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Where to find out which stone is in the ring. Tips and ways to determine the authenticity of gemstones

How to distinguish natural semi-precious and precious stones from imitations - fakes.

As you know, progress gives not only pluses, but also minuses to a person's everyday life. People have learned to fake both semi-precious stones and precious ones, and now we will try to figure out how to distinguish a natural stone from a fake.

Aquamarine

All glass imitations feel warmer to the touch, unlike real stone. If the stone is not set in the frame, holding it with tweezers (so as not to heat it from the hands), touch it with the tip of the tongue - the stone should be cold. There are no synthetic aquamarines on the jewelry market. The imitations sold under this name are actually bare spinel or glass.

Diamond

When examining a diamond with the naked eye or with a 10x magnifying glass, it must be taken into account that it is processed in such a way that almost all the light entering the stone through the crown is completely reflected from its back faces, as from a series of mirrors. Therefore, if you look at the light through a cut diamond, only a luminous point in the stone will be visible. In addition, if you look through a diamond that is in a ring put on a finger, then it is impossible to see the finger through it.

The chemist Klaproth determined that a drop of hydrochloric acid does not affect diamond, but leaves a cloudy spot on zircon.

Diamond leaves a scratch on the surface of the glass, as well as on the polished surface of other stones. When a faceted diamond is pressed firmly against the surface of the sample, one can notice that the diamond "clings" to it, leaving a visible scratch that does not disappear if rubbed with a wet finger. For such a test, the least noticeable place is chosen.

To distinguish diamond from spinel and synthetic sapphire, the stones are immersed in a colorless liquid with a refractive index close to that of spinel and sapphire (methylene iodide or monoftlen monobromide). Spinel and sapphire simply won't show up in liquid, and diamond will shine brightly. A similar but less distinct effect of the "disappearance" of a fake diamond is given by plain water and glycerin. In the same way, simpler and cheaper fakes for a diamond are isolated - lead-rich crystal glass.

The method of obtaining this mineral was based on the concept of the transformation of graphite into diamond. Even at the end of the XVII century. I. Newton suggested that the diamond is this very solid mineral- should burn. The Florentine Academy of Sciences donated a diamond crystal for the experiment. It turned out that before burning, diamond at a temperature of 110 ° C turned into graphite. Scientists have decided that the reverse transformation into a diamond is also possible. artificial diamonds tried to get many scientists. But there was still no success while the work was carried out without knowledge of the laws of synthesis. Colorless zircon, synthetic rutic, strontium titanite, synthetic colorless spinel, synthetic colorless sapphire are used to simulate diamond.

grenades

Garnets are precious stones that have the power of magnetic attraction. Some other stones are also determined by magnetism. To do this, a stone (previously weighed) is placed on a high cork (to separate it from the metal pan of the scales), which is placed on the bowl. After the scales are balanced, a small horseshoe-shaped magnet is slowly brought to the stone until it almost touches the surface of the stone.

If the mineral has a noticeable magnetism, then the balance will be disturbed when the magnet is 10-12 mm from the stone. Record the minimum weight that is "held" by the magnet. The difference between them by the true weight will characterize the attraction of the stone to the magnet.

Emerald

The characteristic features of synthetic stones are twisted veils.

Synthetic emeralds were only made in the laboratory of Carroll Chatham, a San Francisco chemist, for many years. Now on an industrial scale, emeralds are produced by a number of companies, and methods for the production of synthetic emeralds are constantly being improved, so that synthetic emeralds are practically indistinguishable from natural ones.

Quartz

Quartz can be distinguished from glass by touching the stone and glass with the tip of the tongue. Quartz is much colder.

Ruby

This is the first gemstone that began to be obtained at the beginning of the 20th century on an industrial basis on a large scale. According to recent reports, the production of synthetic rubies has reached one million carats. Artificial rubies are used for jewelry, and the difference in prices between natural and synthetic is very large.

First of all, it must be remembered that pure, densely colored large ones are extremely rare in nature. This fact alone calls into question the natural origin of a large ruby.

Sapphire

If a stone is immersed in a liquid with a certain refractive index, the following color distribution can be observed in it: in a synthetic stone there are always curved, differently colored stripes, in a natural one - the stripes are straight and are parallel to one or more faces.

Topaz

It is exceptionally easy to polish and can sometimes be identified by touch by its characteristic "slipperiness". Synthetic corundum of various shades of pink is used to imitate pink topaz. However, it looks too good to be real.

Crystal

Real rock crystal is always cool to the touch.

