Tips on how to recognize a gemstone can help you, and we will look at the most useful elements to examine. Most often, an expert assessment is essential, but certain signs can put you on the right track.
Recognizing a gemstone by inclusions and refraction
Several elements are useful to know in order to check if a gemstone is genuine. However, keep in mind that synthetic stones can be very convincing.
Inclusions are an interesting first element to examine. You may be able to detect them with a 10x magnifying loupe. A synthetic stone tends to appear too perfect. Also, some have specific defects (striae, air bubbles, marbling...), which depend on the manufacturing process and are rarely found in natural stones.
You can also recognize a gemstone by observing its refraction. Natural stones have a certain refractive index : the way light is bent on the stone. Diamond, tourmaline and spinel for example, have a strong refraction. These stones sparkle a lot. Imitations are duller, but synthetic stones can be realistic in this regard.
Also read our article on how to recognize a sapphire.
The color to check if a stone is real
Color is a good criterion to examine a gemstone, semi-precious stone, or a stone whose authenticity you doubt, but it should be considered alongside other criteria. Genuine gemstones have small color variations, such as lighter areas. Another example: traces of gray in a blue stone.It is sometimes visible to the naked eye and in natural light, but it is better to examine the stones with a magnifying glass.
Quite often, synthetic stones are more uniform. As for which ones are more vivid or pale, it depends on the stones. Indeed, a synthetic sapphire may show less intensity than a high-quality genuine sapphire, such as a Ceylon sapphire, and a real emerald can be paler than a fake one.
Overall, you can recognize a precious stone thanks to a more subtle and heterogeneous play of color.
Read on our blog: how much does an emerald cost?
Better understanding synthetic stones and imitations
A synthetic stone has been manufactured in a laboratory and has the same physical properties as a real stone.
There are several manufacturing processes, and some are quite old. Synthetic stones are impossible to distinguish from natural stones without professional equipment, like many synthetic rubies and sapphires. Learn more specifically how to identify a ruby.
There is no issue with using synthetic stones in jewelry, as long as they are presented as such. There are different quality levels. Of lower quality, a synthetic stone generally has characteristics not found in a precious stone.
An imitation is a stone with different physical properties.
It can be artificially created, as is the case with moissanite in jewelry.It may be a genuine stone that resembles a more expensive one, but it is only an " imitation " if you have been misled about its true nature.
Some imitations are excellent, especially diamonds, but they may fail a hardness test. They scratch more easily than a real diamond. Another tip to identify a stone: a natural stone stays cool longer than a fake one.
• The different cuts of gemstones
A gemologist can recognize a gemstone
By performing several tests, you can sometimes recognize a gemstone or have strong suspicions. Nevertheless, no evaluation is as reliable as that of a gemologist, equipped with several tools, such as a microscope, a refractometer, and a spectroscope.
Calling on a gemologist is essential to obtain a certificate of authenticity or to know its characteristics.
