Artificial Rudraksha is often made from the wild berry seeds or nuts. But these berries cannot be made as real as the ones that are in the genuine ones and therefore easily be detected by an experienced eye. Here the facet (Mukhi) means the deep lining running through the diameter of a Rudraksha bead. Looking at these deep linings-facets one can recognize real Rudraksha. There are some simple tests to distinguish the real Rudraksha from fake one, though there is no fullproof method. A real bead does not float the surface of water or milk. It is also believed if in a string one suspends a real Rudraksha over a contaminated onion, it will begin to rotate. The best quality Rudraksha is a little greasy, rounded, hard, with protuberant mouth, clear face, and with a natural hole. It should be worn on solar or lunar eclipse day after performing ritual worship.

It is seen that even an unripe but genuine Rudraksha may float in the water, and a non-genuine ones made out of wood impregnated with lead may sink. Therefore, before buying a Rudrakasha one should consult a reliable and an experienced person. The five-faced Rudrakasha are very commonly found and therefore are mostly the real ones. The one-faced variety of Rudrakasha found abundantly and also very expensive. Therefore cheating is done mostly in this variety. Skilled artists draw artificial mukhis on the surface of berries, betel nuts and Areca nuts and thus try to give them a real appearance. But these artificial mukhis can easily be seen by an experienced eye and thus caught. Rudraksha having 2,3,4,6,7, or 8 faces can also be found easily but its price is more than the five-faced Rudraksha's and therefore made artificially. Little experience and awareness can save people from being cheated. Generally the Rudrakasha sold in the market are real ones as they are available in abundant in the nature but the Rudrakasha that are of rare kind are prepared artificially in order to satisfy the increasing demand of people. Price of a Rudraksha bead does not affects its religious or spiritual importance or medicinal value. Thus there is no link or connection between the price of Rudraksha and its religious, spirituals and medicinal importance.