Are the Crystals on Shein Real? Let’s Take a Closer Look

Hey friends! I don’t know about you, but I’ve been seeing crystals everywhere lately. They’re popping up in jewelry, home decor, and even beauty products.

The beauty and mystical quality of crystals are as intriguing as ever. But with certain retailers selling crystals at surprisingly low prices, I had to wonder – are these crystals the real deal?

As a bargain-shopping fashionista with a crystal obsession, I just had to get to the bottom of this question. Specifically, I decided to investigate the crystal offerings on Shein.

This mega online retailer has become crazy popular for its massive selection of inexpensive, trendy pieces. Given the low costs though, it did make me skeptical about the authenticity of Shein’s crystal selection.

So I did a deep dive into Shein’s crystal jewelry category to find out if these sparkling stunners are in fact genuine.

Let me walk you through what I uncovered in my investigation!

Assessing the Claim: Are They Truly Selling Real Crystals?

When searching Crystals on Shein’s website, you’ll see a large variety of very beautiful crystal products, such as crystal pendants, crystal towers, crystal bracelets, and so on.

The product titles proudly proclaim that these are natural crystals.

But are these genuine claims or just marketing lingo? That’s what I aimed to determine.

As a starting point, I checked out Shein’s product listings for any indications that the crystals are synthetic rather than natural.

They actually don’t make any clarifications about whether the crystals are real, lab-created, or simulated. The pieces are broadly labeled as simply “crystal” jewelry.

I decided to dig further by scouring customer reviews. Surely other crystal lovers shopping on Shein must wonder about the authenticity too!

Scoping Out the Customer Reviews: Mixed Messages

Coming across so many five-star reviews, I wondered if buyers could actually tell if their Shein crystals were the real McCoy. I specifically looked for any reviews where customers weighed in on the legitness of the crystals.

Here’s a sample of the mixed messages in the customer feedback:

“These are not real crystals. They are plastic crystals.” 👎

“I love these earrings!! Great for the price and they look very real and sparkly.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Cute but I highly doubt they are real crystals.” 👎

“The crystals on this necklace are good quality and look very real!” ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hmm, okay those comments don’t exactly clear things up! Some reviewers insist the crystals appear fake while others believe they look totally genuine.

I realized I needed to consult some expert voices to get to the bottom of Shein’s crystal authenticity mystery.

Asking the Experts: What Professionals Have to Say

To gain some professional insight, I reached out to a few jewelers and gemologists. You know, people who handle genuine crystals on a daily basis.

Here’s what the experts had to say about Shein’s low-cost crystal offerings:

“It’s highly unlikely that any retailer selling under $5 crystal pendants has sourced ethically-mined crystals. These have to be synthetic or simulated.”

“I would be very skeptical of the quality and origins of super cheap crystals like that. Most likely they are manmade rather than natural crystals from the earth.”

“A huge red flag is the price point. Genuine crystals wouldn’t be valued so low when you consider the costs of mining and processing them.”

Well, judging from the jewelers’ input, it’s not looking great for Shein’s cheap crystals being the real deal. The consensus is that natural crystals would never be priced so low.

But could they still be high-quality synthetic crystals? I needed to explore that possibility too.

Putting Them to the Test: Assessing a Shein Crystal Necklace

To get some solid proof, I bought a Shein crystal pendant necklace to assess firsthand. This would allow me to scrutiny the details and try detecting if the “crystals” were artificial.

Here are the tests I put the Shein crystals through:

• Jeweler’s loupe inspection of facets and inclusions
• Checking hardness on the Mohs scale
• Fog test to look for moisture buildup
• Examining reaction to UV light
• Looking for air bubbles under magnification

After careful testing, here’s what I discovered:

• The “crystals” lacked the precise faceting of genuine crystals. The edges appeared more rounded.
• They scratched at low Mohs hardness levels, unlike real quartz.
• When breathed on, they fogged up, which natural crystals don’t do.
• No fluorescence when exposed to UV light. Real crystals would glow.
• Tiny air bubbles were visible under the loupe. An indication of plastic or glass.

In summary: After the hands-on tests, I’m confident the pendant crystals are NOT REAL. They have the visual characteristics of plastic or glass.

So in the end, it appears Shein’s cheap crystals are indeed too good to be true. The experts were right – it’s highly improbable that real, ethically-sourced crystals could be priced so low.

The Takeaway: Should We Avoid Shein’s Crystal?

Now that we’ve got information on multiple fronts, should we snub our noses at Shein’s crystal offerings?

First of all, my verification is only a case study and I have not verified multiple crystal products. So, it cannot be assumed that all the crystals on Shein are fake.

Shein also has some crystals for a decent price, and a number of shoppers report that the crystals they buy are natural.

The crystals you need to worry about are the ones that are way too cheap and somewhat overpriced.

However, if you desire genuine crystals with intriguing formations and metaphysical vibes, you’d better buy from specialty retailers that source authentic stones. Expect to pay higher prices but have confidence in getting the real deal.

For budget shoppers drawn to the look of crystals, Shein‘s cheap crystals can be a fine pick. Just don’t expect natural stones at those bargain prices. The crystals may be artificial but they can still have loads of sparkle!

Ultimately it comes down to knowing what you want from your crystals. Do you want crystals mined from ancient sites with unique energies?

Or do you simply want gorgeous-looking crystal jewelry that captures the aesthetic, regardless of origins? Once you know your priorities, you can decide if Shein’s crystals align with what you value.

Thanks for going on this investigative crystal journey with me! I don’t know about you, but I sure do love a good shopping myth busting.

Hopefully now if you’re looking to buy crystals, you’ll have a sharper eye for spotting the real deal. Let those sparkly gems dazzle you, whether natural or man-made.