Thank you so much for all the information, you make the technical info sound like so much fun. Love your videos. I have being collecting gemstones and mineral for more than 8 years now. Your videos got me enthusiastic about learning more, just bought some gemology tools and started testing my collection. Its so exiting. Thanks a lot.
Hi Peter Nelson, question, I have some rough that I brought back from my gem adventures in Montana. I have sorted most of it, garnet and sapphire mostly. But you know I just got my UV light and found 4 pieces that react to UV!! How would you go about identifying these?
Great question Grim Jack. Some sapphires have enough chromium and the iron in them is arranged in a unique way, so they still fluoresce in UV. For Identifying thoroughly, gemologists will need 1 face to be well polished (for the refractometer) but a spectroscope and polariscope can help narrow down the results a lot. Garnets and sapphires both can have some fairly diagnostic absorption spectra, and an experienced user would just need a strong flashlight and the spectroscope. Again ~ to do a thorough job identifying the stones, the gemologist would need to do several tests, and having a polished facet would allow for a lot more thorough ID. They may also be able to see some inclusions that give them confidence to confirm that the stones are natural and whether or not the stone has been heated.
Hi ~ fluorescence will give you some sorts of information, but nothing definitive. Natural and synthetic (man-made) stones will both fluoresce, as will red spinel. That said... if your UV torch is low on battery, the effect may not seem so obvious regardless.
Thanks for the comment Hashimi ~ My goal with this channel has been to make learning about different stones as easy as possible. Once we know about the properties of gemstones, we can have an idea of how to test or inspect the gemstone to see if it is natural or synthetic. Unfortunately, there is no one piece of equipment or magic spells that will show us which stones are natural or synthetic. Keep watching the channel and you'll have a great start on knowing which stones are natural or synthetic. Otherwise, you can work with reputable labs and they often have enough experience and the right equipment to tell you which stones are natural or synthetic. th-cam.com/video/l8fvtkof9xQ/w-d-xo.html
I just bought a Chelsea filter. I need a little help. Ok soo long story short I’m an amateur gemologist. Ever since I was gifted THOUSANDS of gemstones from a gold and silver refiner. Omg sooo many all types. Can you suggest a nice guide of what to look for. Is it ok to use a black light instead of a regular light with the filter?? I also have a Polariscope, gem indicator, and refractive index meter.
Hi Christoph ~ Sounds like you've got some adventures ahead of you. My suggestion for you is to start with the Refractometer and polariscope tutorials on my channel (search gemology for schmucks polariscope tutorial etc) and then practice using the stones you have until you feel quite confident. For each stone, write down the reactions you find, because all stone identification is basically a process of eliminating possible stones from the list until there are few or 1 left. If you can successfully distinguish using the polariscope if the stone is SR (singly refractive) or DR (doubly refractive), you'll be a good leg up on the options, and then the Refractometer will help you narrow down from there. You can then check the lists of common gemstones for their features, like refractive index and birefringence. Once you've narrowed down which stones it might be, you'll need to use a loupe and see if you can find natural inclusions to support your data. OH! I'd suggest getting a mini-maglite with a lightbulb (not the LED kind) because that has a much more full spectrum light than blacklight or LED Blacklights have limited use in gem ID, but they can be useful for some things like fluorescence. That will come MUCH later in the ID process, unless you're dealing with garnets and rubies etc. Good luck~
There are many stones that can glow purple. You'd need to test the stone or have it tested to have more specific data. The refractive index would narrow down the answers a lot.
@Algoldprospecting the red stone glows purple is possibly a ruby as well. Take some glass and rub them on each other. If the stone scratches the glass with a track of color. It's a ruby. If the glass scratches the stone them you have something else. I have several rubies. If your of interest. They will be on the market as soon as I get them ready.
The lighting conditions that your stone is in will affect it substantially. For example, a ruby in a tropical area with intense sun year round will look quite different if the same stone was viewed in Norway in winter.
Question. As a retired jeweler/designer/collector for 50 years I have a bit of a dilemma. I sent my 1.65 ct ruby to GIA several years ago for certification requesting origin also. Their cert states it is Thai and with my experience, knowledge and research I disagree. After your statement in this video about chromium versus iron I checked it again. It fluoresces a beautiful pure red. Do you have a favorite alternative to GIA?