Zircon

No stone, with the exception of opal and diamond, can be identified as easily as zircon. With the naked eye or with a simple magnifying glass. Its special brilliance, somewhat reminiscent of diamond and at the same time oily or resinous, combined with a characteristic colors often allow you to recognize the stone at a glance. Using a magnifying glass, it is possible, when observing through upper part stone to see the worn edges of the faces.

Amber

Natural amber is electrified by friction, however, some imitations (made of plastic) are also electrified. But if there is no electrification - a clear fake. The following method for determining imitations of amber is very effective. If you draw a strip along the surface of amber with a knife blade, it will give a small crumb, and an imitation of twisted chips.

Unlike synthetic materials, amber is easily rubbed into powder. Amber will float in brine (10 teaspoons (without top) of table salt per glass of water), and imitations other than polystyrene will sink. After checking, the product should be thoroughly rinsed in running water so that a salt crust does not form.

Turquoise

Crystals made from crushed turquoise with glue are difficult to distinguish from real ones. And only over time, fakes acquire a dirty shade.

Pearl

The secret of pearl cultivation was discovered in China, and this craft flourished there for seven centuries. In 1890, the Japanese adopted the experience of growing pearls and created an entire industry. The Japanese were among the last to develop the cultivation of pearls without a nucleus, in which a piece of the mantle tissue of another mollusk is inserted into cuts in the mantle of a mollusk. Pearls grow quickly, yield is high. If the mollusk, after the removal of the pearl from it, is returned to the sea again, you can again get pearls from it. Such pearls are also called cultured.

Since 1956, the pearl growing industry began to develop in Australia. The word "pearl" without definitions is allowed to be used only for natural pearls. Large pearls are considered collectible and are sold separately at a higher price. 70% of pearls are sold as beads.

Spinel

Synthetic spinel entered the market in the 1920s. Spinel is easily confused with amethyst, chrysoberyl, garnet, ruby, sapphire, topaz. But experts distinguish it very simply - by the absence of birefringence in it.

Synthetic stones with a good reputation can rise in price and be in demand just like precious stones, and rare specimens can even become collectibles. In general, we can conclude that synthetic gems can peacefully coexist with natural ones, rather complement each other than compete. Several types of artificial gemstones enter the modern jewelry market.

Precious stones synthesized (grown); synthesized crystals of compounds of the group of rare earth elements that are not found in nature, such as cubic zirkonia (diamond imitation); imitation precious stones from well-known glass, which are mainly used in jewelry and easily "by eye" differ from precious stones in terms of low hardness; as well as doublets - composite gems glued together from two different minerals.

What is this stone?

We ask ourselves this question all the time when we notice some interesting special stone among the pebbles, when we walk along the seashore, we find a beautiful one. a crystal in a mountainous area, or suddenly we notice pieces in a mine dump, sparkling with gold or silver tint, we stumble over a border, or we examine a beautiful piece of jewelry. We always want to know: what kind of mineral, what precious stone shimmers so beautifully?

All minerals, with the exception of native mercury, are solid. Mineral chewing water, no matter how tasty it is and no matter how many minerals are indicated in its composition on the label, is liquid, which means that it is not a mineral.

Everything produced by man, from glass windows to quartz in wristwatches, is also not a mineral. A mineral necessarily has a natural origin. But with the definition of the concept of “crystal”, the situation is a little different.

It is precisely because of the regular atomic arrangement that the faces of the crystals are smooth. Almost all minerals are crystals, even if outwardly they are not very similar to them. There is a very small number of minerals in which atoms are not arranged in a regular form of a crystal lattice. Such minerals are called amorphous. The most common example is opal, which, unlike quartz with a virtually similar structure, is not capable of forming crystals.

Gems - These are beautiful, hard minerals that are cut in order to decorate them with jewelry. In order to fall into the category of precious stones, a mineral must meet and respond to several criteria: it must be amazingly beautiful, that is, satisfy aesthetic requirements. This means that it must have a beautiful color, and in a faceted state it must shine and shine as strongly as possible. The latter is the most important, since, for example, a diamond in its usual form is absolutely ugly, colorless and not attractive.

stones describe as large geological bodies, consisting of many formations of one or more varieties of minerals. For example, marble consists only of grains of such a mineral as calcite or calcareous spar, but granite contains 3 types of minerals: the first is orthoclase (feldspar), the second is quartzite, and the third number is mica.

properties of minerals

In order to identify a mineral, one must know its properties well. Each type of mineral has a number of properties, the combination of which becomes unique to that mineral. Thus, in order to accurately determine the mineral, you need to check as many of its properties as possible. Figuring out properties such as hardness or color of the line is quite simple, since this can be done either without tools at all, or with the help of tools that are sold in stores.

