How To Tell If An Emerald Is Real - Best Authenticity Test | LearningJewelry.com™ (2023)

• What is the fake emerald made of?
• Are synthetic emeralds fake emeralds?
• Is a processed emerald fake?

What are emeralds?

Emerald is the most popular green gemstone in the jewelry industry. It has been used in ancient cultures throughout history right up to modern society.

Emeralds are the green to blue-green variety of the mineral beryllium. Beryl is available in several varieties of colors as well as colorless stones. Morganite and aquamarine are also different colored varieties of beryl.

Responsavel: Paweł Maliszczak

Not all emeralds are created equal, nor do they have the same value. As colored gemstones, emeralds are most prized for their color. If the stone has very light or dark tones, you can reduce the price.

Colombian Emeralds and Zambian Emeralds are more valuable and desirable than other emerald locations.

Like most gemstones, there are many fake emeralds on the market. Some are other gemstones, some are glass, and some may be a combination of real emerald and other materials. It can be confusing, especially if you don't have an exact description of the stone.

Read too:The best place to buy colored gemstones

The good news is that there are a few ways to tell a fake emerald apart from a real one. You don't necessarily need fancy lab equipment or specialized tools. All you need is your eye. A jeweler's loupe would also help, but not a big deal.

Let's get down to business.

What is Fake Emerald?

A fake emerald is any stone or material that claims to be an emerald when it is not. It will not have the same chemical composition, physical and optical properties as a real emerald.

The most common fake emerald stones that people come into contact with are glass. Natural glass can be coated with gemstone cutters to simulate other gemstones. Green glass is not hard to find, nor is it precious.

Butgreen gemsthey can be labeled as simulated emeralds or imitation emeralds. It could be other gemstones with similar shades but different compositions and values. Common simulants for emeralds are green cubic zirconia, synthetic green spinel, and green garnet.

You don't have to worry about finding fake emeralds online on bigger sites with lots of reviews. You are more likely to find fake emeralds or emerald simulators on sites like Etsy, Amazon and Facebook Marketplace.

Read too:The best place to buy emeralds online

If you are traveling to a foreign jewelry market to buy emeralds from another country, you should be aware of possible fraud. This is not to say that all gem markets are dishonest, but they are known to rip off tourists.

Some online listings may use gem terminology that we may not be familiar with when purchasing emeralds. That's why it's important to read the description carefully. Some might use "real emerald" in the title, but say it's an emerald simulator in the description.

Although misleading, it is not illegal. They use real emerald in the title to classify it. Most people aren't looking for a fake emerald, so sellers need to find a way to improve their fake gems' rating and be seen.

The difference between fake emeralds and genuine emeralds

You already know that fake emeralds are not emerald material. However, there are other forms of emerald that are more prized than others. Although they are still real emeralds, there is confusion among customers as to what is considered a fake.

Natural and Synthetic Emeralds

The biggest confusion for most first time emerald buyers is the difference between natural emeralds and synthetic emeralds. Synthetic emeralds are another name for laboratory emeralds. A lab-created emerald is a real emerald. It has the same gemstone compositions as natural emeralds.

The isolated laboratory environment also facilitates the development of synthetic products without as manyinclusionslike natural stones. However, they can also grow emeralds with more inclusions to appear closer to their natural counterparts. They can also intensify the color of the stone.

Emeralds get their green hues due to the presence of chromium and vanadium. The amount of these impurities will determine the intensity of the blue-green color. It is what makes the stone greener or bluer. A synthetic emerald can also have a stronger color due to its controlled environment.

However, synthetic gemstones are usually green and not in shades of blue. Synthetic gemstones cannot always reproduce the exact tones of other gemstones.

Read too:Esmeralda vs Jade

In general, synthetic and lab-grown emeralds are real emeralds. They are more affordable than a natural emerald. However, they are also more expensive than most other synthetic gemstones.

In fact, it's one of the hardest gems to synthesize. They require more attention and more expensive equipment for their production.

