Gemstones

Gemstones - How real is real?

By Anna Lynn C. Sibal

For a girl to be able to determine if her jewels are real or not, she must first learn to differentiate what natural gemstones, genuine gemstones, and synthetic gemstones are.

A natural gemstone is a stone that has not been interfered with through any human technology. As the name implies, a natural gemstone is a stone that occurs naturally. They were cut and polished by jewelers for use in jewelry settings, but were otherwise left alone.

All natural gemstones are genuine gemstones; however, not all genuine gemstones are natural gemstones. A genuine gemstone can be a stone that has been treated to enhance its appearance and, therefore, to make it more sellable.

On the other hand, a synthetic gemstone is something created in a laboratory rather than taken from a gemstone mine. The process in which a gemstone is formed naturally is duplicated and used to mass produce gems. Sometimes, synthetic gemstones are also called genuine, but only because they have the same physical composition as natural gemstones.

When shopping for jewelry, we should be careful because modern technology has made it somewhat hard to tell whether a gemstone is natural, genuine or synthetic. This is why it is very important to buy jewelry only from a reputed jeweler, someone you can trust absolutely. Feel free to ask for details and documentation on the makeup and origin of the gemstone you are thinking of buying before you actually purchase it. This is most especially true for natural gemstones, which are rare and often very expensive.

If the jeweler you are buying the gemstone from cannot or would not produce documentation, hang on to your wallet or credit card and seek another source.

If you are thinking of buying a natural gemstone, ask yourself if you want a specific stone or if you just want a specific color. If you want a natural ruby, for example, you may have trouble finding one, and if you do, you may find it very pricey. But if you can afford one, why not? However, if you just want a natural gemstone that is colored red, maybe a garnet would do instead. Garnets, while not as precious as rubies, are rarely treated and can be just as exquisite.

A natural gemstone is definitely desirable, but you ought to try not to look down too much on genuine but treated gemstones and on synthetic gemstones. Treated gemstones and synthetic gemstones can look just as gorgeous as the natural ones, but without the hefty price tag. Of course, genuine but treated gemstones and synthetic gemstones are not exactly inexpensive either, but you may want to consider buying these babies instead of the natural ones and save yourself some money. After all, with the technological advancement being enjoyed in the jewelry industry, it is hard to tell which is which.

Just be sure that you know for yourself that the gemstone you are wearing is the real deal that you paid for.

Also see: Fashion Jewelry