Origin is a particular thing, and certainly there is still an element of subjectivity. Chemical analysis is part of the equation, but the final call often comes down to the inclusion scene in the stone. a 1.65ct stone may not have enough of a convincing inclusion scene to make a confident call, particularly if it's clean. Anyhow ~ to your question about preferred labs, for corundum, there is a state run lab here in Bangkok (GIT) that has a significant database of samples that they cross-reference their tests against. The prices are reasonable and they don't have anyone to please, so they seem to be less biased than some more business oriented labs.
In the thumbnail picture? these 3 are the same stone in different lighting conditions. All corundum/ ruby. That particular deposit has a lot of graphite inclusions.
@@GemologyforSchmucks aah I see, I thought they were the same type but different, but thank you so much☺️.. I had checked some of my stones and it looked like that one, so maybe it could be that type then..
With the chelsea filter, you can use most light sources as long as they are strong. Same with the gemologist torch - whatever is strong will work for most applications, and many prefer a 2 or 3 way LED so that they can also get a clue as to whether or not a stone has colour change effect. Cheers
Yes they do. Synthetic rubies are coloured with the same element (chromium) that is in natural ruby, so they often fluoresce VERY strongly. Fluorescence is not a helpful tool in distinguishing natural and synthetic ruby.
Great question Rachel: absolutely. Chromium is what makes these stones light up like an atomic cherry under UV. For synthetic stones, they just pump them with a bunch of chromium, so you get that intense red colour in visible spectrum, and high fluorescence under UV. With Corundum (and rubies especially) It is important to get used to their common inclusion scenes in order to know which stones are synthetic and which are natural. Thx for the awesome comment~
Hello! I love all the information in your videos! Basically, I have recently been stumbling upon some very interesting rocks in a certain area. I brought some back home with me and cleaned them, and I felt something was special about them. I knew they were more than rocks. Libraries and informative Videos like yours has helped me to identify several as Sapphire. I have 4 colors of rough Sapphire and last week I discovered my first Ruby Specimen. I have what I believe to be large Opals in several varieties. I would love someone to look at see pictures to verify that. I would gladly compensate for your time. I have a large, pink Kimberlite Specimen that is littered with garnets and very likely many diamonds. My name is Steven Keeton. I guess just reply to this comment if your interested. Thanks for your time!
Thanks Steven~ I'm glad you enjoy my work. Depending on which colours and qualities of corundum/ sapphire that you have, it may be worth your time to find a gemologist in your area to test the stones and issue a report. As I'm in Thailand, that makes it a bit difficult XD Best of luck.
I was in Mexico and I found a huge red stone with a lot of red on the outside of the stone...I think it might be a Ruby...I can see the windows gemstone..🩵❤️💜
Statistically speaking, if it is a huge stone, it is unlikely to be ruby. Usually rubies occur in very small sizes. That said~ who knows without testing it to find out ^_^
![How to Become a Pro Gem Buyer with Spessartite [Gem Buyer's Guide]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_deZdjyypAo/mqdefault.jpg)
![The Tellers of Secrets [Gemologist Interview]](/img/n.gif)
Very interesting. I’m glad there’s no quiz...lots of info.
Leah Howard indeed so. Its the tip of the iceberg, but a nice excuse to flash a lot of stuff with a blacklight eh? 😁
Thank you so much for all the information, you make the technical info sound like so much fun. Love your videos. I have being collecting gemstones and mineral for more than 8 years now. Your videos got me enthusiastic about learning more, just bought some gemology tools and started testing my collection. Its so exiting. Thanks a lot.
My pleasure to serve. Thanks for the encouragement.
OMG, what a great gemologist 😊
Thx very much Mr. Boggers~ I appreciate the encouragement.
i live in tennessee and the ruby, sapphires both glow but have bought sapphires from montana dont glow LOL.
Different deposits produce different types of characteristics. Interesting to hear that the sapphires around you glow.
i am learning about gems sir
I am glad that you are learning, Sarath~
Informative...
Thanks Bonny. I strive ^_^
good job
Thanks very much~
thank you.
My pleasure, Robin~
Hi Peter Nelson, question, I have some rough that I brought back from my gem adventures in Montana. I have sorted most of it, garnet and sapphire mostly. But you know I just got my UV light and found 4 pieces that react to UV!! How would you go about identifying these?
