How to distinguish glass from precious stones. Natural stone or fake: how to distinguish real from artificial

October 28th, 2013 03:34 am

When creating our jewelry, we think not only about the convenience and beauty of bracelets, but above all about the useful properties that gems have. That is why we always choose only natural stones, after making sure and checking their authenticity.

Progress does not stand still, and at present, imitations of stones have become so common that sometimes even specialists find it difficult to distinguish a fake without special equipment. We will talk a little about how you can check the naturalness of some stones. Let us first dwell on the most common methods of forgery:

• ordinary tinted glass or plastic is passed off as natural stone


• cheap minerals are passed off as more expensive and rare


• stone chips are pressed, painted and presented as natural stone

Paradoxically, at first glance, fakes very often look more beautiful than real stones, and, in principle, if you just need a new and inexpensive beautiful piece of jewelry, then they may well fulfill this function. BUT ... At least once feel the cold heaviness of natural stone in your palm, which in a few minutes will be replaced by a warm weightlessness that warms you throughout the day; take a closer look at what bizarre patterns each pebble is covered with (and there is no second one exactly the same, never was and never will be!); think about how many thousands or even millions of years it slowly grew in the depths of our planet, absorbing its natural strength, beauty and energy. And after all this, you most likely will not agree to an inexpensive, but stamped in thousands of copies, fake, made in a few seconds at the factory. And is it worth saying that the above imitations do not have those wonderful properties that people have endowed with gems all over the world since ancient times. And the durability of these imitations cannot be compared with natural stones. While pressed stones begin to lose their original color quite quickly from wear, crumble and peel, and glass imitations break, natural stones continue to please their owners and help them for many years :)

Currently, quite rare, but most often forged semi-precious stones are moonstone, malachite, turquoise, amber, aventurine, rock crystal.

And now about how you can try to distinguish natural stone from glass or plastic. What should be alerted when choosing jewelry? First, the lightness of the product. Plastic is much lighter than stone and warms up very quickly in the hand, while stone will heat up slowly enough that you can immediately feel its weight, even if it's just a few small stones (except amber, more on that next time!). Secondly, the same color and pattern of each bead. Each natural stone is unique and has its own characteristics, it can be an external pattern or heterogeneity inside. And if all the stones in the product look like twin brothers, then most likely you have glass or plastic in front of you. With glass, however, it is a little more difficult. Over time, you can learn to distinguish glass from stone by external signs, knowing the characteristics of minerals. However, in temperature it is similar to a stone. But if, nevertheless, the geologist inside you defeats the esthete, then you can try to go to extreme measures and split the bead. The edges of the glass will be very sharp, they can easily get hurt, unlike a stone, the chips of which can be easily touched.

One can fairly quickly identify most precious and semi-precious stones by their basic characteristics such as color and weight (density). However, for a more accurate recognition of stones, you will need special instruments that allow you to examine the internal structure of the mineral.

Steps

Stock up on a table of characteristics of gems

Part 1

make sure the stone is precious

Examine the surface of the stone. If it is rough and rough, this stone is not precious.

Check if the stone is deformable. If the stone is easily deformed, for example, as a result of a slight blow with a hammer, compression, bending, it is most likely a metal ore, and not a precious mineral.

• Gemstones have a crystalline structure. The outer shape of a stone can be changed by cutting, splitting or grinding it, but for every mineral there is a set of crystalline facets that cannot be changed by simple pressure.

1. Some materials look like gems without actually being gems. For example, pearls and petrified wood can be mistaken for precious stones, but they are not in the strict sense of the word.

2. Determine if the stone is artificial. Artificial (or synthetic) stones have the same structure, chemical composition and physical properties as their natural counterparts, but they are not mined, but are produced in a laboratory. As a rule, an artificial stone can be distinguished from a natural one by comparing several characteristics.

   • Inside artificial stones, not even, but curved steps (surfaces) of growth are often observed.
   • Often in stones of artificial origin there are spherical gas bubbles arranged in the form of chains, but be careful, as sometimes gas bubbles come across in natural stones.
   • Thin plates of platinum or gold may remain on the surface of artificial stones.
   • Acicular, V-shaped and filamentous inclusions, as well as a columnar internal structure, are often found in artificial stones.

3. Beware of fakes. A fake stone at first glance looks the same as a natural one, but it is made of a completely different material. Fake gemstones can be either natural or artificial, and there are several fairly effective methods to distinguish them from real gems.

   • The surface of a fake stone can be uneven and pitted, like the peel of an orange.
   • On some fake stones, wavy and spiral marks are noticeable.
   • Quite large gas bubbles are often observed inside fake stones.
   • Often, fake stones weigh noticeably less than their originals.

4. Determine if your gem is a compound gem. Compound stones include several different minerals. Such composite stones may be entirely composed of individual gemstones, but often they also include synthetic materials.

   • To determine the joints, illuminate the stone with a small flashlight with a thin beam.
   • Look closely at the difference in gloss and color of the various areas, also paying attention to the presence of possible gluing points (filled with colorless glue).
   • See also if there is a "red ring effect". As you turn the stone, look to see if you can see the red ring around its outer surface. In the case of the appearance of such a ring in front of you, most likely, a composite stone.

Part 2

main features

1. Pay attention to the color of the stone. Often the color of a gemstone is the first clue to the type of stone. The concept of stone color can be divided into three components: the actual color, tone and saturation.

