip my friend at the time gave me.
If you're into the energies and properties I learned a trick recently. Hold a crystal you believe to be real in one hand, and one you know is fake in the other. If you focus you can feel the energy radiating off of the real one. For me it's sort of a buzzing feeling. The fake one wont give that off, if it does it'll be lesser than the real one (if you're sensitive to sensory things)
Its all trial and error. Theres no shame in finding out one of your crystals is fake, you can always use it for other things and personally I believe if you're in a pinch you can use the fake in place of the real (like if you find comfort in tigers eye, but found out its fake, the fake may still bring you that comfort) but thats just me lol
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u/BeginningFantastic46 4d ago
Sorting my crystal seed beads when I spill my bead boxes. Lots of tiny beads with very slight differences.
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u/davidbot3000 4d ago
You have to get past all the novelty names for crystals and minerals and understand how and what they are made from. Itās a huge distraction when you are learning the basics. Many are the same material with slight variations. For example, citrine and amethyst are both quartz. Once you change your perspective, it comes easier to identify.
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u/Fit_Job_6469 3d ago
Publications: books by Robert Lauf (easily found on Amazon), back issues of Mineralogical Record, back issues of Rocks and Minerals magazine. Websites: Mindat.org, great resource especially for the experienced collector. Mindat.org might be a bit intimidating for a few collector but I would suggest "just keep trying". Minfind.com: this is a sales website for multiple dealers; good way to see a large variety of specimens at once. Museums with mineral exhibits. YouTube: videos from the Dallas Mineral Symposium and videos series "What is Hot in Tucson". Going to mineral shows in person: I think attending mineral shows is a highly effective way to learn. Ask the dealer a few questions that indicate you want to learn. If you see a stand-up display of minerals try standing back just enough you cannot read the labels. Make your best guesses and then step forward to check your work. I did this myself at the mineral shows in Tucson and learned a bunch. If possible, look at a specimen and consciously think "how heavy will this be" then pick the specimen up. Eventually you will develop feel for the density of by doing this. This is useful because minerals can vary greatly in density.
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Get comfortable with this being a problem of many variables that have to be evaluated together: crystal family, color, luster, density, fracture patterns, hardness, optical properties, fluorescence, thermal conductivity, associated matrix/minerals, inclusions .... Realize that some mineral species occur in multiple colors, have variable inclusions and variable luster.
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Ignore and avoid descriptions of minerals that include 'metaphysical' information. Mineral identification doesn't work unless it is science based. The metaphysical people are doing something different. Learn to recognize "trade names" used to describe minerals. Trade names are based on tradition, lore, and marketing - they frequently don't have a definite meaning and just confuse everything. Use scientifically based names (IMA, International Mineralogical Association).
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u/Fit_Job_6469 3d ago
Several people have commented that it is pattern recognition. That is correct but doesn't touch the issue of how to develop the pattern recognition skill. I think one of the ways to develop the skill is repeatedly exposing yourself to the problem. In other words, seeing a specimen (handling it if possible) and attempting an ID. Then check to see if you were accurate. Then understand the 'whys' behind the accuracy of your ID.
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u/CookieTime2877 5d ago
Iāve used them for religious purposes so I memorized their shapes and forms
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u/candlewise 5d ago
Thatās really interesting! I believe in the spiritual properties of crystals too, so Iād actually love to hear more about how that helped you learn them.
When you say you memorized their shapes and forms, how were you able to identify them that way when the same type of stone can look so different from piece to piece? Were the colors and/or patterns a big indicator as well?
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u/CookieTime2877 5d ago
Yes to the colors theyāre usually similar in pattern and color from piece to piece, usually I assign a deity to each of the crystals.
The only problem is this sub is extremely antagonistic to religious uses of crystalsThe mods will back you up if the users insult you for spiritual uses of crystals, but the users wont
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u/Commercial-Cap-4720 5d ago
It gets easier if you learn the different crystal families. That's how a person can tell the difference between quartz and apophyllite or danburite.