With over 4 million minerals on earth and the most expensive selling for millions of dollars, it’s no surprise that there are some sellers that will try to sell fake gemstones to make bank.
Don’t let yourself be fooled!
Keep reading to learn how to tell if a gem is real and save yourself valuable time and money by avoiding scams.
What Is the Difference Between a Genuine Gem and a Manmade Gem
Miners cut genuine gem from the earth. The only work that it will have done is being cut to the desired shape and polished.
Scientists create manmade gems in labs. Although they are just as beautiful, they are much easier to create and therefore are much more affordable than genuine stones.
How to Tell If a Gem Is Real
Learning how to tell if a gem is real is easier than you might think and you don’t necessarily need to hire a professional to tell, although it is recommended!
Read on to discover a few basic ways to tell if a gem is genuine and start making amazing purchases today.
Look For Flaws
Because genuine gemstones are created naturally by the earth, they’re going to have imperfections. While this doesn’t mean that they’re going to be chipped because the jeweler should have taken care of that, the crystal structure might be a bit inconsistent in places.
Fake gemstones will look perfect but don’t be tricked! Only the real ones will have slight imperfections that make them worth so much more.
Sparkle and Shine
You might think that genuine gems would have more sparkle and shine, but because real gems were naturally created, they’re not going to have the same luster that manmade gems do.
Weight
Real gemstones are noticeably lighter than their fake alternatives. This is because the manmade stones are a lot denser than the real ones, and in fact, this difference is so noticeable that if you so much as hold the stone in your hand you should be able to feel the difference.
Price
This one might be a given, but if it seems to good to be true, it very likely is! Genuine gemstones are very rarely going to fall through the cracks and end up on eBay at a great price because of a kind soul. If you want a genuine gemstone, you’re going to have to pay for it.
Individual Stones and Minerals
Different stones and minerals will have different ways of testing to see if they’re real. For example, you can tell if a pearl is real by scraping it with your fingernail. If a bit of grit comes off, it’s the real deal.
To determine if your diamond is real, you can do the fog test. Simply breathe on the stone as you would a mirror, and if the fog quickly disappears, the diamond is probably genuine.
Another example are tanzanite gems. You can test these beautiful blue stones by placing them under incandescent light. Real stones should display three colors, while fakes will not have this same property.
Keep Exploring
Now that you know how to tell if a gem is real; keep learning about precious stones. From learning where to purchase gems to buying guides you need to see, we have it all.
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