   • When determining the color of a stone, do not light it further, unless the stone is dark and you need to determine if it is black, dark blue, or another dark color.
   • The "color" of gemstones varies widely. Try to identify the color as accurately as possible. For example, if the stone is yellowish green, say so instead of simply describing it as "red." Mineralogists distinguish more than 30 colors of stones.
   • "Tone" indicates whether the stone's color is dark, light, or somewhere in between.
   • "Saturation" characterizes the intensity of the color. First you need to determine whether the stone has a warm (yellow, orange, red) or cold (purple, blue, green) color. For warm colors, check for brown undertones. For cold colors, the presence of gray shades is important. The more brown or gray shades present in the stone, the less saturated its color.

2. Pay attention to the transparency of the stone. Transparency characterizes the proportion of light passing through the stone. Stones are divided into transparent, translucent and opaque.

   • Through transparent stones, objects located behind them are clearly visible (diamond is an example of such a stone).
   • Through a translucent stone, you can also see objects behind it, but their outlines are blurred, and often the color of the image does not match the original (for example, amethyst and aquamarine).
   • Through an opaque stone, objects located behind it (for example, opal) are not visible.
3. • To estimate the mass of a stone, place it in the palm of your hand and ask yourself if the stone weighs as much as you would expect given its volume, or if its mass is much different than you expected.
   • Gemologists (specialists in gemstones) make extensive use of weighing, and determining the density of stones is widely used in their evaluation.
   • For example, aquamarine is relatively light, while similar blue topaz is much heavier. Similarly, a diamond is significantly lighter than the artificially produced cubic zirconia that looks like it.

4. Examine the stone cut. Although this method is not safe and requires some skill, a number of gemstones can be cracked along certain planes. Often these planes can be identified by the way light is refracted as it hits the stone.

   • Most often, gemstones have faceted flat edges, a convex or rounded shape (in the absence of cutting), the appearance of a cameo (engraving) or beads. These basic cuts may include others at a finer level.

Part 3

a closer examination of gems

1. Consider whether destructive verification methods are acceptable. There are trials that you will not want to do if you want to keep the stone intact. Such tests are hardness measurement, friction and splitting.

   • Some stones are harder than others, and the hardness of minerals is usually measured on the Mohs scale. Swipe the surface of your stone with the various minerals included with the hardness test kit. If a stone has a scratch, it means that it is softer than the corresponding mineral. If the stone remains intact, its hardness is higher than the mineral used.
   • When testing by friction, run a stone over the surface of the ceramic tile. Then compare the mark left by the stone with the scale given in the table of characteristics of precious stones.
   • "Cracking" means breaking the crystal apart. If there are separate layers along the surface, chip them off and inspect the surface underneath. In the absence of them, you will have to hit the stone quite hard to split it. Check if the surface of the stone is uneven, fragmented, rounded or shell-shaped, stepped or granular.

2. Study the optical properties of the stone. Each type of gemstone has its own optical characteristics. Depending on the stone, you will observe characteristic overflows of color, asterism, splitting of light into individual colors, and so on.

   • Observe the light effects by shining a thin beam flashlight through the stone.
   • Light color change is one of the main methods for judging a gemstone, so every stone should be subjected to this procedure. Follow the color of the stone under natural light, incandescent light and fluorescent light.

3. Look at the shine of the stone. Glitter characterizes the intensity of light reflected by the surface of the stone. When checking the gloss, aim the light at the smoothest facet of the stone.

   • Rotate the stone so that the light reflects off its surface. After that, inspect the stone with the naked eye and with a 10x magnifying glass.
   • Determine what kind of stone has: dull, waxy, metallic, shining (like a diamond), glassy, ​​cloudy, shiny.

4. See how the stone scatters light. When white light is scattered, the stone splits it into spectral components (light of different colors), resulting in a spectral decomposition of a beam of ordinary daylight. The intensity of this splitting depends on the type of gemstone.

   • Enlighten the gemstone with a thin beam of a flashlight and follow the course of light inside the stone. Determine if the beam splits weakly, moderately, strongly, or very strongly into spectral components.

5. Determine the refractive index. This can be done with a refractometer. With this device, you can measure the angle of refraction of light as it passes through a stone. Each gemstone has its own angle of refraction, so determining the value of this angle will allow you to figure out which stone is in front of you.

   • Place a small drop of special liquid on the metal surface of the refractometer near the back of the semi-cylinder (the window on which the stone will be placed).
   • Lay the stone with a flat surface on a drop of special liquid and press it with your fingers towards the surface of the half-cylinder.
   • Look at the stone through the eyepiece without magnification. Keep looking until you see the outline of the drop, then make sure the bottom surface of that drop is in focus. Record the micrometer readings rounded to the nearest hundredth.
   • Use a magnifying lens to get more accurate readings and round to thousandths.

6. Use double refraction. This method also makes it possible to estimate the refractive index. In this test, the stone is rotated six times in a refractometer, while changes in the passage of light through it are recorded.

   • The scheme is the same as in determining the refractive index. However, instead of holding the stone stationary, rotate it 180 degrees in 30-degree increments. After each 30 degree rotation, measure the refractive index.
   • Subtract the smallest refractive index from the maximum to determine the birefringence index, which is a measure of the material's optical anisotropy. Round your result to the nearest thousandth.

7. Look for single and double refraction. Use this test for transparent and translucent stones. In this case, it is determined whether the crystal is unirefringent or birefringent. Some stones are a conglomeration of the above crystals.

