What are the Most Common Colored Gemstone Misconceptions You Hear?

[Skyjems]

Being in the trade, I get a lot of people asking me questions that are born out of 'a little bit of knowledge'

One of the most common: Emeralds Turn Red Under A Chelsea Filter

I'm sure most PSers know that this isn't true, SOME Colombian emeralds turn red under a chelsea filter, but it's actually one of the most useless tools anyone owns because too much iron blocks the chromium from being visible!

One good use for the Chelsea filter is to check Chrome Tourmaline, Chrome Tourmaline should indeed always at the very least turn pink with the chelsea filter.

SO: What are some you have heard or even better, what are some that you believed until you found the PS community?

 

[LD]

Not quite as technical as you may want but these always make me chuckle .....

This is an investment gemstone

You never see inclusions in synthetic gemstones

If you lick/smell (you get the idea) it will tell you if a gemstone is real.

 

[Skyjems]

"If you lick/smell (you get the idea) it will tell you if a gemstone is real."

This is a favourite! Put the gem to your forehead and if it is cold and then warms quickly, it's a natural gem. (this is not a good test!)

It actually was a common way to test if a stone is glass and was usually used for quartzes, but synthetics are so far advanced today that this hasn't been useful for at least 70 years!!!

 

[lilmosun]

That a "real" or "genuine" stone is not artificially enhanced.

 

[chrono]

Not a misconception per se, but I cringe every time I read about someone trying a scratch test with a knife!

 

[LD]

Not a misconception per se, but I cringe every time I read about someone trying a scratch test with a knife!

And "does it cut glass"?

 

[Skyjems]

Not a misconception per se, but I cringe every time I read about someone trying a scratch test with a knife!

Part 2 of this is: 'diamonds are unbreakable'

It is painful to have to squash this over and over and over again!

 

[LD]

And another beauty .............

"This was in my grandmother's ring and it's an antique and they didn't have synthetic gemstones then so it must be real".

 

[motownmama]

And another beauty .............

"This was in my grandmother's ring and it's an antique and they didn't have synthetic gemstones then so it must be real".

“Heirloom”

 

[kenny]

Emeralds are one of the good choices for an engagement ring (which would be worn daily).

For white diamonds ... the ones that sparkle the most have the high color and clarity of D IF ... not good cut.

I'm sure many people believe this non-truth about Fancy Colored Diamonds because some unethical vendors advertise mined FCDs as being "natural" even though the color itself is not natural, rather the result of lab treatment.
Of course in their promotional content they scream loudly about FCDs (with origin of material AND color being the earth) being sold for millions at Christies and Sotheby's.

 

[Mrs_Strizzle]

My avatar ring can't be a Sapphire because its not royal blue. My blue spinel has to be a Sapphire. My tsavorite has to be an emerald, etc.

 

[Bron357]

Yes.
if it changes colour it’s an Alexandrite and my grandmother said came from Russia and it’s HUGE so I’m rich,rich,rich.

 

[voce]

"My jeweler tested it, it must be a natural, untreated stone."

"All sapphires are heated, and unheated ruby and sapphire are myths."

 

[chroman]

Garnets are dark reddish brown.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Garnets are dark reddish brown.

This is something i only learnt the truth of from PS

and like Kenny i cringe at emerald as an ER but the most risky ER i can think of is a pearl

 

[Mrs_Strizzle]

This is something i only learnt the truth of from PS

and like Kenny i cringe at emerald as an ER but the most risky ER i can think of is a pearl

My cousin bought an opal to propose with. Sigh.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

My cousin bought an opal to propose with. Sigh.

Oh
I blame the person who sold it to him

i may have a lot of mall jewlery but to the credit of the lady who served me she stoped me buying a hollow ring

How long do you think the poor opal will last ?

 

[LilAlex]

Part 2 of this is: 'diamonds are unbreakable'

Hahahahaha! BIL once had to stop a buddy from hitting his new e-ring-bound diamond with a hammer "to make sure that it's real."

 

[jordyonbass]

1. Aussie Opal needs to be kept in or near a water source
2. Aussie Opal should not be put in an ultrasonic cleaner
3. Domestic grade cleaners and high proof alcohol should be kept away from Aussie Opal
4. Opal is bad luck

All wrong.

 

[LemonMoonLex]

People who are delusional & have no idea what they have. I.e. believing a cheap synthetic or simulated stone is this grandiose "real deal" gem.

