Counterfeit Crystal Costs 20 Selling 2000 Shopping for Mainland Visitors

The cost is only HK$20, but the price is as high as two thousand. A Hong Kong cottage company has been exposed by the media with synthetic crystals and famous brand crystals. It was revealed that the company’s behind-the-scenes holders had at least two cottage clothing brand shops yesterday. The customer will be reminded to pay more careful attention when shopping and not to be misled by false product statements and suffer losses.

A crystal store named “Swan” was exposed by the media due to the “Sw arovski” crystal of the famous Austrian brand cottage. Swan has 7 sales outlets in Hong Kong, including Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei and Causeway Bay. It operates in the form of a special shopping mall. There are many similarities with Swarovski in interior decoration, blue boxes and jewelry designs. Customers are mainly passengers. A large banner with the words "Diamond-grade Austrian Crystal and Crystal Jewellery" (crystal jewellery) is hanging in the store. The product price ranged from 500 yuan to 2,000 yuan (HK$). The staff of Sw an said that the entire crystal was sold in the store. From Austria, Swarovski crystals are no different from counters. All products in the store are sold at a discount of 30% of the mark price.

As identified by Hong Kong gemologist and Wu Feiyang, deputy dean of the Hong Kong Institute of Jewellery, the crystal sold by “Swan” is not a naturally-occurring crystal (its main component is quartz). Instead, it uses “zirconia” powder as a raw material and is melted by a chemical field furnace. Re-crystallized synthetic products can be purchased for HK$10 to HK$20.

When I came to the store in Swan in Mong Kok, I discovered that I had already left the building. A man who set up a stall nearby told reporters that the restaurant was not closed for a long time. “It was the event of these two days. It suddenly shut down. Before that, it felt quite a lot of guests, and many people speak Mandarin.” The man said that most of the mainland tourists who went to Swan for shopping were mostly tourists.

In an interview with a reporter from the Southern Metropolis, the Hong Kong Consumer Council reminded consumers to pay more careful attention when shopping. Do not be misled by false product statements and suffer economic losses.