Rare, unique, and valuable – three words that come to mind while observing a gemstone. And, maybe it’s true that they have the power to align the fates in your favor. The markets are flooded with gemstones that aren’t quite the real deal and shoppers often fall victim to synthetic stones, outright fakes, and substandard stones lacking in quality.

If you don’t wish to fall in the trap of fake stones, there are certain things you can keep in mind while buying gemstones.  

Five Factors to Ensure Authenticity of Gemstones

1. Feel – Before you do anything else, touch the gemstone, run a finger along its surface. If you feel roughness or sandy texture, that may be the first sign that it’s not genuine.
2. Examine Growth Patterns – Real gemstones have specific growth patterns that are usually angular within them. If you notice that the stone you are holding has more curved growth patterns, it is most likely a synthetic piece.
3. Gas Bubbles – While natural stones can also come with gas bubbles within them, the presence of large, round bubbles, especially strung together, indicates either an imitation stone or one that has been synthetically produced.
4. Color – Stones falling on the warm side of a color spectrum such as yellow, red and orange should be examined for shades of brown in their tint, and cooler colors such as blue, turquoise and purple should be examined for grey tints. The lesser the presence of these tints, the better the quality of the stone.  
5. Luster, Transparency, and Dispersion – Luster, or the way the stone shines under light is a good clue for quality. If the light is reflected unevenly or dully, you may have a fake. Different stones have different properties of transparency, as well. Some are clear, some are opaque, and some are solid. Check that the stone you are buying has the same transparency level as it typically should. The same stands true for dispersion, or the way the stone separates light that’s shone through its surface. A genuine stone will disperse light in a specific manner, and if it’s a copy the dispersion pattern will be different.

There are more thorough tests such as refractive index, hardness, and specific gravity, but they all require testing equipment to determine. If you deal with gemstones often then investing in them, or tying up with a lab who already has this equipment may prove beneficial. If you don’t have the knowledge, bandwidth, and financial muscle to test the stones yourself, then you need to be more discerning with where you buy your gemstones from.

Deal only with reputed companies and brands that have built up goodwill in the market with good business practices. Ask questions whenever you have doubts and look up reviews of the dealer before you purchase. If you do have further questions about a stone’s genuineness, visit a gemologist who can look at it and offer a professional opinion.