*I have 2 10K antique gold rings with blue stones that may or may not be Topaz. One ring has a large oval and the other has 3 rectangle stones.
*How do I tell if the “Topaz” gems/ stones are real? I have no jewelry store in my area.
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CookieGrandma60 Reputation: 261 See CookieGrandma60's booth |
Dejavu is correct that the only real way to tell if it is a blue topaz is to find a certified gemologist to see it and they can run tests. There are so many treatments done to stones, including blue topaz, so its really difficult to tell without proper gem equipment if it is in fact a topaz or some other type of stone.
As LOL1955 mentioned you can get a jeweler’s loupe, but I know from experience that if you do not know what you are looking at or looking for a loupe is not going to tell you that type of stone it is. Even an experienced gemologist will have to use other equipment like a refractometer or put it under a microscope, though a refractometer is the best for narrowing it down. Each stone, even glass has a refractive index (RI) that is unique to the type of stone. Topaz though normally does not come in the color blue and is heat treated to obtain the color blue. Swiss blue topaz has more of an “electric” pop within the blue color, where a London blue topaz is a deeper richer color of blue. The RI for topaz is 1.609 – 1.643 which is higher than the RI of glass.
If the rings are vintage and set in gold (not plated) more than likely it is a genuine topaz. We personally set ours in silver (which is a precious metal) because gold is so unbelievably expensive now. I have different blue topazes on our page, both have been tested with our refractometer so you can use that as a guage between the sky blue topaz and London blue to see the differences in color.
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AMysticsJourney Reputation: 39 See AMysticsJourney's booth |
It speaks well for the stones that they are set in gold, even 10kt, as one doesn’t usually set glass into precious metal.
One of the least-expensive and most useful tools ANYONE can own is a jeweler’s loupe. This inexpensive item (around $15 in most cases) can let you closely examine a stone up close and personally. If, when you are gazing into the stone under 10x magnification, you see what appear to be bubbles, you know the “stone” is, in fact, glass.
There are other tools for jewels, such as Chelsea filters, and so on. A good book on gem identification is another great plus. Last of all, there are many good sources of information online, such as the International Colored Gemstone Association.
Happy sleuthing!
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lol1955 Reputation: 48 See lol1955's booth |
If you plan to list them, it is best to find out what you have there so that you may realize the full value of them.
Also, you can not call a stone just any stone name without knowing what it is for sure because there are laws against [URL removed]
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Most fine jewelry stores have a certified gemologist on staff. They can look at it under a loupe and see what stone it is.
(Response to color comment in this roundtable.)
Color is a factor but what is most important about color is whether or not the stone is heat treated or if it is a completely untreated natural stone.
There are other things that go into measuring the quality of stones but not all of them mean that the stone is a genuine, natural stone.
Here’s some additional [URL removed]
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DakotaGold Reputation: 374 See DakotaGold's booth |
eHow now has over 150,000 How to videos! The addition of video tutorials will provide you with even more ways to research, share and discuss all things How To at > [URL removed]
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MONTROSE Reputation: 8354 See MONTROSE's booth |
…that can only be determined by a certified Gemologist. You can call it a Blue stone but not specify topaz, aquamarine, sapphire etc. If it were a modern piece purchased from a legitimate jeweler who sold it as a Blue Topaz that’s an entirely different story.
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DejavuTreasures Reputation: 14 See DejavuTreasures' booth |
Thank you all for your great comments and information! I finally do have pictures listed in my booth.
I’ve looked at all stones with a loupe and I don’t see any bubbles. Also there are tiny clear stones on each ring which, at the bottom, are set in open metal so are clear all the way through. Possibly small diamonds.
Please take a look at my photos in Cookie Grandma’s Collectibles booth.
Thanks so much!
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CookieGrandma60 Reputation: 261 See CookieGrandma60's booth |
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