   • Turn on the light in the polariscope and place the stone face down on the lower glass lens (polarizer). While looking at the stone through the top lens (analyzer), rotate it until the stone looks the darkest. This is the starting position.
   • By turning the analyzer 360 degrees, observe how the illumination of the stone changes.
   • If the stone, having become dark, does not brighten, then it is a single-refractive mineral. If the stone brightens again after darkening and vice versa, then it is most likely birefringent. And finally, if the mineral remains light, it represents a conglomerate of such minerals.

• Before examining a gemstone, wipe its surface with a soft cloth. Take a piece of fabric and, folding it four times, place a stone inside. Lightly rub the stone through the fabric with your fingers, thereby removing dirt, fingerprints, and grease stains from its surface.
• When working with a stone, use tweezers so as not to stain the surface of the stone.

Unfortunately, today, very often in jewelry stores, under the guise of real gems, you can buy ordinary glass for crazy money. At the same time, sellers of jewelry stores may not even be aware of a fake - very often scams are "turned" at a much higher level.

Gemstones - instructions for choosing

Of course, when buying jewelry in eminent workshops, I want to believe in their authenticity. However, a little verification never hurts. So, by far, the surest way to check whether real gems adorn the jewelry you have bought is to seek the help of professionals. Gemological examination will detect a fake, even if it is perfectly disguised.

On the other hand, expertise- an expensive procedure that takes both time and finances. Is there any alternative? Is it possible to conduct a semblance of an examination at home? Of course! To do this, you first need to familiarize yourself with what features certain gems have. This knowledge will help you avoid buying fake jewelry. When buying jewelry, carefully look at the structure of the stones, their color, shape.

Jewelry with emeralds.

When choosing jewelry with emeralds, first of all, you need to pay attention to the state of the surface of the stone. Emeralds have a unique structure in which a specific pattern is visible - growth lines that are visible under a magnifying glass. Very often in natural emeralds there are defects and cracks. Keep in mind that spiral or tubular inclusions in the structure of the stone most likely indicate its synthetic origin. When choosing emeralds, it is important to touch them - like most natural gems, they give off a coolness.

The peculiarity of emeralds is that they can be confused not only with their own counterparts, but also with other precious stones, such as beryl, peridot, tourmaline. That is why, in order to get a 100% accurate conclusion regarding the authenticity of an emerald, you need to contact a specialist.

Jewelry with rubies.

If you saw a scarlet stone at a low price, do not flatter yourself. There is very little chance that you have a real ruby ​​in front of you. The second aspect of choice is size. In nature, rubies usually grow to small sizes, large specimens are much rarer and cost accordingly. Like all other real gems, the ruby ​​is not perfect. Do not put an end to the stone, inside which defects are visible, on the contrary, blotches and microcracks indicate naturalness. Inside rubies, small bubbles can also be found, the color of which is fully consistent with the color of the stone.

Among the main characteristics of a ruby ​​are the following:

High strength - by scratching a stone with a lower hardness with a ruby, you can get noticeable traces of damage;
- the color of a real ruby ​​​​on the one hand seems deep red, and on the other - soft pink;
- fake under UV lightgemsacquire an orange tint;
- putting a ruby ​​in a glass bowl, you can see a bright red radiation.

Jewelry with sapphires.

According to statistics, sapphires are most often faked. That is why, when buying jewelry with sapphire, you need to be especially careful. Real sapphire is transparent. It has a bright and rich blue color. Like any other natural stone, sapphire has small defects and cracks on its surface. To check if the gem is real in front of you, you can draw another stone on its surface. Not a scratch will remain on the original stone. Sapphires- very cold stones, according to this characteristic they can also be distinguished from fakes.

Keep in mind, even if you choose natural sapphire jewelry, but there are too many cracks in it, the stone will lose its luster very soon. Moreover, under the influence of high temperatures, it can even crumble.

How to test gemstones for durability.

Other often counterfeited stones: topaz, amber, amethyst, pearls. In all cases, it is very easy to identify a fake.

Topaz cannot be perfectly pure.
- Amber is checked with a piece of woolen cloth - after contact with it, the stone becomes electrified and attracts dust particles.
- Fake pearls are usually hidden behind a very affordable price. In addition, you can try the gem on the tooth - a real stone should creak slightly.
- In any natural amethyst, there must be internal defects and inclusions.

Buy jewelry with precious stones.

In our online store you can buy jewelry or make to order. Our experts encrust your jewelry with any precious or semi-precious stones, depending on your wishes. There is no doubt about the quality of jewelry from "Myuvelir"!

An important attribute of a precious stone throughout the world is a certificate. Experts note that in the trade and production of diamonds, certificates have become much more important than in any other area. Here, the “paper”, reflecting the quality of a diamond, has investment significance. Stones are a profitable investment object. Every year they grow in price, despite market fluctuations.

The certificate gives the stone individuality, raises its value, sometimes by a third. Shadows or deviations in the color and quality of a stone can change its market value hundreds of times! Many banks are already preparing to work with precious stones as a collateral fund, the popularity of which is beyond doubt. An important problem is the customs examination of stones. There are practically no knowledgeable specialists on the Russian borders, and therefore there is nothing easier than organizing the illegal export and import of jewelry.

There are cases when in some stores, under the guise of aventurine, customers were offered ... ordinary plastic, under the guise of coral - a shell. Under the self-made magnificent name “Black Star”, the mineral hornblende was hidden, in one store on the window there was “quartz-diopside” that did not exist at all in nature (this name is not found in any reference book). As usual, the plant trusts the supplier, the shops trust the plant, the buyer trusts the sellers. As a result, it happens that in some cases, consumers wear rings with synthetic stones instead of natural ones for years.

