Do you know these artificial gemtones are GLASS?
BEWARE, it’s FAKE!
As like other products in the global market, gemstones are also prone to shams and copycats. In the gem industry, the words genuine, natural and synthetic or artificial often give customers quite a hard time shopping for the right crystals especially to that not everyone is well aware and familiar with these classifications - especially that artificial stones look a lot like genuine and natural ones.
Some of them might, in fact, even end up choosing something that was not really actually what they wanted and paying for something that is not worth their penny. There are gem shops that are good enough to tell customers the honest classifications of their gems (whether they are natural or synthetic), however there are also those which do otherwise. That’s why, being educated about the type of gem you are dealing with is always an assurance to avoid lingering gem scams - and this is what we want not only for our customers but also for every gem and jewellery enthusiasts all around the globe.
Glassy Trick!
Glass is one of the most commonly used material in making artificial gemstones. With just the right amount of acting ingredients and formula, glass wastes can (voila!) turn into jewelries - and this is when every gem buyer should be extra careful about. Some of these artificial stones are also advertised to possess equally the same beneficial healing properties as the natural ones.
So, how do can you tell if a gemstone is actually what it is (natural), or if it is a man-made and artificial stone masquerading as a genuine one?
There are quite a number of things to look at and examine when trying to identify which stones are actually (natural) crystals and which ones are not. It would be quite a lengthy epistle with terms and jargons that common gem buyers might find overwhelming, so we would just show you a few stones that are made of glass and not natural - that are circulated in the market.
These stones are what customers should be wary of as these synthetic stones might just be commonly distributed disguised as natural and genuine.
Opalite
Opalite is a man-made opalescent glass - sometimes called Tiffany Stone or Bertrandite - which is like a knock-off of the widely known Opal stone (which is naturally formed)It is not a gemstone, but it has quite an appearance of a natural crystal to the naked it. As a conspicuous effect of its forming process, an Opalite may sometimes exhibit air bubbles.
Like natural gemstones and crystals, an Opalite can also be carved into different exciting shapes and designs, so it would not be difficult to find Opalite with designs like wolf heads and feathers in the market.
This artificially-made stone usually exhibits a milky white color that would appear to be blue when the stone is placed against a dark background. It may tend to contain a variety of colors that are visible in different angles, but it does not possess the beautiful fire and color play like that of a natural Opal stone (or widely known as Common Opal).
Goldstones
Red goldstone(Glass + Copper) and Blue goldstone(Glass + Cobalt) are not natural gemstones.
Red goldstone has tiny crystal traces of metallic copper that, under special and appropriate conditions, form properly and create the reddish hue of the red goldstone. On the other hand, the other variant of the synthetic goldstone is the Blue Goldstone, which contains traces of cobalt that contribute to the stone’s bluish saturation.
Because of these goldstones’ spark and glitter, they can sometimes be mistaken for a natural stone - but they’re not. They are neither made of gold nor are natural gemstones. They are made from colored glass, which smoothness and glittery effect make it look a lot like the natural gemstones.
There are a few varieties of goldstones that have been circulated in the market for years already. Generally, these goldstones are called a few other names including Stellaria, monk stone, gold star glass, monk’s gold and aventurine glass.
Goldstones’ unique metallic sparkle sets it apart from natural gemstones. This glittery effect is the aftermath of the cooling process where copper crystals reflect from each other producing a metallic sparkle.
Cherry Quartz (Watermelon Quartz): Dyed Glass
Cherry Quartz, sometimes called as the Watermelon Quartz, is also an artificial glass made from cinnabar and reconstituted natural Quartz. Its clear and/or bright pink color is attributed to the colored dye that is added to the glass (that this stone is made of) when melted. Although not natural, this stone can also exhibit feathers, vortex, cloud formations and striations due to its cinnabar content.
Fake Cat's Eye Stone: Dyed Glass
As the name suggest, a fake cat’s eye stone is generally any stone whose cat’s eye effect is not a natural stone occurrence but one that is man-made and synthetic. They are made from dyed glass that are shaped into different forms - some even having very exciting designs - and with different colors that range from light to dark, dull to bright.
It might be quite a task to test whether a stone with cat’s eye effect is natural or synthetic, but when there is no honest label, testing is but necessary. In this case, you can verify the authenticity and genuineness of the cat’s eye stone by rubbing it against a hard, unbending substance. When the stone appears to be soiled after doing such, you can tell that it is artificial; natural gemstones with cat’s eye effect behave otherwise and are very hard.
Be Informed. Shop Smart!
The long list will continue, should we take all glass-made stones into the spotlight. But, as much as there is a need to know each one of them, lest we forget why we are here in the first place - this is to teach you how to be educated and make informed purchases when it comes to gems and jewelries.
Familiarize your preferred stone before purchasing. Readily available information about natural and even synthetic gemstones can be sourced online. Most of which are from gem and jewellery shops, while others are from blogs of gem and jewellery experts. Information about the physical properties, hardness score and healing properties are a few things you can sift through.
Buy from a reputable and trusted gem/jewellery shop. This is where we come in. There are a lot of gem and jewellery shops you can find online, all offering different varieties of stones and jewelry-making materials.
It is not easy, but it can be done. Your challenge now is to know whether the product information they give is authentic or not - and this is where your familiarization with the stones and crystals come in.
As much as shopping for gems give us good jitters that sometimes makes us shop impulsively, it is worth noting that, at the end of the day, we want to spend for things that are worth spending for. And we should not take a chance purchasing something we have not been educated about; otherwise, our investment might just become a bane.
