Synthetic & Fake Emeralds

The magnificent shade of green that the emeralds possess may just be one of the most sought after tones in the history of gemstones. Along with its astounding color is its ability to reflect a vitreous luster that has always been supreme. It was never questioned that that due to its superlative characteristics; it has earned its reputation by being named as one of the four precious stones.

Emerald is the most significant green variety of the mineral beryl. Beryl scored 7.5 – 8 in the Moh’s scale in terms of hardness. Other varieties of beryl include aquamarine and heliodor. Its crystals are commonly found in hexagonal forms. Beryl is colorless by nature and colored beryl may be plainly referred to by their possessed color, like red beryl. But in case of green beryl, they have earned their rights to be called as emeralds. Its fascinating color is caused by traces of vanadium and chromium and a little bit of iron.

Emerald is considered precious because of its lustrous beauty and extreme rarity. The finest grades of emeralds are clear and transparent; however these types are very scarce. Most emeralds appear clouded with internal inclusions. Some may see these inclusions as flaws but others refer to them as fingerprints of nature. They are also a good way to tell apart natural ones from synthetic & fake emeralds.

Emerald is considered as the birthstone of May-born individuals, as well as the gemstone the zodiac signs of both Cancer and Taurus. Along with your traditional concept of emerald being green, what you may not know is that they can come on various shades ranging from tones of blue to pale green. Clearer emeralds with the most intense color demand the highest values in the trade of jewelry.

The World Around Synthetic Emeralds

Emerald is one amongst the few gemstones given with so much regard. Its rarity and towering value attract counterfeiters to manufacture synthetic & fake emeralds. Due to the advent of technology, countless methods have been developed to mass produce synthetic emeralds. But amongst all the other types, flux-growth and hydrothermal verities of synthetics have been produced.

The first ever synthetic emerald was produced way back in 1848, but it was only recently that they have been available in the market. However, not all synthetic are worthless, most of them are merely colorless beryl which are enhance and treated to become emeralds. Although, anatomically speaking they still aren’t of the same structure as the authentic beryl crystals.
However, some manufacturers use a very tricky technique known as doublets. In a synthetic emerald ring, the so-called stone is already mounted on the ring and bound together with a very deep green paste. It may consist two lightly colored green gems like aquamarine or pale green beryl which are cemented together, the green paste creates an illusion of darker pigmentation which sometimes make inexperienced buyer believe that they really are authentic emeralds.

Due to the widespread of synthetic and fake emeralds, it is good to arm yourself against these acts of fraud. So, how can you really protect yourself against these inhumane acts of deception? First is to arm yourself with lots and lots of information. Do thorough researching and investigation. Never compromise price over quality. The best way to buy real emeralds and gemstones is to purchase it from a reputable jewelry store to which you have earned confidence with. Although, everything is truly unpredictable, it is best to trust your instincts in your quest for finding the real ones.

It is quite disappointing to hear that one of the rarest and precious stones have also been counterfeited. Not only will the fake ones harm the reputation that has long been treasured by these gems, they will also affect the sales of the real ones. So, if you’re planning to buy one, be sure to get assistance from an expert to avoid deception.