Anyone who surfs online for genuine gemstone jewelry, whether they are looking at antique, vintage or contemporary pieces, will more than likely come across jewelry titles with very descriptive add on words which ends up, sadly, often being a gemstone impostor.

Or has something like this happened to you: Your best friend has just told you that she got a real steal on an American Ruby. Do you have the courage (or even the knowledge) to tell her that she may have just purchased a lesser valued garnet instead?

Gemstones are notorious for being described with additional words in the title. Sometimes the added word will make a simple piece of glass sound more like the real deal and other times, it will be used to signify one precious or semi precious stone, when a lesser value one is actually being sold.

Here are some common gemstone impostors. There are dozens more if you do your homework:

a.. Oriental Emerald (green sapphire)
b.. Australian Jade (treated quartz)
c.. Roman pearls (glass beads)
d.. Ceylon Opal (moonstone)
e.. German Lapis (dyed Jasper)

And it is not just gemstones that are the culprits. Diamonds being sold with descriptive words in their title are also very misleading to consumers too. Often these descriptive diamond titles are actually leading you to a piece of quartz. Here are a few diamond titles which are all quartz in some form:

a.. German diamond
b.. Herkimer diamond
c.. Bohemian Diamond

Perhaps you know just what it is that you are seeing described and that is just what you have been searching for, albeit not the real deal. In that case, go ahead and purchase it. But do your homework first to help you understand what you are really buying, lest you purchase a Spanish emerald, only to discover later that it is a piece of colored glass.

A quick search on Google of the name of the advertised gemstone with its descriptive add on word will usually tell you what you may really be buying. And use common sense. If it is a deal or price too good to be true, it may very well be a fake. Synthetic stones are usually moderately priced for the simple reason that they are not as rare as real gemstones.

Carol Speake
Visit: Finishing Touch Vintage Jewelry