Don’t believe "too-good-to-be-true" ads for top quality gemstones.
Large, quality stones will never have a simple cut.
Look out for stones in closed back settings. That’s a great way to hide synthetic signifiers.
Synthetics can be beautiful, as long as you don’t buy them thinking they’re real.

The difference between synthetic and fake is that fakes are basically glass, while synthetics are grown in a lab with the same chemical makeup and same conditions under which real sapphires are grown. These imitations cannot be deceptive by themselves. No, it takes people to make imitation gemstones fraudulent. So, here’s the lowdown on these innocent bystanders.

Fakes: The best way to tell real sapphires from glass is to look at a lot of sapphires, and a lot of glass. That’s right, take a close look at your drinking glasses, ashtrays, etc. In no time at all, you’ll be able to spot the features that are unique to both. Color, clarity, size and cut are consistent in real sapphires. Glass will tend to be too big, too colorful, too simply cut, etc. A few things to look for:

1. Tiny bubbles don’t occur in sapphires, but you’ll see plenty of them in glass.
2. Sapphire is very hard and won’t scratch easily. Glass will have lots of little surface scratches.
3. Glass "stones" will tend to have very simple facets with rounded edges. You want sharp, crisp cuts.

Synthetics: Sometimes called cultured or created stones, some of these lab-grown stones make for lovely affordable alternatives to natural sapphires. The main things to remember are that synthetics will never increase in value and some people will try to pass these lab-grown stones off for natural. Watch for these warning flags:

1. It’s not unusual to see synthetic stones over one carat in a brilliant cut to round or emerald shape. That’s fine, but remember that natural stones that size are almost always oval or cushion mixed cut.
2. If you see an X cut on the facets of a stone, that’s a scissor cut, and almost always indicates a synthetic.
3. Groovy facets are not a special cut from the 1960s, they are a special flaw that only appears in lab grown stones and can be seen quite easily under a ten-power loupe. You’ll see them, they look like the grooves on record albums. You remember those, don’t you?
4. Synthetics have been around for about a hundred years, so just because you’re looking at your grandmother’s favorite sapphire ring, doesn’t mean it’s natural.

Gemologists can do a number of tests with light absorption, synthetic specific inclusions, heavy liquids etc., just in case you’ve found a stone you absolutely love but want it authenticated.

Now let’s take a look at a couple totally legitimate repair and, enhancement and composition practices that are totally legitimate, but are most often employed to deceive.

Filling Holes: Holes occur naturally when a gem-cutter exposes a negative crystal along a facet. Rather than cut away valuable weight, the holes are left as a unique quality of the individuality. Unscrupulous dealers will fill the holes with glass or borax paste which turns to glass in heat treatment. These fillings not only add weight, hence cost, to a stone, but they also enable dealers to pass the stones off as a higher quality than they are, again boosting price. Talk about a double whammy.

1. Look for patches of uneven luster when reflecting light off the surface of a stone. If you find a spotty spot, your gemologist can perform chemical dips and microscopic examinations to confirm or refute your suspicions. Fortunately, almost all jewelers are highly ethical professionals, so such sleazy practices are rare.

Foil Backed Stones: Not common anymore, but if you’re looking at antique rings, proceed with caution. By giving a sapphire a foil backing, more light will reflect off the stone, causing a brighter, more brilliant color. Again, nothing wrong with it, as long as you don’t pay for a color quality that’s got a little help from the same stuff you use to cover your leftovers.

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

Qualified Dealers: Don’t buy quality gemstones on impulse. Avoid "huge sales," and if you are truly about to spend thousands of dollars on a sapphire, get some recommendations from friends, the better business bureau, and most of all, get to know your stones before you make your final decision. If you are familiar with your investment, you’ll know if a 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