How To Spot a Fugazi Gemstone

There are lots of fake gemstones in the world. Unfortunately, the ability to make money on fake or edited gemstones is easier than one would hope. Because it takes a keen eye or even a professional opinion to tell if a gem is real, it can be very easy to be fooled by a fugazi. In the hopes of keeping you from making a bad purchase we have made a little list of common things that jewelers do to gemstones that make them look real/better than they are.

Assembled Stones: An assembled stone is a stone that has been pieced together from two or more parts of a stone. Sometimes a gem is pieced together by two complete gems and fitted together to make it look like it is a much larger stone of a much higher value. Other times a jeweler may take a gemstone that has been broken and piece the chunks of stone together so that it looks complete again. If you see a Sapphire or Ruby that looks to be pieced together you are most likely dealing with a shady jeweler because those stones are often assembled to deceive consumers. Opals, on the other hand are often assembled and may not be considered a shady practice especially when the jeweler discloses that he has done so. (Definition of Assembled Stones)

Foil Backing: Foil backing was a common practice in the past, lots of closed backed settings were "enhanced" by placing foil behind the gem. Common foil colors were gold and silver but other colors are used as well. Jewelers will place foil behind gems to increase their depth and color.

Painting: Like foil backing, paint or another substance can be placed behind a gem to "improve" it's color and depth. Placing a tiny dot of paint in an exact place behind a cut diamond can reflect that color throughout the entire stone.

Cracking: This is the practice of blasting a synthetic gem with extreme heat in the hopes of cracking it to make it look more like the real thing. Synthetic gems tend to have less blemishes and so cracking them is defiantly a way to deceive a consumer.

All in all, none of these practices are considered illegal or wrong as long as the person purchasing the gem has been informed by the sales person. Painting and Assembling can be done in the hopes of fixing a damaged ring, painting could have been done at the request of a consumer. Remember that the best and safest way to purchase a gemstone is to go to a dealer you trust. Associate Jewelers, Inc. has been dealing gemstones since it's creation without complaint. We would be happy to walk you through the gemstone purchasing experience.

Read a little bit more about Gem Identification here: Gem Identification Made Easy