Are you looking for a perfect-looking Amethyst stone with solid purple colour? Well, in that case, you may end up buying a fake Amethyst. Genuine Amethyst stones should have different colour zoning and shades of purple, blue, and white.
But that's not all to identify an authentic Amethyst, one of the most popular and beautiful gemstones. Since the gemstone world is full of synthetic lab-created crystals and fake stones, you should be careful to buy Amethyst gemstone online or from a store.
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Fret not! Here, we'll discuss differentiating between an authentic and fake Amethyst stone.
Before we discuss how to identify real Amethyst, it's essential to know what it is. As a type of quartz mineral, Amethyst's purple hue ranges from pale lavender to deep violet and reddish-brown, depending on the presence of various trace elements and radiation exposure at the time of formation.
Amethyst stone is known not only for its fascinating beauty but also for its healing properties and symbolism. Hence, it is widely used in jewellery, decorative items, religious artifacts, and for spiritual and meditational purposes. Amethyst bracelets and rings are often worn to bring clarity, mindfulness, deep contemplation, serenity, and balance.
Colour is the first and foremost consideration when identifying a gemstone. Usually, an original Amethyst stone has colour zoning instead of a single colour block.
Amethyst's natural purple or violet colour appears due to manganese and iron's presence. You'll find variations such as lavender, crimson, mauve, deep violet, light lilac, wine red, violet-blue, etc.
Hold the quartz crystal in front of the light. You may catch a glimpse of different shades sparkling and splashing around the faceted surface. It's the sign of an original Amethyst stone. Also, a clean and clear saturated division of colour should be on its surface. The clearer the stone, the higher the Amethyst gemstone price.
A genuine Amethyst stone should be felt cool even in summer. By placing the stone on your forehead, you can feel the difference – a cold feeling for the real stone and a warm feeling for the fake stone according to your forehead temperature.
To know whether an Amethyst gemstone is genuine or not, conducting a gravity test is very worthwhile. As per the standard ratio, a natural Amethyst stone's gravity is around 2.65. The lengthy examination process requires a scale, a beaker, and water. It will tell if the stone's density matches the correct number or not.
A real Amethyst can scratch glass without damaging itself. Being comparatively tough stone, it can cut most solid surfaces. So, you can try it on a ceramic tile or a glass surface to check if it leaves any white streaks behind.
Natural Amethyst comes in various cuts, including hearts, round squares, and pear shapes. Sometimes, jewellers cut the stones for their imperfect look while making amethyst bracelets, rings and necklaces.
Along with examining the gemstone's different cuts, check their polish and flatness. Check the stone with a magnifying glass.
You may find some inclusions and imperfections in an Amethyst, but these should not appear as cloudy or visible bubbles or fractures. Take a magnifying glass beneath the surface of the Amethyst stone; if you see bubbles, it may not be a quartz-like Amethyst. It should be eye-clear but not crystal-clear.
Knowing three grade categories of Amethyst helps customers buy amethyst gemstone online. Here are three grades of Amethyst –
· Natural AA: This is the most common, widely available category, as 50 - 75% of gemstones fall into this group. Natural AA stones are heavy and light purple and come with medium inclusion. These gemstones are even available with small street jewellers.
· Natural AAA: Around 20-30% of Amethysts fall in this category. This gemstone category comes in medium purple in colour.
· Natural AAAA: The highest quality of natural Amethyst gemstone is 10% available on the market. With high transparency, darker shade of purple and beautiful cuts, the original amethyst stone price is higher in the market.
Whereas these methods of differentiating between a real Amethyst and a fake one are easy and practical, one can still hesitate to choose the genuine gemstone. Hence, you can always go to a qualified and expert gemstone gemologist to examine it before purchasing.
Also, always consider a reputable and authorized gemstone dealer like Brahma Gems to buy amethyst gemstone online. Remember, buying a fine amethyst from a genuine dealer like Brahma Gems can help you avoid extra.