In the case of determining some other properties, such as chemical composition, rather complex equipment and special education are required, and, of course, as you understand, an ordinary person cannot do this.

color lines

To determine the color of a feature of a mineral that is being studied, it is carried out on an unglazed and, accordingly, slightly rough surface of a porcelain biscuit. The color of the remaining feature is characteristic of this type of mineral. For example, fluorite can be colorless, green, yellow, brown, blue, pink, even purple, and its trait color will always be white.

Hardness

All minerals are classified according to the degree of hardness, since this property is characteristic of any mineral. If you use the Mohs hardness scale, then it is quite easy to determine the hardness. This scale represents ten minerals, the hardness of which is increasing, that is, each subsequent mineral scratches the previous one.

1. The first is Talc

2. Gypsum is in second place

3. Third comes Calcite

4.Fourth Fluorite

6. Then orthoclase and feldspar

7.Quartz seventh

8. Then Topaz

9. Corundum comes next to last

10. Closes the hardest diamond

The determination of hardness is carried out in this way. First, a mineral with medium hardness is taken, for example, apatite (hardness is 5), and it is checked whether it leaves lion scratched on the specimen under test. If it is, then the next softer mineral is taken. And so on until reference the mineral will no longer scratch the test sample. If at the same time to scratch the reference stones with the test subjects, it means that we have minerals in front of us, the hardness of which is the same. This is already a good result.

If the sample under study cannot be scratched immediately with the chosen stone of medium hardness, then a harder standard is taken on a scale. Thus, it is easy to determine the hardness of any mineral on the Mohs scale. Always scratch with a sharp edge on a flat and fresh surface. After each attempt, you should lightly rub the left mark and carefully examine it with a fool to make sure that the mineral is scratched.

Important ! With each reference specimen, it is necessary to check in the opposite direction. Only in this way can you accurately verify the result.

Viscosity

The behavior of a mineral when scratched or bent is called toughness. Most minerals are brittle, that is, when scratched, for example, with a steel needle, dust easily flies off the stone. If this does not happen, then we are dealing with a soft mineral, for example, galena. If, when scratching, dust is not formed at all, as, for example, when cutting butter knife, then such a mineral is called cutting or cutting. These include argentite and gold. In addition, gold can still be cut into thin plates. Such minerals are also called malleable and malleable.

Other minerals, on the contrary, are elastic, such as mica, it can be bent, but after that it returns to its original position. Flexible minerals, such as gypsum, bend easily, but the bend does not return to its original position, as they harden in a new position.

Color

At first, it may seem that the color of the mineral should be the most an important factor for definition, but, unfortunately, it sucks and not so. There are, of course, minerals whose color is very characteristic, such as green malachite or blue azurite, but most minerals have not just one color, but many different colors. various shades. For example, quartz comes in colorless, brown, pink, purple, yellow, and black, while diamond comes in yellow, white, green, blue, brown, and black.

It happens that some minerals in contact with air are covered with a layer of a different color. This layer is called tarnish. For example, a completely fresh bornite chip has pink color with a metallic sheen, however, in just a few hours it oxidizes and becomes covered with a layer that shimmers with reddish, bluish and greenish colors. It follows that the color of the mineral should always be checked on a freshly chipped surface.

Shine

Each raw mineral has a certain brilliance, characteristic of this instance. However, this brilliance is difficult to measure. It can only be described in comparison with objects from our everyday life.

glass glitter matches the brilliance plain glass in windows. It occurs most often.

metallic luster matches the brilliance of polished metal. For example, like aluminum foil.

Silky shine can be compared to the brilliance of soft room light on natural silk.

Resin glitter is the sheen of resin that we can see during road construction.

Oily sheen like the sheen of grease stains on paper.

diamond glitter - it is a radiant brilliance, like from a cut diamond or from glass made of lead crystal.

Pearly shine comparable to glitter inside shells, whitish shimmer with multi-colored tints of color.

Density

Density, or specific gravity, is the weight of a mineral per unit volume, which is measured in grams per cubic centimeter. Measuring density is not so easy, it requires high-precision instruments. Despite this, density can also be used as one of the features for determination. By simply weighing it on your hand, you can determine whether a mineral is light (density below 2), normal (density around 2.5), heavy (density above 3.5) or very heavy (6 and above). Better yet, take a piece of similar size with a density known to you in your other hand and compare.