Fraudsters profit from the gullibility of ordinary buyers who want to purchase gold or silver jewelry encrusted with precious stones at an attractive inexpensive price. Fianites are found in jewelry where a diamond should have been, and plastic instead of amber in a silver necklace.

Avoid buying fake jewelry with inlays
gemological examination will help.

Gemological examination begins with the definition of a precious stone. Then experts prove its natural origin and look for traces of possible refining. After that, the quality of the gemstone is assessed, but not its value. The final price of a stone is determined by the market and includes, in addition to the cost of the stone, many other components.

The oldest fraud
Since ancient times, various imitations have been used instead of precious stones, up to plain glass. Even Pliny the Elder (a Roman polymath writer) believed that: "There is no occupation more profitable than the forgery of precious stones." Since then, the art of forgery has advanced markedly. In the Middle Ages in the East, they discovered a way to refine sapphires, turning gray stones into more expensive blue ones by annealing. Nowadays, methods for refining natural, but low-grade stones include not only annealing, but also irradiation, filling cracks, and surface coating. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the main operation for counterfeiting precious stones has been the substitution of natural synthetic stones, which are produced on an industrial scale. They completely repeat all the physical properties and appearance of natural ones, and even better in quality than them, but usually much cheaper. Compare, for example, the cost of a natural ruby ​​with the cost of a synthetic ruby: a flawless, good-colored natural ruby ​​weighing 5-10 carats can cost several thousand dollars per carat, while a synthetic ruby ​​of the same size costs only a few dollars per stone. Today, synthetic emeralds, rubies, sapphires, alexandrites are grown on an industrial scale, and, for example, topazes and tourmalines are economically unprofitable to grow in large volumes.

If earlier only colored stones were faked, now diamonds can turn out to be synthetic or ennobled. They can be easily replaced by rhinestones, which can acquire any color, up to the colorless inherent in diamonds.

Purity is a sign of a fake
For different stones, there are different categories of imitation. For example, in most cases, turquoise is sold pressed on the jewelry market. It is made from natural chips by sintering. In nature, turquoise grows in the form of threads, large nodules are very rare and, accordingly, cost fabulous money. When buying precious items with turquoise inlays, experts advise paying attention to the structure and color of the stone. The stones with visible inclusions of other minerals, with a heterogeneous color, are most valued. Absolutely pure turquoise, as well as amber, should alert the buyer.

deceptive tags
Price is also one of the main criteria for identifying a stone. But very often even specialists are “burned”, not to mention ordinary people who buy jewelry once a year as a gift to their loved ones. And it is hardly possible to reproach the sellers and merchandisers of jewelry stores with unprofessionalism, because when they receive the goods, they only superficially examine the products, relying on the lengthy inscriptions on the tags. For example, one of the jewelry stores received a batch of silver items with blue stone inserts, the tags had the inscription “Sapphire сz.”. Experts found it difficult to answer what kind of stone it was. It turned out that this is cubic zirconia, which is called “zirconium cube” abroad (abbreviated as “cz”, which was reflected on the label). Or some manufacturers instead of the inscription "synthetic emerald" write "emerald vyp.", Which means grown emerald. From a legal point of view, there is nothing to complain about, but the average buyer can easily be deceived. In general, the International Gemological Confederation defines the norms for signing inserts in jewelry, but these norms are not federal law, so manufacturers sometimes write the name of the product incorrectly.

circular trust
It is no secret that the trade is not yet very profitable to check jewelry: the buyer is not spoiled, he will take anything. As a rule, buyers who purchase products in small stores selling products of dubious quality, working with resellers, turn to experts for help. Defects are most often associated with the quality of the metal and inserts.

For example, an examination of a ring with a very large, unconventional cut topaz was carried out. A week after the purchase, the insert was lost, the results of the examination showed that a manufacturing defect was allowed: a technically ill-conceived setting of the stone was chosen.

Another reason to turn to experts is the situation of purchase and sale, when it is necessary to evaluate a product that has been inherited, for example (the tags have not been preserved) or an exclusive piece of jewelry made to order.

Often, citizens are deceived when buying jewelry abroad. In Thailand, Italy, Israel, you may be offered to buy jewelry at a lower price, of course, sellers hope that you will not have time to detect a fake in time and are unlikely to return to hand over the product.

There are many cases related to improper handling of the product by the buyer during the wearing period. As a rule, in these cases, the examination makes a decision in favor of the seller. Here is a specific example: a woman bought an expensive set with opals and went on vacation to Thailand, where she sunbathed, swam in the sea without removing her jewelry. As a result, the stones have changed their appearance. The fact is that many stones (opals, corals, turquoise, etc.) are chemically unstable. Therefore, when buying a product, you should consult with a specialist about the rules for wearing and caring for the product.

Rules to follow when buying jewelry
- in all stores in a conspicuous place there should be information about the rights of the buyer and the obligations of the seller of jewelry. Get to know her;

- carefully read the price tag and tag (label) of the product;

- do not hesitate to ask the seller with maximum meticulousness about the quality and characteristics of the product, and first of all about whether the stone in front of you is synthetic or natural. If natural, then was it subjected to refining - exposure (tinting, oil impregnation, heat treatment) in order to hide defects and give a better look;

- most importantly - require a sales receipt indicating all the important characteristics of the product. This document will allow you, if necessary, to defend your rights in court.

