How to distinguish natural from artificial emerald?

In the field of jewelry making, emeralds are in great demand. It is one of the most expensive stones, attracting attention with its enchanting green color. Due to the high cost and popularity of the stone, there is a risk of spending money on a fake. Modern technologies allow you to create high-quality imitations that are very difficult to distinguish from real stones. The article will discuss how to distinguish a natural emerald from an artificial crystal, and whether it is possible to do this at home. We will also find out what analogues can be found and sold.

The most valuable specimens of natural emeralds can boast of high transparency. Cloudy stones are more readily available and more common. Many specimens have blotches of gas, liquids and other minerals that make emeralds opaque. To maximize the beauty of the stone, it is treated with special chemical compounds before engraving and selling. As for the colors, emeralds of various colors are found in nature.

It is very difficult to verify the authenticity of a natural gem, however, there are ways. The most reliable option is to seek help from a professional expert. The method of testing with ultraviolet radiation is very popular, but it does not always give the desired result. This method helps to determine the authenticity of the stone, distinguishing it from glass and other imitations.It should be noted that artificially created and natural gems, when translucent, can have the same color.

The Chelsea filter is another method that experts use to recognize a fake. It is not suitable for home use. It can be used to identify a synthetic product, but it is useless against some types of artificial stones. On the basis of specially equipped complexes, gems are checked according to the following characteristics:

• structure;
• impurities;
• refraction of light;
• hardness;
• other parameters.

Several centuries ago, in order to distinguish natural stone from a fake, they were weighed. Now this verification method is also found. A special jewelry scale is used. It should be noted that special equipment is used for the analysis.

Also, you cannot do without knowledge and skills. Experts say that in some cases, natural inclusions are confused with ordinary air bubbles. By the appearance of turbidity and bubbles, the specialist is able to determine where the gem was mined, what material was used for imitation. The cut emerald is examined at a distance of about 2 meters. The natural mineral shimmers slightly at this distance.

Natural stones have corresponding certificates issued by employees of gemological laboratories. They confirm the natural origin of the gem.

There are a number of techniques that anyone can use to determine the nature of the origin of a gem. To find out the naturalness of the crystal, use the following guidelines.

• Trademark. Before heading to a jewelry store, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with reliable and trusted brands. By purchasing products from well-known brands, you increase the chances of purchasing high quality goods.
• Water. Submerge the natural gem in a glass of clean water. Natural gems often take on a red tint.
• Glass. Imitations made of glass are too large, while their edges are indistinct. Another characteristic of a copy made of this material is that it heats up quickly in the hands.
• Layers... Natural stones obtained in natural conditions do not have lamination. In this connection, the gems must be carefully examined. The work is carried out under full lighting. The place of gluing indicates that there is a doublet or a triplet in front of you. Bubbles indicate that glass is one of the layers of the counterfeit.
• Synthetics. Synthetic gems can be distinguished by their regular growth lines and straight, parallel edges. Natural specimens do not have such a well-coordinated geometry.
• External features. An overly transparent stone indicates that this is an artificial gem or a copy made of glass. For such products, liquid inclusions are not uncommon. Medium quality natural materials have blackouts and features such as scuffs. Such imperfections are called Jardin.
• Color. The perfect paint job to grab the attention of a potential buyer may indicate a fake. Also, fakes have an overly smooth surface. Natural gems can often be interspersed with the following colors: blue, brown and yellow. The edges of the untreated material are lighter in comparison to the core.
• Shine. Gems of natural origin have a weak dispersion (play of light). Cheaper gems, for example, zirconium, have a bright sparkle.
• Price. A real stone cannot be cheap. For the price, some of the items are not inferior to diamonds. It is also recommended that you shop at a trusted jewelry store.

Instead of natural gems, the following items are offered:

• doublets and triplets;
• glass counterfeits;
• artificially grown stones;
• imitation.

Such options are visually very similar to natural stones, but they are not. The most popular way to fool a gullible buyer is to offer a more affordable and common gem instead of an emerald. There are many crystals that, in appearance and other characteristics, are similar to an expensive green stone. Most often, the following options are used:

• tsavorite - a stone called green garnet;
• Due to the fewer special reflective elements in tourmaline, it does not shine as much as natural emerald, however, it is also often used as a replacement;
• fluorite is very difficult to distinguish from natural emerald, this crystal is very similar in composition to the Colombian emerald;
• demantoid has a grassy green color, there are often blotches of green, after cutting the stone looks like an emerald.

Stones made of two connected parts are called doublets, and those made of three are called triplets. The first such specimens appeared in the time of Ancient Greece. Several plates of gems are securely fastened together using special compounds. Cut beryl is often used. For a more attractive visual effect, a colored spacer is added.

In some cases, real emeralds are used when creating an imitation. Natural gems of natural origin are combined with other minerals of low quality. The most popular crystals for making doublets and triplets are also quartz, emerald and spinel. One of the layers can be made of ordinary glass.

There is evidence that emerald is the second crystal to be grown in the laboratory. The great demand was prompted by the high cost of emeralds. The work on the creation of the synthetic stone was carried out by a group of specialists, so now it is almost impossible to determine the name of the scientist who made the copy. Some sources indicate that the first synthetic emerald appeared in Germany, around the 30s of the last century. After that, specialists from America and the USSR achieved success in this direction.

Nowadays, due to the development of technology, the process of creating crystals has become easier, but it is still considered laborious and time-consuming. It is impossible to grow a gem without special equipment and knowledge. Modern counterfeits are distinguished by their beauty and other characteristics. High-quality fakes attract attention with a low price, rich color and expressive play of light.

Glass counterfeits are significantly inferior in quality to other products, although high-quality cut specimens can have an expressive color. They began to replace natural emeralds with specimens from this available material back in the Middle Ages. In those distant times, the quality of forgeries left much to be desired. Later, glass products were significantly transformed thanks to the work of Venetian craftsmen. Despite their efforts, such fakes were not widely used.

To date, special beryl glass is brewed to make artificial crystals. To obtain the required color, chromium is added to it. Only a professional jeweler can identify a fake by eye.

For information on how to distinguish natural from artificial emerald, see the next video.