It is quite natural for you to be overwhelmed by the sight of the stunning green color emerald gemstone. It is expected of anyone who views the gorgeous stone. However, hold on before you proceed to write a cheque. The beryl family gemstone is duped by many look alikes and hence you need to know if you are holding the right stone on hand. Considered to be associated with faithfulness, the gemstone is most sought after to make engagement rings and wedding rings. And considering the price you need to pay for the original precious stone, you need to know how to tell real from fake. Here are 6 ways to help with your purchase.
1) When Flaws Are Good: Use a clean cloth to remove any dirt on the surface of the gemstone. Marks of all sorts including fingerprints should be removed. Hold on the gemstone under a bright light to look for flaws. Use a magnifying lens to check if the stone has any flaws and / or irregular patterns like bubbles, lines and crystals. If you find them, you have found the real gemstone.
2) All That Sparkles…: Bring the gemstone under bright light. Check if it displays colorful flashes. If the flashes are very minimal, you can trust the gemstone to be emerald. On the contrary, if the stone sparkles in rainbow colors, you can be sure that it is a fake.
3) Color Conveys Quality: Look for the color of the gemstone as light passes through. While original emerald produces rich green hue as light passes, glass or acrylic stones display a clean light. The natural impurities present in the gemstone cause the green glow while fakes display clean light, as they do not have impurities.
4) ‘Re-fractions’: Expose the emerald to bright light and hold the stone in such a way that light reflects. Hold a piece of white card closer to the stone to bounce off the reflection from stone. Now look if the refractions return to the gemstone. If yes, you have a genuine emerald gemstone.
5) ‘Cut’ Above The Rest? : Look for pointed edges on the gemstone, Run a file smoothly against the edge. If the file moves across the stone smoothly, you have a genuine stone. If it is a fake, you will see abrasions.
6) Let The Lab Say: Sometimes even the best-trained eyes fail. It is difficult to tell natural emerald from synthetic emerald. Both share the same chemical composition and physical properties. Hence, it becomes near impossible to identify real emerald gemstone from lab created emerald. The best possible way out is to seek the assistance of a laboratory. You are sure to know the true colors of the gemstone from the reports you acquire from the lab.
Trust The Reputation
When you make a heavy investment, it is essential that you make your purchase from trusted sources. A store that is well established, offers you quality, as it would not want to risk its reputation. For a reputed jewelry store, goodwill matters over margin. Hence, reach out to the store that is genuine and has a reputation for selling real emerald gemstones. For all the money you pay, you would want quality that spells character.
