How To Tell If Aventurine Is Real (Info, Tips, and Tricks)

When you want to know how to tell if aventurine is real, there are a number of tips that you can follow.

Aventurine is a crystal that is a known quartz stone.

It comes in a variety of colors and sizes, so it can be very difficult to tell if it is genuine or not.

When you are wondering how to tell if aventurine is real, use this guide.

How To Tell If Aventurine Is Real (EXPLAINED)

Characteristics of Aventurine

Aventurine is a stone that comes from the quartz family.

It is a translucent gem that comes in a wide range of shades and colors, each with their own intensity and brightness.

With these colors you will see a wide range of marks or spots that are called inclusions.

The inclusions in aventurine appear as plates or flakes.

Light will enter aventurine and will reflect off of them.

This characteristic is often called “aventurescence.”

That means that these inclusions will give the stone a special sparkle.

This sparkle is something that aventurine lovers really appreciate, and is one way to learn how to tell if aventurine is real.

Because of this wide color range and range of intensities and brightness, it is easier to pass off a fake stone and call it aventurine based on color alone.

When you want to use these characteristics to determine how to tell if aventurine is real, look for stones that appear dyed or as if their color just doesn’t feel natural.

These colors are brighter than you would normally see in naturally occurring rock.

They may also appear as more saturated than you would find in a naturally occurring rock. 

A red stone for example that is passed off as real aventurine may appear as brighter than the average red stone.

The color may appear as if it is the same shade all the way through the stone.

A real aventurine will not look like this. 

The color may appear uniform, but in naturally occurring rock, a hue of color may vary slightly from one inclusion to the next.

Color distribution in aventurine is just not going to be even throughout the entire stone. 

It is going to be distributed in a way that appears more organic.

You might see an attempt at this uneven distribution of color in fake aventurine.

You might get a sense of the authenticity of the stone on this facet alone.

When it comes to the color of aventurine, you want to examine it among other aventurine stones in the same retailer.

If they all look identical in colors, that is another clue for color distribution that should seem off to you.

Every piece of aventurine should look different in both color and in inclusions.

If they all look the same, they’ve all been manufactured, and not mined, from the same location.

The most common colors for aventurine are green, orange, gray, blue, yellow, white, red, brown, and pink.

Even so, the most common color for aventurine is green. 

See also: Can Green Aventurine Scratch Glass?

More on Aventurescence

You will hear the term aventurescence about aventurine a lot.

This is a term and characteristic exclusive to this stone. This term refers to a very unique finish on the stone that is almost impossible to manufacture.

If nothing else, this is a key way in how to tell if aventurine is real. 

This finish has a glitter to it that is produced when light enters the stone, and reflects off of its interior structure.

There are minerals in the stone that create this glitter on the exterior of aventurine.

These minerals offer a reflective quality that is only found in aventurine.

Hence the term aventurescence. 

Any fake aventurine that attempts to “knock off” this glittery effect can only do so with paint.

You will notice glitter on stones that almost might seem like it could scratch off or even rub off in some instances.

This is an illusion stone, and not a real aventurine.

While pretty, it is not going to be the stone that you think you are purchasing. 

These glitters will also appear as if they have an even proportion of shine or luster.

A real aventurine has an uneven distribution of its aventurescence.

You might find one spot or inclusion of glitter in a real aventurine.

A fake might have several that seem all evenly spaced apart.

Some glitter will shine throughout the surface of the stone, while others will come from deep within the aventurine.

This aventurescence is a key method of determining how to tell if aventurine is real.

Determine the Origin of the Aventurine

The origin of aventurine is another key determining factor in how to tell if aventurine is real.

Aventurine is most commonly found in India, who is the largest commercial distributor of aventurine.

Aventurine is also found in Brazil, Austria, Spain, and Tanzania. 

In some retailers, you may see geographic origins noted where aventurine is available for purchase.

You may even be able to strike up conversations with your commercial retailer on their knowledge of the origin of aventurine.

Look for any mention of these countries before you make your purchase.

That is one way to know how to tell if aventurine is real. 

Know When You See Glass

There is an actual product on today’s market called aventurescent glass.

It is possible that this may be sold as aventurine, when it is really aventurescent glass.

There is a clear difference between the two kinds of gems.

Aventurescent glass was first developed in Italy.

It happened when some glassmakers attempted to blend bits of copper with bits of glass.

The result was the aventurescent glass, a term named after the phrase “aventurra” which means “by chance.”

The difference in these products is that aventurine is a natural stone that comes from the quartz family.

Aventurescent glass is a stone that is man-made, and comes from goldstone.

Retailers here are attempting to use this in order to create another aventurine illusion.

While aventurescent glass is beautiful, and a product worthy in any home, it is not aventurine.

Alas, glass will always still just be glass.

Invest in Aventurine

Aventurine is a stone that is revered across the world. It hails from India and has a very distinct quality to it.

When you want to know how to tell if aventurine is real, keep these qualities in mind. 

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