When purchasing jewelry with precious or semi-precious stones, it is important to make sure of their authenticity. Of course, buying a product in a reputable store will give you certain guarantees. But you should not lose vigilance - skillful forgeries and crude fakes are not so rare on the shelves.
Instructions
Step 1
First of all, ask for a certificate for the stone. If the piece contains several inclusions, for example, sapphire and diamond, please specify the characteristics of each stone. The certificate indicates the exact name of the insert, its size, method of cutting, clarity, etc. Pay attention to the spelling of the title. For example, the mark "emerald cut." or "mystic topaz" refers to artificial stones. If in doubt, please contact your dealer for clarification.
Step 2
Pay attention to the price. Natural stones cannot be too cheap. Nobody sells garnet beads or pearl brooch for a third of the regular price. Having decided on an expensive purchase, go around the salons and ask the price for products similar to what you are planning to buy. If you are promised a huge discount, be wary - most likely, you will be sold an "improved" stone, tinted or supplemented with a silicone insert, or even just plastic.
Step 3
Place the stone on your cheek, eyelid, or inside of your wrist. A real mineral, even in a warm room, remains cold, and when it comes into contact with the skin, it heats up very slowly. Plastic or resin instantly takes on body temperature. Keep in mind that this method will not make it possible to recognize glued stones or compressed chips. Thus, imitations of turquoise, lapis lazuli, charoite, very similar to the original, are made.
Step 4
Estimate the size of the stones. Large emeralds are extremely rare and very expensive. Large pearls are also rare, they are sold per piece and are rarely found in ordinary jewelry stores. When buying vintage or antique jewelry with small ornamental stones, do not worry about their authenticity. Old garnets or turquoise, set in gold or silver, are probably real. But inserts made of ruby or emerald often turn out to be fake.
Step 5
Examine the stone carefully in bright light. There are no flawless natural stones. Most of them have inclusions, kinks, color variations. For example, cracks and cloudiness are characteristic of large emeralds, while natural ruby or turquoise are characterized by uneven color. However, the presence of small bubbles inside the mineral may indicate its synthetic nature.
Step 6
If the tests do not reveal a fake, but there are still doubts, contact a professional gemologist. The specialist will analyze the stone and give his verdict. If you are sold a counterfeit product, you can return it to the store.