How to distinguish natural gemstones from synthetic (artificial) stones

SCIENTISTS GROWED THE HARDEST DIAMONDS FROM A GAS MIXTURE

Making a material that is harder than natural diamond has been the goal of materials scientists for many years. According to NTR.Ru, a group of specialists from the Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution has created large diamonds (comparable to jewelry in size), which are superior in hardness to other crystals. Moreover, the researchers grew crystals directly from the gas mixture a hundred times faster than is possible using other modern methods.

Large crystals were grown in just one day. Moreover, the diamonds turned out to be so strong that they broke the measuring equipment. The researchers created the crystals using high-speed chemical vapor deposition, a new process developed by them. Then they subjected them to high temperature treatment under high pressure to make them stronger.

Crystals up to 10 mm in diameter and up to 4.5 mm thick were grown. They turned out to be 50% harder than regular diamonds.

At present, when jewelry with synthetic stones is increasingly found on the market, the question of their identification and difference from natural stones is acute.

Why is it important to distinguish natural stones from synthetic ones? One of the attributes of a gemstone is its rarity. Pure flawless stones are rare in nature, so their value sometimes reaches a very high level. Synthetic gemstones, on the other hand, almost always have higher quality characteristics than natural stones, but cost significantly less than the best natural stones. Compare, for example, the cost of a natural ruby ​​with the cost of a synthetic ruby: a flawless, good-colored natural ruby ​​weighing 5-10 carats can cost several thousand dollars per carat, while a synthetic ruby ​​of the same size costs only a few dollars per stone. If buyers of an expensive stone are not sure of its natural origin, this will undermine the demand for a product of this kind, which, of course, will have negative consequences for the market.

Which of the features of natural and synthetic stones can distinguish them from each other? In nature, the formation of a precious stone takes several tens or even hundreds of thousands of years. In the laboratory, growth can take anywhere from a few hours to (at most) a few months. Also, in the laboratory it is impossible to recreate a process that completely repeats the natural one, so it seems logical to assume that in any crystal of artificial origin, signs can be found due to the conditions of its growth, which will distinguish it from natural stone. Naturally, for crystals obtained by different synthesis methods, such properties may differ.

What signs do gemologists pay attention to when diagnosing the origin of a stone? First of all, these are the internal features of the stone, such as inclusions, zoning (distribution of color), microstructures of growth, for the observation of which a magnifier or microscope is used.

There is a wide variety of synthetic stones on the market today. It is impossible to tell about all of them in the framework of this article, so we will dwell on only some of them in more detail.

SYNTHETIC DIAMONDS In the last decade, great progress has been made in the field of synthesis of gem-quality diamonds. Modern technologies make it possible to obtain gem-quality diamond crystals weighing up to 10-15 carats. In this regard, the market has increased the likelihood of jewelry with synthetic diamonds. In some cases, it is possible to distinguish between natural and synthetic diamonds, for example, inclusions of minerals indicate a natural origin, while inclusions of metals (iron, nickel, manganese) indicate a synthetic one. Synthetic diamonds are also characterized by an uneven zonal-sectoral distribution of fluorescence in ultraviolet light (cross-shaped figures of UV fluorescence can often be observed), on the contrary, natural diamonds are characterized by a uniform or irregular distribution of UV luminescence. However, in some cases, the use of more complex methods for studying a substance is required, such as color and spectral cathodoluminescence, spectroscopy in the visible and IR regions, and also luminescence spectroscopy.

SYNTHETIC RUBIES AND SAPPHIRES Today, there are many synthetic rubies and sapphires on the gemstone market, grown by various synthesis methods, each of which has its own distinctive features. Thus, most of the synthetic rubies and sapphires found on the market were obtained by the Verneuil method, the distinctive features of these stones are curvilinear zoning (which is not observed in natural stones), sometimes they contain inclusions of gas bubbles. Verneuil synthetic rubies are characterized by very strong red UV fluorescence. Rubies and sapphires grown by flux and hydrothermal synthesis methods are the most difficult objects for diagnostics. However, in most cases, it is possible to distinguish them with a magnifying glass or a microscope: flux rubies and sapphires are characterized by inclusions of flux and materials of the growth chamber (crucible) - platinum, gold and copper, and a distinctive feature of hydrothermal corundums is irregular growth microstructures.

SYNTHETIC EMERALD In the last decade, in addition to a large number of hydrothermal rubies and sapphires, most synthetic emeralds are also obtained by this method and are produced in Russia and China. Such emeralds are characterized by tubular inclusions, brownish inclusions of iron oxides, as well as growth and color zoning. In some cases, synthetic emerald crystals may lack the listed characteristics, then IR spectroscopy is used to diagnose them.

SYNTHETIC QUARTZ The most important variety of synthetic quartz found on the market is hydrothermal amethyst. This jewelry material is widely used in the trade mainly because of the strong resemblance to its natural counterpart and the difficulty of distinguishing them. Although inclusions and characteristic twinning structures sometimes make it possible to distinguish between natural and synthetic amethysts, in most cases an unambiguous diagnosis is possible only with the use of complex spectral research methods.

Another important synthetic quartz is ametrine, which was commercially produced by hydrothermal processes in 1994. Synthetic ametrine can be identified by a number of features, including color zoning and twinning patterns. Methods for determining the chemical composition of impurities and IR spectroscopy are also used for diagnostics.

How to distinguish natural gems from imitations (fakes)

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 coexist peacefully 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 of precious stones from famous glass, which are mainly used in costume 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.