Great question Grim Jack. Some sapphires have enough chromium and the iron in them is arranged in a unique way, so they still fluoresce in UV. For Identifying thoroughly, gemologists will need 1 face to be well polished (for the refractometer) but a spectroscope and polariscope can help narrow down the results a lot. Garnets and sapphires both can have some fairly diagnostic absorption spectra, and an experienced user would just need a strong flashlight and the spectroscope. Again ~ to do a thorough job identifying the stones, the gemologist would need to do several tests, and having a polished facet would allow for a lot more thorough ID. They may also be able to see some inclusions that give them confidence to confirm that the stones are natural and whether or not the stone has been heated.
I bought a ruby and tested it with a 395nm flashlight, no fluorescence as far as i can tell. i hope i can find out if its real another way
Hi ~ fluorescence will give you some sorts of information, but nothing definitive. Natural and synthetic (man-made) stones will both fluoresce, as will red spinel. That said... if your UV torch is low on battery, the effect may not seem so obvious regardless.
I knew it!!! Those up-to-no-good fairies sprinking fluorescence in my stones... now where did I keep my iron dust spray
Watch out now - terrible enemies to make ^_^ Politeness is the best course of action, they say.
Sir please make new video of easy way to find out synthetic and natural gems Stones
Thanks for the comment Hashimi ~ My goal with this channel has been to make learning about different stones as easy as possible. Once we know about the properties of gemstones, we can have an idea of how to test or inspect the gemstone to see if it is natural or synthetic. Unfortunately, there is no one piece of equipment or magic spells that will show us which stones are natural or synthetic.
Keep watching the channel and you'll have a great start on knowing which stones are natural or synthetic. Otherwise, you can work with reputable labs and they often have enough experience and the right equipment to tell you which stones are natural or synthetic.
th-cam.com/video/l8fvtkof9xQ/w-d-xo.html
Love your videos, Peter! Thank you
My pleasure @David, ill keep them coming for you ;)
I just bought a Chelsea filter. I need a little help. Ok soo long story short I’m an amateur gemologist. Ever since I was gifted THOUSANDS of gemstones from a gold and silver refiner. Omg sooo many all types. Can you suggest a nice guide of what to look for. Is it ok to use a black light instead of a regular light with the filter?? I also have a Polariscope, gem indicator, and refractive index meter.
Hi Christoph ~ Sounds like you've got some adventures ahead of you. My suggestion for you is to start with the Refractometer and polariscope tutorials on my channel (search gemology for schmucks polariscope tutorial etc) and then practice using the stones you have until you feel quite confident. For each stone, write down the reactions you find, because all stone identification is basically a process of eliminating possible stones from the list until there are few or 1 left. If you can successfully distinguish using the polariscope if the stone is SR (singly refractive) or DR (doubly refractive), you'll be a good leg up on the options, and then the Refractometer will help you narrow down from there. You can then check the lists of common gemstones for their features, like refractive index and birefringence.
Once you've narrowed down which stones it might be, you'll need to use a loupe and see if you can find natural inclusions to support your data.
OH! I'd suggest getting a mini-maglite with a lightbulb (not the LED kind) because that has a much more full spectrum light than blacklight or LED
Blacklights have limited use in gem ID, but they can be useful for some things like fluorescence. That will come MUCH later in the ID process, unless you're dealing with garnets and rubies etc.
Good luck~
I just cut and polished a red stone. It glows purple under uv light. No idea what it is
There are many stones that can glow purple. You'd need to test the stone or have it tested to have more specific data. The refractive index would narrow down the answers a lot.
More than likely it is an untreated ruby.
@@LitDaMystery I have one definite Ruby but it was given to me
@Algoldprospecting the red stone glows purple is possibly a ruby as well. Take some glass and rub them on each other. If the stone scratches the glass with a track of color. It's a ruby. If the glass scratches the stone them you have something else. I have several rubies. If your of interest. They will be on the market as soon as I get them ready.
@@GemologyforSchmucks I don’t have any of those tools
I feel my ruby color sometimes darker , it's real or just my illution ...
