| Birthstone jewelry makes a perfect gift. There's | | | | natural gemstone. It's difficult to tell the |
| no worrying about whether the color is right or if | | | | difference even for a jeweler. Most lab created |
| the size is correct. Rings can easily be sized up | | | | stones are without any flaws and are nearly |
| one or two sizes or down at the local jeweler. | | | | perfectly colored. Lab stones created to |
| Many online jewelry stores offer rings in several | | | | intentionally be sold as natural are created with |
| sizes and even show you how to measure for | | | | flaws and imperfections. Most synthetic stones |
| the correct size. | | | | are created in the United States, transported to |
| Jewelry doesn't have to be horrendously | | | | the Far East, sold in the Far East because that's |
| expensive if you know where to shop. How | | | | where most rubies and sapphires are mined and |
| about a one carat diamond ring for just a bit | | | | sold and then imported back to the United States |
| more than $200.00? Don't think that's possible? | | | | or to Europe. |
| Well it is when the diamonds are set in sterling | | | | Simulated Stones |
| silver instead of platinum, or white gold, and there | | | | Stimulated stones are not made of the same |
| are 168 diamonds adding up to a total weight of | | | | chemical composition as natural stones. |
| one carat instead of 3 or 4 bigger diamonds. | | | | Simulated pearls are not pearls at all for example |
| If bracelets are more your type of gift, surprise | | | | but usually plastic or mother of pearl over |
| her with an emerald bracelet of nearly seven | | | | plastic. Cubic zirconia stones are sold as |
| carats set in vermeil (gold overlaid on silver) for | | | | simulated diamonds and when colored as |
| less than $200. The bracelet is a basket weave | | | | simulated rubies, emeralds and sapphires. Again |
| setting allowing more light to interplay and bounce | | | | this is perfectly fine as long as the stones aren't |
| off the emeralds highlighting their intense green | | | | misrepresented as being the real deal. |
| color. | | | | False Categorization |
| When on the hunt for jewelry bargains, shopping | | | | Certain stones are associated with certain colors: |
| at a reliable jeweler, whether offline or online is | | | | topaz is yellow or blue, amethysts are purple, |
| important to make sure you receive the quality | | | | emeralds are green, rubies are red, and sapphires |
| you've paid for. Buying second hand birthstones | | | | are blue. However there are many gemstones |
| or birthstone jewelry from an auction site, or in | | | | that come in a variety of colors. And that's |
| person at a second hand shop or pawn shop is | | | | great if you have your heart set on blue |
| risky. Many times only a certified gemologist is | | | | gemstones, for example, but can't afford |
| able to separate the real birthstones from the | | | | sapphires. Blue topaz is available at a more |
| imposters. | | | | budget minded cost. If you love rubies, which |
| Seeing a foil backed gemstone or a closed back | | | | can be very expensive, you may be able to |
| setting is a dead giveaway that the stones are | | | | afford garnets which are less expensive. |
| glass rather than real. However some of the | | | | The problem is when the less expensive stone is |
| more brilliant crystals don't require either the foil | | | | sold as the more expensive stone. Another take |
| backing for their brilliance and are often set in | | | | on this is to rename the less expensive stone as |
| open pronged settings. | | | | a variety of the more expensive stone. Below |
| Doublets | | | | are a few such examples: |
| Colored gemstones are valued on their color and | | | | Arkansas diamond is quartz |
| size. The deeper the color and closer to the | | | | Matura diamond is zircon |
| spectral hue -- the color you see in a rainbow -- | | | | Evening emerald is peridot |
| the more valuable. Since most jewelry is viewed | | | | Oriental emerald is green sapphire |
| from the top of the stone, placing a deeply hued | | | | Slocum opal is plastic |
| slice of the same gemstone on topic of a paler | | | | Majorca Pearls are plastic |
| gemstone infuses the entire gem with a deeper | | | | Australian ruby is garnet |
| color. For example: beryl, the mineral emeralds | | | | Water sapphire is iolet |
| are made of, comes in shades of pale yellow to | | | | Madeira topaz is citrine quartz |
| dark green (as well as red but that's another | | | | Shopping at an established online jewelry shop |
| story). A slice of grass green beryl on top of a | | | | with a strong reputation is critical. A beautiful |
| pale yellow faceted stone makes the entire stone | | | | bracelet with gemstones graduating from yellow |
| look greener. The slice is easily hidden by the | | | | to pink to orange accented with white gemstones |
| cut of the stone. In fact unless you know the | | | | should be labeled as sapphires and zircons (which |
| doublet is there it's difficult to spot. | | | | is a natural gemstone not to be confused with |
| Nearly every gemstone, including opals, can be | | | | cubic zirconias) not as some sort of colored |
| faked with a doublet. The gemstone is real so | | | | diamonnette bracelet. |
| testing methods won't show it to be a fraud. The | | | | A beautiful ring with a large yellow stone |
| value can be completely misrepresented. | | | | surrounded by multi colored gems is actually a |
| Synthetics | | | | 7.45 ct center Citrine stone surrounded by |
| Many gemstones, especially the more expensive | | | | tsavorites, rubies, and sapphires. It shouldn't be |
| ones, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds can be | | | | misrepresented as a yellow topaz ring surrounded |
| created in a lab at a much lesser cost than natural | | | | by emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. |
| stones. There is nothing wrong with a synthetic | | | | Birthstone jewelry is a nearly perfect gift. Know |
| gemstone as long as it's not misrepresented as a | | | | what you're getting and get what you pay for. |