Aquamarine

This mineral is very similar to topaz in color and even inclusions. However, topazes do not have inclusions characteristic of aquamarine that resemble white chrysanthemums. Also, aquamarine is imitated, both with ordinary glass and with less valuable minerals: synthetic spinel, artificial quartz. You can distinguish them from real aquamarine simply by looking at the stone from different angles: at the same time, aquamarine slightly changes the color scheme, but there is no imitation.

There are no synthetic aquamarines on the jewelry market. The imitations sold under this name are actually bare spinel or glass.

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.

Alexandrite

This is a very rare stone, large specimens are unique. Alexandrite jewelry is very expensive. Alexandrites are forged with rubies with multicolor properties of the mineral under different lighting conditions. This effect is called pleochroism. Also counterfeit glass.

Diamond

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 diamond - this hardest 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. Many scientists tried to get artificial diamonds. 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.

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 cut diamond is pressed firmly against the surface of a specimen, the diamond "clings" to it, leaving a visible scratch that does not disappear when 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, "disappearing" effect of a fake diamond is produced by plain water and glycerin. In the same way, simpler and cheaper fakes for a diamond are isolated - lead-rich crystal glass.

Diamonds are counterfeited quite often with minerals such as monsoonites (practically indistinguishable without special equipment), cubic zirkonia, leucosapphires, etc. You can distinguish a fake from a genuine diamond by looking at any lighting device. It is necessary to hold the stone with a crown perpendicular to the light source. In a genuine diamond, the facets located at the back will fully glow. But this is not yet a guarantee of authenticity. You can also check the mineral for authenticity due to its hardness property. If you rub a diamond with sandpaper, it will not leave scratches, on other minerals it will leave roughness. If you run a diamond over stones that have a lower hardness (for example, sapphire or emerald), then a real diamond will leave scratches on such minerals. Synthetic diamond substitutes will not have any inclusions or bubbles inside, while a real diamond will definitely have it.

Amethyst

Amethysts are pure and bright in color. The properties of real and synthetic amethyst are very similar and it is not easy to distinguish between them. The artificial mineral is now used by jewelers quite often, since it is produced on an industrial scale, in contrast to them, colored amethyst-like cubic zirkonia can be recognized: they heat up faster, this can be found out, for example, by applying them to the face.

Turquoise

It is even faked with plastic, which, of course, is not as porous and not even as the real one. Imitation glass has small bubbles in its structure, which cannot be said about real stone. Also, by refining in the laboratory, low-grade turquoise is converted into high-quality turquoise. There, small particles of turquoise can be glued together, and treated with temperature, and much more. Enamel, compressed turquoise powder, and the cheap mineral Howlite are also given out as turquoise. Howlite looks like turquoise when dyed. In general, natural turquoise without defects is an almost improbable phenomenon.

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

Heliodor - lemon shade is precious if it is pure, without inclusions. If the stone does not meet these parameters, then it is not valuable. The natural mineral Heliodor, when held over glass, will leave a mark, since it is much harder than glass.
Rhinestone

Artificial rock crystal is obtained from quartz mixed with lime and soda. Dishes are also made from this mineral. The stone is also forged with plain glass. The difference between real rock crystal is that it does not have high thermal conductivity, unlike fakes. Looking into the inside of a natural mineral, one can see there, as it were, a slight haze. Rock crystal glistens, like glass, not shimmering with iridescent colors, unlike diamond.

Real rock crystal is always cool to the touch.

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.

The grenade is lucky in the sense that it is almost never faked. He must thank for this the unique features of his nature, as well as his rather inexpensive cost. The fact is that garnet has magnetic properties. If you want to distinguish a real pomegranate from a fake right in the store, you will need the actual magnet, metal scales and a cork. We put the cork on the scales, put a mineral on it, then we bring a magnet to it, and the arrow of the scales will begin to oscillate. An even simpler method for determining a natural stone concerns its size, because the garnet itself cannot be larger than the "Bob". In practice, the size of the stone does not exceed the size of the grain of the plant - Pomegranate.

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.

Pearls found in nature are of much greater value than cultured pearls due to the insertion of a bead into a clam shell. Natural pearls of large size are very expensive, unlike analogues. An X-ray machine, having illuminated the internal structure of pearls, will help to distinguish cultured pearls from natural ones.

Emerald

Emeralds can be subjected to the process of refining, since the price of the mineral is directly dependent on the saturation of color and hue. Artificial refinement reduces the value of the stone. As a result of refining, the color and clarity of the stone can be improved, and the brilliance can be transferred as a result of applying a special coating.

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.

The characteristic features of synthetic stones are twisted veils.

Quartz

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

Lapis lazuli

It will be difficult for even an inexperienced eye to confuse with something else, because it has a pure saturated blue color. Imitations are paler, they can be azurite, dumortierite, lazulite, sodolite. They also fake dyed jasper, dyed synthetic spinel under lapis lazuli - these fakes will leave a strong mark after themselves in a glass of clean water. True lapis lazuli is not.
Moon rock

Imitation is both glass and plastic, non-uniformly colored. The only thing that cannot be conveyed in imitations is a million shades of colors when the mineral plays in the light. Also, sparkles will flicker inside the mineral. Analogues, such as artificial spinel and white chalcedony, can only be distinguished using x-rays. In a real moonstone, under the influence of X-rays, a light lilac glow is detected. Another fake is "opal glass". Here, to determine the true moonstone, we need a magnifying glass tenfold, through which the layered structure of the stone can be seen.