They ask for opinions yet ignore or berate those who have differing ones. These people are hard to not dismiss as trolls but yet they still come around swearing their stone is a gazillion dollars.

So for me blatant disregard for expert opinion & deluded thinking.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Calling greenish yellow Chrysoberyl that changes to orange/brown "Alexandrite". Technically it can be true but it doesn't fool the eyes. I also think there are too many gemstone sellers who call color shift gemstones "color change" gemstones.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

People who are delusional & have no idea what they have. I.e. believing a cheap synthetic or simulated stone is this grandiose "real deal" gem.

They ask for opinions yet ignore or berate those who have differing ones. These people are hard to not dismiss as trolls but yet they still come around swearing their stone is a gazillion dollars.

So for me blatant disregard for expert opinion & deluded thinking.

On the otherside of the coin the people who think grandma's stuff is cheap fakes

or who stop loving grandma's treasure once they learn its not as valuable as they hoped

 

[LD]

Calling greenish yellow Chrysoberyl that changes to orange/brown "Alexandrite". Technically it can be true but it doesn't fool the eyes. I also think there are too many gemstone sellers who call color shift gemstones "color change" gemstones.

Actually that’s an excellent point. I always use colour change (I’m not selling anything though) only because it’s easier!

For the benefit of others ......

Colour change- moves from one side of the colour wheel to another.

Colour shift - moves to an adjacent or nearby colour on the colour wheel.

 

[missy]

1. Aussie Opal needs to be kept in or near a water source
2. Aussie Opal should not be put in an ultrasonic cleaner
3. Domestic grade cleaners and high proof alcohol should be kept away from Aussie Opal
4. Opal is bad luck

All wrong.

Yeah all wrong. Opals are amazing good luck! How could something so gorgeous not be?


Can you share more info about water and opals @jordyonbass? Thank you!

 

[Nick_G]

"Spinel? Oh, isn't that the cheap synthetic stuff they use for class rings?"

I wonder how many people still think that these days?

 

[Mrs_Strizzle]

Yeah all wrong. Opals are amazing good luck! How could something so gorgeous not be?


Can you share more info about water and opals @jordyonbass? Thank you!

Yes! My son said recently when looking at my opal, "Cavemen must have thought God was speaking to them when they found these." I loved that.

 

[missy]

Yes! My son said recently when looking at my opal, "Cavemen must have thought God was speaking to them when they found these." I loved that.

Aww I love that too...your son is a sensitive and sweet soul

 

[Mrs_Strizzle]

"Spinel? Oh, isn't that the cheap synthetic stuff they use for class rings?"

I wonder how many people still think that these days?

I honestly wish more did so I could collect more for a song like I used to be able to!

 

[jordyonbass]

Yeah all wrong. Opals are amazing good luck! How could something so gorgeous not be?


Can you share more info about water and opals @jordyonbass? Thank you!

Of course @missy

All Opal contains a certain percentage of water since it's a hydrated silica, however the higher the percentage of water the more hydrophane an Opal tends to be and less stable. Welo is very high percentage, I believe it is somewhere around 10-15% but I could be wrong. Aussie Opal is far less with Black Opal usually having the least at less than 5% (again, could be wrong as recalling off the top of my head but the overall point is Welo has more water content).

The environment that the Opal forms in has a lot to do with this; Aussie Opal forms in sedimentary clays and very harsh conditions so the Opal has stood the test of time for millions of years. Welo Opal has formed in volcanic clays which are a lot more gentle on Opals.

 

[T L]

Misconception 1: The darker the gem, the better quality it is.

The fact is that whether the gem is dark or light, it is the saturation that usually determines the color quality, not the tone.

Misconception 2: A treated gemstone is better.

While it is true that some gems improve in value via treatment, like paraiba tourmaline, many treatments are so invasive, they hurt the value.

Misconception 3:
A lab report is a certificate

Many vendors like to use the claim that a lab report “certifies” the quality of a gemstone, but they certify nothing. In fact, I would be very leery of any report that claims it’s a certificate and/or provides an appraisal. Reputable lab reports certify nothing. They are merely opinions, and labs can easily disagree with one another.

Misconception 4:
There are certain gems that are overhyped and lied about to the consumer audience.

I won’t get into what these gems are, but when you constantly hear things like the mine is drying up for 20 years, or they have a mystical quality, etc... well, it’s probably not true.