Jewelry with stones is very beautiful and, of course, expensive. But, unfortunately, many minerals used to decorate products have learned how to do it. How do you define original?

So how do you find out real stone or not? There are a great many minerals, and each of them has its own characteristics by which the original can be distinguished. Each stone is worth dwelling on in more detail.

diamonds

Because best friends girls are these stones, then most often they are in doubt. How to identify a diamond at home?

Diamonds are very hard. And to reveal such a sign, you can try to scratch the surface, for example, sandpaper. Not a single trace will remain on natural stone.
Drop the stone into the water. It will continue to shine if it is natural. But the fake will become almost invisible.
Examine the stone in the light by turning it front side to yourself. If it is natural, then the back faces will reflect light like mirrors, so you will see only one luminous dot. A fake will transmit light well.
Try to breathe on the mineral. If this is the original, then there will be no perspiration.
A real diamond does not attract dust, unlike fakes.

Ruby

Real rubies are very beautiful and have a number of specific properties that can be used to determine authenticity.

Methods for determining the naturalness of a ruby:

First of all, it is worth evaluating the color. It should not be too bright and saturated.
Due to the low thermal conductivity and heat capacity, the stone will seem cold, even if you hold it in the palm of your hand.
Examine the mineral through a magnifying glass. You may find microscopic bubbles and inclusions. But in color they should not differ from the stone itself. In fakes, they can be lighter or hollow.
Place the stone in a glass container. If the mineral is real, then it will become reddish.
If you put a ruby in milk, it will acquire a pinkish tint.

Emerald

Gemstones such as emeralds are considered among the rarest, so they are very expensive. And, of course, they are actively faked. But you can protect yourself from deception. Take a good look at the mineral, preferably through a magnifying glass. If you see parallel lines, then this suggests that the stone was created by nature itself and grew without human intervention. But the craft may have spirals or twisted veils.

Sapphire

Sapphire is incredibly beautiful, especially if it is natural. And how to distinguish the original from a fake? It is very difficult. hardness can be assessed. Scratches on such a mineral should not remain. When immersed in water, it will sink, as it is quite heavy.

In addition, the original may have intricate inclusions irregular shapes. And yet fakes can have the same properties, so it is better to seek help from an experienced jeweler.

Pearl

Pearls are also one of the most beloved stones of all women, so they are counterfeited very often and quite skillfully. But how not to let yourself be deceived?

Try to scratch the bead. If you see a clear scratch or, moreover, peeling paint, then you definitely have a fake in front of you. If the pearl is real, then the scratch will also remain. But swipe the surface with your finger and it will miraculously disappear.
You can try the stone on the tooth. If the pearl is real, it will creak a little, which is due to the fact that it consists of the smallest mother-of-pearl flakes.
If you put a bead in your mouth, you can taste the sea sand.

Topaz

How to determine if a real topaz is in front of you?

If the stone is in the ring, then actively rub it woolen cloth. Put the pieces on the table paper napkin. Bring the product to them. If the stone is natural, then it will attract particles.
Feel the mineral. It is cool and also very smooth, one might say slippery.
Natural topaz cannot be perfectly pure, inclusions can be found in it.

Amber

Although such a stone is not considered very expensive, it is still very popular. And you can determine its authenticity in the following ways:

Try to set fire to the amber. If it is natural, then you will smell resin, but not melting plastic. If the mineral is immature, then on its surface will appear dark spot. If the stone is compressed, then it can become sticky.
Rub the mineral with wool. He must be electrified.
Amber will not sink in salt solution. To test this, dissolve 10 teaspoons of salt in a glass of water and dip the mineral into the mixture. If it floats on the surface, it is most likely natural.

Pomegranate

Natural pomegranate cannot be too large; it does not exceed the size of the grains of the pomegranate fruit of the same name.

This mineral is magnetic. And to reveal it, use a cork, scales and a magnet. Put the cork on the bowl first, then the pomegranate. Bring a magnet to the stone. If the scale needle begins to fluctuate, then the mineral is real.

Alexandrite

Real alexandrite has pleochroism, that is, it can change its color under different lighting conditions. A fake will have one permanent shade.

Turquoise

Real turquoise may have bumps, inclusions and pores. But there are no bubbles in it.

Aquamarine

If you look at real aquamarine in the light, you can find blotches resembling white chrysanthemums. In addition, this mineral can change color when viewed from different angles.

