5 Ways of Gemstone Identification Like a Pro | Techniques in the Guide
Discovering gemstones can be a very exciting and rewarding task, especially for an amateur gemologist. To enhance the appreciation and knowledge of collectors, lovers of jewelry, and all connoisseurs of that precious stone, learning how to identify it like an expert will become second nature. We will cover five key methods that you can apply toward the identification of gemstones like a professional with both confidence and accuracy.
One firstly considers a detailed visual examination of the gemstone for possible identification. First of all, consider the color of the gem. In most cases, it may give away the exact identity. For instance, the deep red color may call a ruby, whereas bright green color could be said of an emerald. But many stones come in different colors, so this would not be a valid test to confirm the presence of a particular kind of gemstone.
Next, consider the clarity of the gemstone. Check for inclusions or imperfections in the stone. Some gemstones, including diamonds, have clarity grades, while inlaid gemstones such as emeralds have inclusions that are considered a beautiful part of their natural form.
Finally, observe the cut of the stone. In other words, the cut denotes the shape and facets into the gemstone. A play of light on the facets makes one appreciate that different stones will be different from each other. In this regard, diamonds exhibit only one kind of brilliance due to the nature of their cut.
The Mohs scale of hardness is one of the most important tests for identification of gemstones. The level of hardness is used as 1–10. For example, a diamond is the hardest known natural substance and will scratch practically any other material.
By means of hardness test, you can be able to narrow down the possible options for your gemstone's identity. For example, if the stone scratches quartz (hardness = 7) but is itself scratched by corundum (hardness = 9), then the possible gem is topaz or beryl.
Another method of identifying gemstones like a pro is through determination of the refractive index of that gemstone. Refractive index communicates to the observer the amount of bending of light as it traverses any type of gemstone. Since each gemstone type has its refractive index range, it thus makes the measurement an assured identification of different gemstone types.
You could quantify the RI with an apparatus called a refractometer. Against the refractometer, you will put the gemstone and pass the light through it. In that manner, the RI can be ascertained and cross-checked with the RI of other gem species, assuming they are known.
For example, a diamond would give an RI of about 2.42 from a gemstone, whereas the emerald's RI is at a point of about 1.57-1.58.
Certain gemstones exhibit peculiar optical phenomena which can be used in the identification of the minerals. Such special features include things like asterism, chatoyancy, and pleochroism.
Asterism: Some of them, such as star sapphire, show a star-like effect when light is directed on their surface, known as the effect of asterism.
Chatoyancy: Sometimes referred to as a cat's eye effect, the chatoyancy is presented as a band of lights that shifts in position along the surface of a certain gemstone. This is common in a gemstone such as chrysoberyl.
Pleochroism: Caused when a gemstone shows different colors when viewed from different angles. Well-known for this property are tanzanite and tourmaline.
In this manner you will further narrow the field of possibility for the identity of the gemstone you are viewing.
The specific gravity (SG) of a gem material is the ratio of a substance's density compared to water. This property will give you a number which has some key implications toward identifying a gem material. There is a characteristic range of specific gravities for each gem material and this will enable you to distinguish between apparent look-alikes.
You could use a hydrostatic balance, as well as the simple water displacement method, to measure the specific gravity of weight measurements. To show that the gemstone under question has a particular identity, compare its specific gravity to known specific gravity.
For instance, diamond has an approximate specific gravity of 3.52, where sapphire has an SG of around 3.95-4.03.
Gemstones are checked like a real professional through a visual check, testing for hardness, measuring refractive index, observing optical phenomena, and determining specific gravity. Knowledge of these techniques allows getting closer to the right answer and gaining a fuller comprehension of these most interesting natural wonders. Such skills help a lot either to access jewelry or to build up your collection of gems.
Comments
Post Comments