Emerald Stone
Nowadays there is widespread use of duplicate and synthetic emeralds and it is difficult for the average person to know the difference between real and duplicate emeralds. These are made in labs from synthetic green stones or chemical compositions. These laboratory-created stones appear to be natural emeralds. To identify the real first understand their type.
Natural
Natural emerald is formed over time within the earth with a specific temperature. South America and Columbia are the two largest exporters of emeralds worldwide. Our neighboring countries, such as Afghanistan and Pakistan, are also producers of emeralds. But Columbian emeralds are the purest and most valuable ones.
Synthetic
They are created in a laboratory or are man-made. You have to understand the fact that these are not duplicates since they are made from the same chemical composition as natural emeralds. They have no value in astrology.
Imitation
Imitations are alternative materials, such as glass or a lesser-valued look-alike gemstone, that are used to mimic the appearance of an emerald. Some popular emerald imitations are peridot, garnet, different kinds of beryl, and chromium diopside.
(Identification of Emerald)
Some tests for emerald stone identification can be done by anyone. But remember that with the help of these methods, you can differentiate between real and fake emeralds but cannot differentiate between real emeralds and imitations.
1. Look for imperfections
Real emeralds have lots of imperfections, while the duplicates are flawless. You will hardly find any inclusions. If you put a natural gemstone up against natural lighting, you can see all the imperfections, while in a synthetic one, you will find perfections.
Synthetic emeralds, usually appear too beautiful and clean and if you are getting them at a cheaper price, then it is probably a duplicate.
2. Observe pattern of inclusion
If you find inclusion that is only in one direction then this is certainly a duplicate emerald. If it had inclusion in all directions, then it would be a real emerald. Natural emeralds have multiple types of inclusion.
3. Color zoning
You will find color zoning in real emeralds, which is not there in synthetic ones. This means that when you see the stone carefully, you will notice that the color is darker in some places and lighter in others. You will not find such a pattern in synthetic stones.
4. Corners observation
Real emerald has a Mohs hardness of 7.5 to 8.0, while glass has 5.5 and fluorite has 4.0. So if you look carefully, you will find sharp corners in the real one, while a duplicate one has a slightly round corner. Synthetics don’t show a crisp corner.
5. The oil test
Take any clear food oil and put your stone in it. If you see the base of the emerald in a darker green color and the rest of the material is transparent, then it is a doublet, which means a pasted emerald. Other than this, to improve the hue of a faint real emerald, the rear is sometimes painted with green lacquer.
6. Look at the surface carefully
Start by looking at the emerald’s surface. Natural emeralds often have certain surface features like it may have small surface-reaching fractures or fissures. These are often filled with natural oils or resins. These inclusions can indicate naturality.
