Beware of rubies in "closed-back settings".
If a price is too good to be true, it isn’t a true ruby.
Watch for "cultured" or "created" stones. These are fancy names for synthetics.
Look out for nicknames like "Brazilian Rubies." These are not rubies.

Synthetic rubies are grown in a lab with the same materials and conditions as real rubies. Fake rubies are glass. These imitations can't be deceptive by themselves, funny, you can trust a rock, but you can't trust some people.

Here's the lowdown on these innocent imitations.

Fakes: If you look at enough rubies, it won't be long before you can tell real from paste. Color, clarity shape and size are consistent in true rubies, glass will tend to be too big, too red etc. Now, some practical tips to make the difference as clear as glass:

1. Unless you discover a treasure at a garage sale, there is no such thing as a "clearance sale" on top quality rubies.
2. Clarity is relative. Getting to know all of ruby's particular flaws will help you identify them.
3. Size is relative. If you see enough real stones, you'll get to know pretty much how big a 1/2 carat ruby should be.
4. Pear cut, square shape, oval or cushion; almost every ruby over 1 carat is given a mixed cut.
5. Watch out for rubies in closed back settings.

The other trick in spotting glass, is to look at a lot of it; up close, through a loupe. Get to know the gas bubbles and streaks that you would never see in a ruby. Also:

1. Look out for big "stones" with simple cuts.
2. See lots of little scratches? Not likely on a real ruby.
3. Those facet edges may be lovely and soft, but rubies facet edges should be crisp and sharp.
4. Tiny bubbles can indicate two things; glass rubies, or Don Ho's in the house.

If the glass is really good, and some of them are, a gemologist can run a couple tests and let you know for sure. But it'll cost you a couple hundred bucks, not really worth it for a $500 pair of earrings.

Synthetics: Sometimes called cultured or created stones, these imitations are actually grown just like a ruby, only in a lab. Therefore, some of the tests that determine fakes won't work because, technically, these are rubies. But, watch for these warning flags;

Think of your ruby like you do your spouse and learn to love them the same way, warts and all.

1. Most natural rubies over a carat are oval or cushion mixed cut. It's not unusual to see one carat synthetics in a brilliant cut to round or emerald shape.
2. Groovy facets does not mean that this is a hip ruby. It means it's synthetic. Under a ten-power loupe, examine a stone's facets for round grooves like those on a record album.
   
   Gemologists can also do tests on light absorbtion, synthetic specific inclusions etc. in case you have found a "stone" you absolutely love, but want to be sure of its authenticity.
3. You even have to watch out for "antiques", synthetics have been around for about a hundred years.

Now let's take a look at the real fakes; the people who push these imitations off as the real thing. These tricks can be totally legitimate repair and composition practices, but are most often employed to deceive.

Filling holes: Holes occur naturally when a gemcutter exposes a negative crystal along a facet. Rather than cut away valuable weight, the holes are left as a unique quality of the stone. Unscrupulous dealers will fill the hole with glass or Borax paste which turns to glass in heat treatment. These fillings add weight, hence cost, to a stone, and they also enable these dealers to pass the stone off as higher quality, again boosting price.

Look for patches of uneven luster when reflecting light off the surface of a ruby. If you find a spotty spot, your gemologist can perform chemical dips and microscopic examinations to confirm or refute your suspicions. Fortunately, the practice is rare because most jewelers are very ethical professionals.

Foil Backed Stones: Not common anymore, but if you're looking at antique rings, particularly in a closed back setting, proceed with caution.

Composites or Doublets: The most common doublet today is real ruby glued on top of synthetic. But in the past there were true doublets of ruby and ruby, and false doublets of garnet on glass. Composites can be unglued when dipped in rubbing alcohol, glues tend to discolor. But not all glue will give the marriage away, so watch out.

Bezel or Closed Back Settings: The best way to hide any flaw or fraud is by simply selling the stone in a setting that hides the truth. Bezel settings, where a band surrounds the girdle and closed back settings are the two most common hiding places.

A ruby is never anything but a ruby: Rubies don't have nicknames. If you encounter an "American ruby", it's garnet, a "Bohemian ruby" is rose quartz. There a number of these monikers attached to cheaper red stones and called rubies. It's not illegal, unless the jeweler insists it's a real ruby.

Get everything in writing: Shop at a reputable dealer, know your stones, ask lots of questions and get all treatments, repairs, composites or nicknames clearly written on your bill of sale.

Qualified dealers: Don't trust signs, newspapers, or advertisements. If you are shopping for a quality gemstone, talk to your friends, call the chamber of commerce, or the Better Business Bureau. Get to know your rubies. If you want to invest in quality gemstones, know the market. This way you'll know if your jeweler is showing you a brilliant stone, or just trying to shine one over on you.

You can also contact the gemological associations directly for member dealers and appraisers.

American Gemological Laboratories
580 Fifth Ave. Suite 706
New York, NY. 10036
(212) 704-0727 (800) 421-7250 (inside the U.S.)

Gemological Institute of America
1660 Stewart Street
Santa Monica, CA. 90404
(310) 829-5491

Answer to quiz: c