How to check if Gemstone is Real?

Gemstones are rare, precious and beautiful and thus come at a very high price. They are used for astrological purposes as well as jewellery purposes. But due to less awareness, one might end-up buying synthetic (fake) or treated (not 100% pure) gemstones.

Generally, un-informed astrologers and pundits propagate such myths like “always buy 100% clean and clear gemstones”. But they are not informed that most natural gemstones have natural inclusions as their birth marks. 100% clear, transparent and flawless gemstones are extremely rare and so very expensive beyond the reach of a common man. This is a major reason why some dealers are able to sell fake or treated gemstones.

High value, increasing demand and scarcity of gemstones also offers an opportunity for fraudulent dealers to supply synthetic and treated stones to the market. And the customer’s lack of awareness leads them to buying a fake gemstone at the very price of natural one.

Is there any DIY test to identify if Gemstone is real or not?

NO. There is no reliable DIY test to identify the real gemstone from the fake ones. The Internet is filled with so many articles suggesting such tests.

Some of these articles even suggest some baseless tests like ‘soaking the gemstone overnight in milk and judging authenticity if there is a change in the color of milk’ etc. Most of such baseless tests featured in random articles are myths. These tests are only to misguide the customers.

Some DIY tests are based on Pure facts. For example: testing the density through heft or by just by feeling the heaviness of the stone. A Sapphire should be nearly 4 times as heavy as water. Although this method is fine, but a lot of practice is required to finally reach a conclusion. How can you accurately judge that whether the stone is around 4 times heavier than water, without using lab-instruments?

Therefore, It requires a sophisticated laboratory set-up to test a gemstone. Several parameters are checked to ascertain the gemstone and its authenticity.

What should you check while buying a Gemstone?

1. The scientific name of the gemstone

Many times, gemstones are sold by their local trade name, which creates a lot of confusion. For example: Sunela is a generalized trade name for Topaz and Citrine. Topaz and Citrine look similar but they are different stones and so is their price. So, its better to refer to a gemstone by its scientific name than local trade name as it can lead to buying a wrong gemstone out of utter confusion.

2. Whether the gemstone is natural or synthetic

Today, almost all natural gemstones have their synthetic counterparts. Man has been successful in creating most the gemstones in the laboratory under controlled conditions. It takes a few million years a natural gemstone under uncontrolled natural conditions, but it only takes just a few hours to create a synthetic gemstone. Synthetic gemstones have same physical, optical and chemical properties as their natural counterparts. But Synthetic stones don’t have any energy or magical powers.

3. Is there any Treatment in Gemstone?

Gemstones are often treated to improve their appearance (color, clarity, texture, finish and optical phenomenon). Many times, this critical information is hidden from the customer to get the more price for treated stones.

Where to buy a Genuine Gemstone?

Always ask for laboratory report from a reputed laboratory when you buy a gemstone. Report should clearly mention the authenticity of the gemstone and indicate the treatments (if any).

It is reliable to consult a qualified gemologist before you buy any gemstone. A gemologist is a professional in gemstones who can identify gemstones and differentiate natural from synthetic. Shubh Gems is run by gemstone experts who test all gemstones carefully before selling to customers.

Shubh Gems only deals in lab-certified natural and untreated gemstones. All the important information about the gemstone is shared with the customer.

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