Thx
The lighting conditions that your stone is in will affect it substantially. For example, a ruby in a tropical area with intense sun year round will look quite different if the same stone was viewed in Norway in winter.
Question. As a retired jeweler/designer/collector for 50 years I have a bit of a dilemma. I sent my 1.65 ct ruby to GIA several years ago for certification requesting origin also. Their cert states it is Thai and with my experience, knowledge and research I disagree. After your statement in this video about chromium versus iron I checked it again. It fluoresces a beautiful pure red. Do you have a favorite alternative to GIA?
Origin is a particular thing, and certainly there is still an element of subjectivity. Chemical analysis is part of the equation, but the final call often comes down to the inclusion scene in the stone. a 1.65ct stone may not have enough of a convincing inclusion scene to make a confident call, particularly if it's clean. Anyhow ~ to your question about preferred labs, for corundum, there is a state run lab here in Bangkok (GIT) that has a significant database of samples that they cross-reference their tests against. The prices are reasonable and they don't have anyone to please, so they seem to be less biased than some more business oriented labs.
@@GemologyforSchmucks Thank you so very much. Yes, it is ultra clean.
@@bjeweled21?
what is the stones in the picture you used? I'm wondering about the one with the dots..
In the thumbnail picture? these 3 are the same stone in different lighting conditions. All corundum/ ruby. That particular deposit has a lot of graphite inclusions.
@@GemologyforSchmucks aah I see, I thought they were the same type but different, but thank you so much☺️.. I had checked some of my stones and it looked like that one, so maybe it could be that type then..
Thanks for the info.
My pleasure Ceci~
Light source name while using Chelsea filter incandescent/white led. Also can you tell about gemologist torch, name manufacturer. Thanks!!
With the chelsea filter, you can use most light sources as long as they are strong. Same with the gemologist torch - whatever is strong will work for most applications, and many prefer a 2 or 3 way LED so that they can also get a clue as to whether or not a stone has colour change effect. Cheers
@@GemologyforSchmucks thank you...
Does the symptetic ones also flourecens
Yes they do. Synthetic rubies are coloured with the same element (chromium) that is in natural ruby, so they often fluoresce VERY strongly. Fluorescence is not a helpful tool in distinguishing natural and synthetic ruby.
Can someone make a synthetic ruby that has high fluorescence?
Great question Rachel: absolutely. Chromium is what makes these stones light up like an atomic cherry under UV. For synthetic stones, they just pump them with a bunch of chromium, so you get that intense red colour in visible spectrum, and high fluorescence under UV. With Corundum (and rubies especially) It is important to get used to their common inclusion scenes in order to know which stones are synthetic and which are natural.
Thx for the awesome comment~
@@GemologyforSchmucks okay cool. Interesting. Thank you so much for the reply.
I found a red pink and yellow gem stone Ruby
Fascinating, any idea where it is from?
Hello! I love all the information in your videos! Basically, I have recently been stumbling upon some very interesting rocks in a certain area. I brought some back home with me and cleaned them, and I felt something was special about them. I knew they were more than rocks. Libraries and informative Videos like yours has helped me to identify several as Sapphire. I have 4 colors of rough Sapphire and last week I discovered my first Ruby Specimen. I have what I believe to be large Opals in several varieties. I would love someone to look at see pictures to verify that. I would gladly compensate for your time. I have a large, pink Kimberlite Specimen that is littered with garnets and very likely many diamonds. My name is Steven Keeton. I guess just reply to this comment if your interested. Thanks for your time!
Thanks Steven~ I'm glad you enjoy my work. Depending on which colours and qualities of corundum/ sapphire that you have, it may be worth your time to find a gemologist in your area to test the stones and issue a report. As I'm in Thailand, that makes it a bit difficult XD Best of luck.
How many stools in the buying jamalojast
U r the best
Thanks very much Kimozean~
\Awesome upload! I think you'd enjoy my videos too. Keep up with the fantastic work! 💞💜
KianaVision Thanks Kiana, you too.
I was in Mexico and I found a huge red stone with a lot of red on the outside of the stone...I think it might be a Ruby...I can see the windows gemstone..🩵❤️💜
Statistically speaking, if it is a huge stone, it is unlikely to be ruby. Usually rubies occur in very small sizes. That said~ who knows without testing it to find out ^_^