Moon rock

Although Moonstone considered semi-precious, it is also forged. You can identify the original by the play of thousands of colors in the light, as well as by the sparkles shimmering inside.

Be careful!

Increasingly in jewelry stores there are fakes and low quality goods. On the shelves of shops there are jewelry with precious and synthetic inserts. Sometimes the buyer is deceived, and instead of a gem, he receives an imitation. The topic of artificial minerals excites the whole jewelry world. Even a gemologist will not be able to visually distinguish all the products with a magnifying glass. How to recognize a gemstone without special education?

Artificial stones are:

synthetic;
ennobled;
imitation.

Only in the laboratory can one distinguish a synthetic crystal from a natural one. The composition and structure of minerals are identical. Main physical properties analogues are close to natural.

Gemologists also define refined crystals, which undergo the following processing:

staining;
waxing (waxing/oiling);
coating (coating);
heating (heating);
filling (filling);
irradiation;
whitening.

These data must be indicated in the certificate that is attached to the stone. In some stores, information is not conveyed to the client. The buyer can purchase an ennobled ruby, the cost of which is 5 $ ct at the price of a natural ruby - 10,000 $ ct. The consumer can go to court, and such a transaction is regarded as fraud.

The Jewelry Confederation has developed for trade organizations document. According to the prescription, special terminology accepted throughout the world should be used. . How to know if a gem is or not? This information can be obtained from the certificate.

In the civilized world, precious minerals are sold only with a certificate. To confirm the document, you can contact the laboratory.

The most prestigious logo on jewelry- Gubelin. The Swiss brand produces jewelry of the highest quality.

In jewelry stores, a certificate is issued for each stone. The document states:

size;
color;
proportions;
purity;
defects;
cutting method;
place of extraction.

The stores assure the buyer that all products are checked for compliance. How to determine whether a real stone or not, standing at the window? All grown minerals are ideal.

How to identify a real stone yourself?

Exist simple ways simulation definitions:

warmth;
aurally;
by weight;
fingernail.

The mineral must be picked up and held. natural material cold and heavy. All minerals have inclusions. The product is viewed under different lighting conditions. To do this, use a magnifying glass, choosing a model with a magnification of 10 times. When viewed, the crystal is moved up and down to get a clear image at depth.

Gem can be wiped wet wipe. If there is a trace of paint on the fabric, do not buy decoration.

The purity and ideality of the stone is a sign of a fake. Before buying a gem, you should study the following information:

shades of crystal;
cutting methods;
Place of Birth.

Synthetic crystal is determined using an ultraviolet flashlight. If the stone has a bright glow, then it is synthesized.

Natural stone scratches glass. There are ways and signs by which the authenticity of a crystal is determined.

Corundum

The physical properties of natural and synthetic corundums are close. For the recognition of natural and synthetic rubies, sapphires, the presence of inclusions and cracks is important. How to determine whether stone or glass is in front of you? For this purpose, use a strong magnifying glass.

Natural rubies contain rutile. A feature of natural ruby is spotted coloring. Natural sapphires contain gas-liquid inclusions. A sign of their naturalness is zonal coloring.

Features of synthetic corundum:

Gas inclusions different sizes and forms.
Curvilinear color distribution.

natural sapphire the color is similar to velvet. Spinel fake will be darker. If a beam is directed at a natural sapphire, it will be in the form six-pointed star. Natural sapphire cannot be scratched with a fingernail or knife.

Emerald

If natural crystal look through a magnifying glass, you can see cracks with gas-liquid inclusions. Sometimes they are mistaken for air bubbles in a fake.

Synthetic emeralds can be checked by pointing an ultraviolet flashlight at them. If the stone luminesces in an unnatural color, it is synthetic. Natural has a reddish-brown tint under ultraviolet light. This method is not accurate. Colombian emerald will not change its color.

How to determine a natural stone or artificial? natural mineral has clear edges, while synthetic ones are erased. Artificial crystal - with a yellowish tint.

Smaller emeralds are glued into one piece. Other crystals are used for fakes. This is how large samples are obtained by gluing a small emerald with synthetic spinel, beryl, quartz.

Quality emerald has saturated color. By the nature of the inclusions, the gemologist determines the deposit of the stone. Emeralds from Colombia are tinted. You can check this at home. The mineral is placed in water with washing powder.

Amber

There are several ways to determine the authenticity of amber:

Natural amber will always float on the surface saline solution(4 tablespoons per glass of water).
Attach a red-hot needle to amber. It smells of resin - a natural stone, plastic - a fake.
If amber is rubbed about natural fabrics, it gets electrified. Finely chopped paper will be attracted to the stone.

