BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality New Age Quartz Crystal

I finally found a web site that talked definitively about the differences between glass and quartz, and I was finally able to discern that the large crystal gazing ball that I was given many years back is glass. It clearly shows the subtle whirls and many tiny bubbles inside that is indicative of glass.

However, that still doesn't negate that it was a crystal ball that was formerly owned and used by a wonderful psychic and teacher that my aunt knew, and I don't love it any less. But I'm glad to finally know how to tell the two material apart. I do have a small (3") true crystal ball that a former boyfriend gave me and it's wonderful too.

Interesting Rae, if you have the web address it would be worth a link here. Many 'crystal spheres' on sale today are really just glass- so buyer beware. More often these modern ones are completely flawless- that should make you most suspicious- even high quality & clarity natural quartz will have some markings within. There is also different 'feel' about glass compared to crystal. It isn't quite as 'cold' or 'hard' to the touch.

My quartz crystal sphere has lots of very fine veils within it- technically they are tiny air bubbles- I love it, it's like looking into a galaxy. I take it the glass one has more obvious bubbles- otherwise it could still be quartz. If you can put a clear pic up I'll take a look. Your older sphere though will have a great deal of psychic resonance behind it because of its history, so it is still very precious whether glass or not.

Lauren,

There's a picture of it up on my article on Scrying and Divination.

It is glass- but beautiful nonetheless! Nice article Rae <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Considering how long glass has been around, I think it is very possible that for a long time now, "crystal" balls being sold are really glass. My sister was given one 30 years ago, a big one! One day years later her husband threw it out. (he threw everything out; she would come home and find out the furniture had been given away!!). We have often wondered if hers was glass or crystal, but since it was so big, I am thinking it was glass.

I bought a small crystal in a shoppe, following instructions I cleansed it. When I looked inside the glass at it, I realized it has an exact face of a woman with beautiful lips. I was astounded.

Welcome Starbreaker! That sounds very special. A student of mine showed me a photo on her cellphone taken in a crystal museum in Amsterdam. One quartz crystal contains a very striking & clear figure of a woman holding a child & several other faces. I'd always been a little sceptical before thinking this was 'wishful thinking' but there was the visual proof!