At the end of the day, only a jeweler will be able to identify a real gemstone with 100% certainty. These professionals are highly trained to understand the small nuances that distinguish a real stone from a fake one and will therefore be able to guarantee your stone's authenticity.
You can also consult a qualified gemologist to find out if the gem is natural or not. Also, fake gemstones tend to sparkle and shine better than real gemstones, because real natural stones have been dulled through the environment.
What to Look For First. Very fine clarity may be the first indication you're dealing with a synthetic, since few natural gems are clean to 10X, much less anything higher. If you can't find natural inclusions with a loupe, you probably have a synthetic. While this isn't proof, it's a strong clue.
Refractometer. Measuring the refractive index (RI) of your gems will be a high priority. You can do this with a microscope, but a refractometer is the best tool. Besides measuring the RI, a refractometer will give you the birefringence and optic sign of a gemstone.
Synthetic gems always have a natural counterpart, such as synthetic diamond, synthetic ruby, etc. while man-made gems are basically invented by humans but don't exist as such in nature. Examples are the man-made diamond simulants YAG and GGG.
Light affects the way a stone sparkles, whether manufactured or genuine. However, synthetic stones can only imitate the brilliance of a genuine diamond. Diamonds reflect light in a way that is unique.
To identify if your "sapphire" stone is real, stay in total darkness and use a flashlight to shine a light on it. If you have a genuine sapphire, the same color as the sapphire stone should reflect back. However, if it is a fake sapphire (usually made of glass), you will see other color reflections in the crystal.
Diamond testers are ever-accurate tools. They help identify authentic diamonds at an exact moment. Unfortunately, thermal conductivity testers can be faulty when moissanite is at hand. This is because moissanite and diamond conduct heat at a similar rate.
Diamond testers are perhaps the most accurate and reliable instruments to test the authenticity of a diamond. However, testers that measure thermal conductivity cannot tell an authentic diamond from moissanite because these gems are similar in heat transfer.
If you have sapphire jewelry, the best way to be one hundred percent sure of your sapphire's authenticity is to have it examined by a professional jeweler, who can look at it under a loupe. At Dover, we have a team of experts who can tell you if your stone is natural, synthetic or fake.
Identical Physical, Optical and Chemical Properties
Sapphires grown in a lab pretty much have the same atomic and optical properties of a sapphire mined from the earth. Unless you're a certified gemologist with a powerful microscope, you won't be able to tell the difference between created and mined gemstones.
The Australian sapphire is extremely valued by gem collectors, jewellers and wearers alike. The crystals can vary in size which may influence value, but the average sapphire measures to be about three carats.
Fake diamonds do not reflect spectral rays from the beam of the flashlight. This is because a diamond's refractive index is high; it makes the white light entering the diamond split into multiple colors before it exits on the other side of the stone.
Gems, Rocks & Minerals
UV light (natural or artificial), will fade gems and minerals. Rose Quartz is one which fades quickly. Under the right conditions Rose Quartz can fade to a white color within a year. Blue Beryl is another mineral that will fade but slower than Rose Quartz.
The Floating Test
True diamonds have high density and should quickly sink to the bottom of the glass. Fake diamonds are not as thick, and therefore, more likely to float in water. This test is not always foolproof.
Although gemstones are hard substances, they aren't indestructible. Some can be ruined by contact with certain chemicals, while others break easily. Many are susceptible to surface scratching, which can ruin them. The harder a gem is, the more difficult it is to scratch.
Painite : Not just the rarest gemstone, but also the rarest mineral on earth, Painite holds the Guinness World Record for it. After its discovery in the year 1951, there existed only 2 specimens of Painite for the next many decades. By the year 2004, there were less than 2 dozens known gemstones.
A real diamond appears gray and white inside (brilliance) when held to the light and can reflect rainbow colors (fire) onto other surfaces. A fake diamond will display rainbow colors within the stone when held up to light.
The Hope Diamond
Arguably the most famous and most cursed precious gemstone in history, this 45.52-carat sparkler has a long and storied past. The Hope Diamond has been blamed for a laundry list of tragedies, including but not limited to: beatings, stabbings, murder, insanity, and suicide.
Diamond (April) is the rarest birthstone in a total of six states, while topaz (November) is the rarest birthstone in Montana, Wyoming, and Rhode Island. Emerald (May), sapphire (September), and pearl (June) are the rarest birthstones in Texas, Washington, and Utah, respectively.
The four most sought-after precious gemstones are diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and rubies. gemstone can help you decide what you want to say with your custom piece of jewelry.