I remember walking into a local discount outlet just before Christmas.

One of the featured items on display was a Himalayan salt lamp.

The price was right. I thought about getting one or two.

Then, something stopped me from buying that lamp.

So I kept walking.

Good thing. Because it was probably a fake.

A real Himalayan salt lamp probably won’t break the bank. But they will set you back anywhere from $30 to $75 or so, depending upon the size.

The one I passed by (if I remember correctly) was only about $19.99, for a medium-size lamp.

Aside from the price, this lamp was light pink. Many of the real lamps are a deep reddish/orange hue. Light pink is usually the color of fake lamps.

But, apparently, you can also find true Himalayan salt lamps in a light shade as well. So you need to look for more than just color.)

Himalayan salt is hot right now. So not that scam artists are, apparently, trying to capture some of the market.

So when shopping for a salt lamp, be aware that fakes exist.

If the price is too good to be true, the lamp very well may be a fake.

Fake Himalayan Salt Lamp Warning

I’ve done some research. It appears the market is flooded with fake Himalayan salt lamps.

Below you can read some tips on how to avoid buying a fraud. (This information is compiled from a variety of sources. But I have high confidence that it’s accurate.)

• The price is too low. This is the first red flag. It’s a huge red flag. Expect to pay at least $30 for the real deal.
• Color is not irregular. Real salt lamps can range from very light pink to a deep coral. But the color will not be uniform, due to natural irregularities in the salt crystals. Be suspicious if the color is too uniform.
• Bad packaging. This was one of the first things I noticed about the cheap salt lamp I spotted in the discount/overstock store. The packaging was old and worn.
• No sweating. Salt lamps that don’t sweat when heated could be fakes. Real salt lamps will attract water molecules from the air, which then condense on the outside of the lamp. Of course, you won’t know this until you actually buy the lamp and use it at home. So make sure to save the receipts if you get your lamp from a source that you’re not too familiar with. But there are exceptions. See the paragraph below for more details.
• Salt lamp is not heavy. A true salt lamp will be heavy. Lightweight salt lamps are probably fake.
• Salt lamp says Made in China.  Or it comes from another country. True Himalayan salt comes from Pakistan.

How To Spot a Fake Salt Lamp

Another way to avoid getting a fake is to buy from a trusted supplier. Especially one that deals exclusively in Himalayan salt products, if you can find one.

One US-based company that sold lamps with salt mined from the Khewra salt mines in Pakistan, noted in a blog post that . real lamps “sweat.” But the fakes “usually have a chalky or dusty surface.”

The former Himalayan Salt Shop blog also noted that lack of sweat is not always indicative you’ve bought a fraud. The amount of moisture that condenses on the lamp has a lot to do with humidity. If you use your lamp in an arid climate you may not see “sweat.”

(If the air is humid, you may want to place an absorbent material underneath your lamp to prevent water damage to any surface it’s sitting on.)

I miss this company and I wish it still sold good authentic Himalayan salt lamps. I do not know of a comparable supplier but when I find one I will let you know.

How To Tell If a Himalayan Salt Lamp Is Fake

Years ago, before I was aware of the problem of fake salt lamps, I bought a relatively inexpensive lamp for my parents as one of their Christmas gifts. (My parents live far away, so I tend to order their gifts from an online health food store and send them a package of healthy things.)

Knowing what I know now, I would have instead ordered the salt lamp from a specialty store, one that sells only Himalayan salt supplies.

Price wise, it wouldn’t have been that much difference. And I’d know for sure it was the real thing.

The smallest table lamp (5 to 7 pounds) at the former Himalayan Salt Shop sold for around $30. So use this guide as a price comparison.

Where To Find Real Himalayan Salt Lamps