An ultraviolet filter is used for research. Transparent amber will luminesce blue and in green. An opaque copy gives a milky tint, and an untreated one gives a brown one.

Pearl

A natural formation extracted from shells is heavier than a fake. pearls have uneven surface, while the imitation is smooth. If two pearls are rubbed against each other, they cling.

One of the most reliable ways is to run pearls across the teeth. Natural stone creaks. If a pearl is dropped on the floor, it will bounce. Natural pearls you can scratch it and leave no trace. The price of natural, cultivated and imitation is different.

What stones imitate?

For fake jewelry stones glass and plastic are often used. With the help of these materials, such stones are imitated: carnelian, chrysoprase, turquoise and so on. Spinel and glass are used to fake a ruby.

Glued doublets are also used. Stones are combined with glass. How to distinguish gemstone from glass? A fake is easy to recognize with a magnifying glass. Bubbles will be located at the gluing site.

To simulate precious minerals use:

Lower quality natural minerals.
synthetic stones.
Glass.
Plastic.
pressed crystals.
Compound stones (doublet, triplet).

It is difficult to determine the authenticity of jewelry without special knowledge. When buying a gemstone from a jeweler, it is best to contact an appraiser.

Mineral quality assessment

Gemological examination is the study of the authenticity of stones. Quality control of products is as follows. The first assessment is visual. A gemologist examines a mineral with a magnifying glass. During this inspection, marriage is eliminated:

chips;
scratches;
abrasions.

There are characteristic inclusions for each mineral. The gemologist sends the product to additional research if you find signs:

uneven coloring;
bubbles.

The following devices are used in the centers of expertise and evaluation:

Refractometer.
Polariscope.
Chelsea filter.
Jim tester.

Using a polariscope, the extinction of the sample is determined. A gemologist will immediately be able to determine whether it is glass or a mineral.

A refractometer measures the amount of refraction, which is different for each material. An immersion liquid is used for research. Using a pipette, apply a few drops and cover with a protective glass. Readings are taken after 30 seconds. After that, they compare it with the data in the table and determine which mineral was brought for evaluation.

How to distinguish natural stone from artificial? The Chelsea filter helps establish the origin of emeralds, sapphires and rubies. Some gemologists believe that the device has lost its relevance. Synthetic emeralds are difficult to distinguish even with the help of equipment.

The Jim Tester measures the thermal conductivity of a mineral.

The laboratory determines:

authenticity;
origin;
the presence of refinement.

The principle of grading a stone is called the "rule of 4 Cs". These are criteria such as weight, color, purity and quality.

Synthetic stones

Analogues are created specifically for jewelry, while the price of products is lower. Synthesized minerals have:

maximum purity;
high optical properties;
color saturation.

In addition to analogues that have similar properties, scientists have created and artificial stones- Fianites and others.

The production of synthetic products is growing, and technologies are improving. The buyer has the right to choose. Some want to have unique stones, others are only interested in outer beauty. The consumer wants to receive the product that is indicated on the tag.

And look through it at the light. If real - you will see only a sparkling dot.

Put the stone on the newspaper and try to see. If you managed to do this, then you have processed glass in front of you.

A genuine diamond leaves scratches on the glass.

IN last years enough a large number of synthetic emeralds, most of which are produced in China and Russia. In order to identify a stone, it is necessary to carefully examine it in a magnifying glass with a tenfold increase. If the stone is absolutely transparent and pure, then this should alert you.

In the structure of synthetic emeralds, inclusions of iron oxides, as well as tubular inclusions, can be seen.

Looking at a glass fake, you can find air bubbles and cracks in the “stone”.

Carefully examine the stone from the side, at a slight angle. Pay attention to the growth lines. If these lines are strictly parallel, then this specimen was grown in the laboratory.

When buying a ruby, you should remember that densely colored, clean and large stones are extremely rare in nature. Their price is comparable to the price of diamonds. There are several "folk" ways to determine the authenticity of this stone.

Place in a glass of milk - the milk should take on a pinkish hue.

Place the stone on the eyelid - natural will stay cool for a long time, while synthetic will quickly change the temperature.

Cracks in natural ruby have a zigzag shape, in artificial - a straight line.

Sapphire grown by hydrothermal or flux synthesis methods is one of the most difficult objects for diagnostics. Hold the stone in your hands - it should remain cold even in the heat. Look through a magnifying glass - the presence of air bubbles and color zoning may indicate its artificial origin.