How to Tell a Real Gemstone from a Fake One

Many gemstone bead wholesalers supply imitated gemstones for a real one, as many customers can neither have the right tools nor the right skills needed to differentiate between the two options. Such behavior of these sellers has resulted in filling people with enough speculation that leads them to a belief that natural stone beads bought online or from a local dealer are mostly fakes jewelry stones. Other than this, there is also a myth that states gemstones prepared in labs can never have the qualities of a real one. But the fact is, the authenticity of a gemstone has more to do with it has the right mineral makeup, and very less from its point of sale. That’s why it becomes important that you hold the right set of knowledge before buying a collection of precious or semi-precious gemstones.

So let us have a look 3 tips that could help know whether the stone taking your fancy is real or just an imitation.

Imitation Stones are too Flawless; Sometimes

Anything natural is going to have a flaw of its own. A crack on the surface, a not so shiny texture, or maybe a few scratches. As most of the gemstones are obtained from Earth, these flaws are caused by natural forces, and only add to their beauty. Some gemstone bead wholesalers have a habit of making imitated jewelry shine like nothing. That’s your first clue. Regular shape, unnatural sparkle, and unnecessary lustre are signs of imitation jewelry. But sometimes even the natural gemstones are subjected to many lab activities to increase their beauty. More on that later.

Test it For Quality

Not everyone is a gemologist, nor they can barge into a gem store with modern equipment that differentiates between real and imitation jewelry. But by carrying simple, yet effective, tests on your potential purchase, you could come up with the right results. Diamonds could be easily tested for their authenticity by fog test, where you blow air on the piece from your mouth. If the fog disappears in no time, then the diamond can said to be real. Testing for a real pearl in the shop is also simple. Scratching a real pearl against your teeth would feel gritty, while fake pearls would feel more smooth. Similarly, you can also test for a fake Amethyst, Ruby, and Emeralds by carrying such similar tests.

Synthetic ≠ Fake

Knowing the difference between a synthetic and fake jewel is important. Many natural stone beads and jewels are sometimes subjected to certain chemical processes to improve their physical characteristics like shine, surface finish, and clarity. Such treatments don’t mean that jewels are fake or imitations. Similarly, lab produced gemstones having a mineral makeup similar to a natural gemstone are as good as anything. Keeping in mind that modern gemology has given us methods to improve existing gemstones, and to manufacture real gemstones in a lab, is all one needs to say that lab gemstone too are real.

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