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.

The cost of quality rubies can be equal to the price of a diamond. A real ruby ​​is not devoid of natural microscopic inclusions, defects, even if it seems perfectly transparent to the naked eye. You can scratch another mineral with a lower hardness characteristic with a ruby ​​- scratches will be visible. Stones that are small in size and have a cloudy structure, inlaid in gold and silver items, are rather real. Because because of the inexpensive price, it makes no sense to fake them. Under ultraviolet light, a fake ruby ​​will become an orange hue.

There are popular ways to determine the naturalness of a ruby:

1. When a mineral is placed in a glass dish, a reddish light will pour out of it.

2. Milk in a glass will become slightly pink - if it contains a ruby.

3. From one corner the mineral is pale, from the other - a dark red hue

4. In natural ruby, the crack is zigzag-shaped and does not glow brightly when illuminated, unlike imitations, where the crack is straight and shines.

5. Natural ruby ​​in inclusions rarely has bubbles, and if they do, then in color, they do not differ from the color of the mineral. In fakes, the bubbles may be lighter, they may be empty inside.

6. If you put a real stone on your eyelid, it will stay cold for a long time. Synthetic substitute or glass quickly changes the temperature to a warmer one.

Sapphire

It is possible to distinguish a real sapphire from numerous "twins" only due to physical and chemical parameters, and not by external signs. A synthetic fake can be immediately excluded by the presence of inclusions inside the stone. Natural imitations that also have natural inclusions can be sorted as follows: in a special liquid with a certain specific gravity, sapphire falls to the bottom, while a fake floats up. Sapphire is harder than ruby ​​or emerald - when these minerals are held over sapphire, no traces remain.

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

Topaz is a natural mineral that feels smooth and cool when touched by the skin. Topaz will attract small particles (for example, napkins) - if rubbed with a woolen cloth. A real stone will sink to the bottom if you put it in a container of methylene iodide. Counterfeits, such as quartz, will not sink. But there are better fakes - imitating even the physical properties of the mineral. With the help of heat treatment, a pale mineral can be ennobled and acquire a brighter color. It is possible to reveal the naturalness of a stone only in the laboratory of a gemologist. The mineral amethyst is faked under topaz by heating. Such a fake will be called "Golden Topaz, Madeira 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.

Chrysolite

Painted glass is more often found as a fake. Unlike a glass fake, chrysolite has a uniform “color” without seals. Also, this mineral is imitated with green plastic, which is naturally easy to scratch. Other minerals that are trying to replace chrysolite can only be determined in the laboratory. It can be either chrysoberyl or tourmaline. It is worth remembering that the large size of this mineral is a very rare occurrence.

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 color scheme, often makes it possible to recognize the stone at first sight. Using a magnifying glass, when looking through the top of the stone, one can see the worn edges of the facets.

Citrine

You can be deceived by slipping cheaper substitutes - ennobled quartz, or heat-treated amethyst. When buying jewelry, you should take into account that the color of natural citrine is not as bright yellow as substitutes can be. It's more of a calm tone. Also, a real mineral, when viewed from different angles, changes its hue from pale yellow to bright yellow. Imitations do not have such properties.

Spinel

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

Amber

Amber is a resin hardened many centuries ago. And it is quite common in gold and silver jewelry. Amber is counterfeited with lower quality minerals or plastics. If you bring a match to a plastic fake, then, accordingly, it will smell of plastic, not resin. On immature amber, when ignited, spots appear. The pressed amber becomes sticky.

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 (topless) of table salt per cup 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.

Jewelry made of precious stones is a wonderful gift for yourself or for loved ones. It is believed that precious stones have a number of healing properties, and if chosen correctly, they can correct well-being, health, and even luck. But how to choose the right stone?

Tells the collector Evgeny Vikstrem: “The first thing to say is that gems are very often counterfeited, so you should never buy them in dubious places. Go to a well-established store or a jewelry show.

The second point - you need to know how to visually distinguish a real stone from a copy. Contrary to popular belief, natural stones do not often have a perfect appearance - they were created by nature over millions of years, and not masters in the laboratory made a shiny glass in an hour and a half.

For example, rubies are rarely clean, without inclusions and large size - such stones cost thousands of dollars, so when you see an ideal ruby ​​for a couple of tens of dollars, you should already think - is it really a ruby?

The same goes for topazes. To imitate pink topaz, synthetic corundum is used, which is too shiny and sparkling, as for real topaz. "Characteristic features of synthetic emeralds are twisted veils. Quartz can be easily distinguished from glass by touching the stone and glass with your tongue. Real quartz is much colder than glass."

Why is it important to learn to distinguish real stones from fakes? First, not to overpay. It's one thing when you are offered beads made of pseudo-natural stone for $10, and another thing when they sell you a fake for a thousand with the words "this stone is natural." Secondly, synthetic stones do not have the same composition as natural ones, and therefore, accordingly, there can be no talk of any healing properties. And what kind of pleasure can we talk about wearing jewelry if you know that it was made of glass on a stamping machine in 10 minutes?

Imitation and recognition of gemstones

When determining the value of gemstones, errors often occur, especially if the stones are similar to each other or have the same color or colorless.

The main identification marks of diamonds are their high hardness, refraction of light and scattering of colors.

The same high brilliance that a faceted diamond has is possessed by: colorless zircon (during firing it turns yellow, brown and reddish tones), leucosapphire, phenakite, rock crystal, "marble diamond" (quartz), colorless topaz and spinel; they, like diamond, are single-refracting.