Natural and processed emeralds

Natural and processed stones can be confusing gemstone terminology for someone who is just starting to learn about gemstones. A worked emerald is a real emerald. Most people assume that natural emeralds are real and anything else is fake. Natural and processed emeralds are genuine emeralds.

Many precious and semi-precious stones are usually treated to intensify their color. Some may use treatments to fill in cracks or also remove inclusions. Certain gemstone treatments will significantly affect the price and value. Other treatments are quite common and do not reduce cost or value.

A rough emerald with intense color and transparency is the most valuable emerald. Most emeralds receive treatments. However, not all treatments are permanent. Some must be kept and some can be changed by a UV light source.

Sometimes colorless beryl or green beryl will be treated to a deep emerald color. These treatments are considered more misleading considering the difference in price between the color varieties.

Treatments are common on emeralds, but are priced lower than an untreated emerald. A crafted emerald is still precious and valuable. Rough emeralds are rare and their price will increase greatly depending on other value factors such as carat orclarity.

If you are looking for untreated natural emeralds, be sure to purchase one with a trusted gem certificate to ensure it has not been treated.

Natural and engineered emeralds

there are two typesengineered emeralds: double/triple emeralds and mounted emeralds. Only one of them contains a real emerald.

Doubles and triplets are used in jewelry for gemstones that are more difficult to define. Not only that, but less real emerald material is used in the stone, reducing value and cost. Sometimes doubles and triplets are also used for opals.

Read too:best opal engagement rings

Doubles and triplets are not the same thing as mounted emeralds, although they are technically "mounted".

I know. It is not clear. But try to stay with me.

Mounted emeralds are different. Two colorless stones are glued together with green glue. It is often done in two or three layers to create the gem. Sometimes they use a small, priceless piece of real emerald to try to fool the experts. They are also called emerald simulators.

Is your emerald a real emerald?

The best way to tell if an emerald is real is to observe it for yourself. There are some tests you can do at home. The best way to determine a genuine emerald is to take it to a gemstone dealer or send it to a legitimate lab.

Try your emerald jewelry at home

You will not know if an emerald contains home remedies. There are some indicators that you can notice by looking at the stone.

A genuine emerald will have medium to dark green tones. Yellow or brown tones can indicate that this is not a genuine stone. The best way to analyze this is to hold the stone over a light. Lighting your phone's camera on the underside of the stone should show these nuances.

The same light source can also tell if you have a cubic zirconia instead of a genuine emerald. Cubic Zirconia is an inexpensive lab-created stone that can simulate any colored gemstone. It has a high refractive index or intense fire. Emeralds will fire more opaque under the light.

If your emerald emits rainbow sparkles, it is more than likely a cubic zirconia stone. Emeralds are known for their brilliant sparkle, not rainbow sparkles like diamonds, moissanites or cz stones.

Read too:Differences between Emerald and Grenada

Placing bands on your emerald could be another indicator that you may have a fake stone. If the edges look frayed and feathered, it is most likely glass rather than an actual gemstone. A real emerald has edges that are well defined and not frayed.

Inclusions can also indicate your emerald's legitimacy. As mentioned earlier, inclusions are perfectly normal in natural emeralds. It is often referred to as "jardin", which means "garden" in French. This is because the inclusions in emeralds look like tiny threads that run in and out of the gemstone.

They can also have small deep lines, gas bubbles, or something called three-phase inclusion. This type of inclusion is only found on mined, not synthetic, emeralds.

Best test for real emerald jewelry

You should not rely on an indicator to determine whether an emerald is real or not. You should notice all the different clues. However, the best test of whether an emerald is real is a gem certificate.

You can get your own gemstone certificate by sending it to an authentic grading laboratory. We recommend the GIA, the world's leading resource on all thingsgemologia. They can determine the authenticity of the emerald and whether it has traceable treatments.

Many online retailers already include gem certificates with their online emeralds. It must be assumed that most have a cure or were developed in a laboratory. Some of our favorite places to buy emeralds areJames AlleneBright Earth.

For natural and untreated emeralds,Leibish & Co.it is an excellent choice.