Natural ruby replaced by red or pink spinel, tourmaline or topaz. Some blue stones, such as blue spinel, tourmaline or cordierite and cyanite, differ from sapphire in lower hardness and density. Olivine (chrysolite), Russian green topaz and tourmaline, as well as chrysoprase are sometimes mistaken for emeralds.

Behind yellow(gold) topaz citrine is often given out, especially burnt amethyst or rauchtopaz, which turn yellow as a result of firing. Differently colored fluorites that are used as imitations amethyst, topaz, emerald And ruby, are easy to recognize because they have a low hardness (4).

Used in jewelry, dense black opaque onyx, blue chalcedony And apple green chrysoprase are, in fact, skillfully painted (bog) chalcedony. Artificial turquoise in appearance it is no different from natural, but when heated, it turns blue or brown.

Synthetic gemstones resulting from the combination of two stones are called doublets. So-called " real doublet"is a stone, the top and bottom of which are made of a homogeneous mineral (connected with Canadian balsam or mastic). "Artificial doublets", the so-called "mixles", are obtained by melting colored glass (bottom) on a plane of translucent quartz or garnet (top). Loose, loose doublets are easy to recognize.

The most widespread are synthetic precious and semi-precious stones of all shades, imitated by differently colored glass. They are softer than natural stones, scratched with a file, and can also be recognized by their optical properties. They are always unirefringent, and if colored, they never show signs of polychroism.

Diamonds are imitated by transparent, carefully polished glass with strong refraction, under which a mirror substance is usually placed to increase the light effect. Imitations of emeralds have inside the typical defects of natural emeralds. Garnets are imitated with glass, the color of which does not differ from the color of natural garnets. However, glass has a lower hardness and density.

In order to learn to distinguish precious and semi-precious stones from artificial ones, especially those fixed in jewelry, you need to have a lot of experience. It is believed that a specialist recognizes by eye which stone is natural and which is artificial. But this is not possible in all cases! Today's chemistry and technology have made it possible to obtain artificial gems that are similar to natural ones to the smallest detail. Some methods for determining stones require not only professional, but also scientific knowledge, and sometimes special research work.

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How to distinguish a stone?

In jewelry stores, we are offered to buy jewelry with precious stones of amazing beauty and sophistication. Such products are not cheap, but they are worthy of such a price if there is a real gem in the frame that can heal the body, calm the nervous system, and bring good luck.

Of course, all jewelry with diamonds, rubies, pearls, emeralds have quality certificates, but it is still better to know how to distinguish a stone from a fake in order to avoid deception by unscrupulous manufacturers and sellers.

How to distinguish a diamond?

The most expensive and pure, like morning dew, stone is a diamond. It would be a shame to buy a fake, giving a decent amount for it, so you need to take a closer look at it before buying. Artificial diamonds are now common, they can be grown in a laboratory weighing up to 15 carats. Natural stone has inclusions of minerals, while artificial stone has inclusions of metals such as iron, manganese, nickel. A natural diamond distributes the glow of ultraviolet rays evenly, while a man-grown diamond distributes it crosswise. A real diamond is very hard and can scratch the glass.

How to distinguish rubies and sapphires?

Synthetic rubies and sapphires are also often found in jewelry stores. They are much cheaper than natural ones. To distinguish real stones, you need to look at them carefully. Natural rubies and sapphires always have small defects and uneven edges inside. Artificial stones look too perfect and are distinguished by the presence of curvilinear zoning - an uneven degree of coloring of the stone.

How to distinguish emeralds and pearls?

Synthetic emeralds are often used in jewelry. Unlike natural, they look even, uniform, transparent. Their beautiful appearance with a mirror surface attracts the eye. Natural emeralds almost always have defects, cracks, inclusions of mica and pyrite. The color of the stones is not uniform, in some places they are not transparent. Real emeralds attract with their natural beauty and mystery. Their price far exceeds the cost of non-natural stones.

Pearls have been cultivated in artificial conditions for a long time; they have practically replaced real pearls. To distinguish a natural stone, first of all, you need to look at the price. Jewelry made of artificial pearls or river ones are cheap. In addition, they have the correct round shape, perfectly smooth surface. Natural pearls cannot be like this. If you run your fingernail over an artificial stone, a scratch may appear, the natural one will remain unchanged.

How to distinguish a moonstone?

Another wonderful gemstone with healing and magical properties.
properties - lunar. Going to the store for him, you should remember that fakes are not uncommon, so you need to be careful. A real moonstone has unique iridescence and glare that either disappear or appear as it rotates. Its surface resembles silk.

You can also distinguish a stone by a purple or blue glow that prevails over other colors. As in all minerals, it should have inclusions, voids, bubbles that look natural.

How to distinguish a pomegranate?

Garnet is a common jewelry stone. He has a lot of fans who would not want to buy a fake. It is enough to determine the authenticity of the jewelry Just. This will require a magnet and scales. The fact is that natural garnet has magnetic properties, unlike an artificial relative.

So, it is necessary to measure the weight of the stone by placing it on the scales. Then hold a magnet at a distance of one centimeter from the pomegranate. If the weight has decreased, then the pomegranate is real.

To avoid buying a fake, you need to remember that nature does not tolerate ideal, symmetrical forms. This rule also applies to gems. If an emerald, diamond, pearl, or other mineral looks too unnatural, they are most likely artificial.