I have been watching a lot of Murder, She Wrote lately which is a fantastic 80’s tv show about a a woman mystery writer who solves murder crimes every where she goes (makes you think twice about inviting her over for dinner!). Often times, when the time comes to reveal who committed the murder, Jessica, the lead character, doesn’t always have all the pieces of the puzzle but when she begins talking about her theory, the other characters begin filling in the blanks with their narratives. As in detective work, not all gemstone suspects come easily and extra tools and tests are needed to find a definitive answer. In the past few weeks, I have been talking about the process a Graduate Gemologist uses to determine what a gemstone is. In this final blog of the series, I want to briefly go over the tools we use when the main ones have not given us an answer, and more info is needed. (You can read my first blog in the series here in case you missed it www.angelacisneros.com/post/csi-gemology-part-1 )
Fluorescence: Some gemstones will fluoresce under either long wave or shortwave light. For instance, natural Spinel will fluoresce weak to moderate red under long wave and inert under shortwave, but Synthetic Spinel will fluoresce strong red under long wave and bluish white under shortwave light. (If you are curios about what fluorescence is, read my blog www.angelacisneros.com/post/to-fluoresce-or-not-to-fluoresce )
Spectroscope: White light is actually all the colors of the rainbow, and when you use a spectroscope and light on a gemstone, it can tell you which colors are absorbed. For instance, Emerald will have two distinct absorption lines at 680.5nm and 683nm.
Specific Gravity: A gemstones material make-up is different for each one which gives each one a different specific gravity. This test is especially helpful when you are stuck!
Dichroscope: Rough or cut gemstones can display different colors at various angles that are not seen with the naked eye. The dichroscope tool is able to separate them out. For instance, Tanzanite displays blue, purplish red, and greenish yellow.
Diamonds, colored gemstones, and jewelry is such a fascinating world! One of my favorite parts is sharing that knowledge with you so that you are equally captivated and informed. I would love to help you with your special purchase or custom design! Angela Cisneros Jewelry Concierge brings back the joy and confidence of jewelry shopping, so that you can celebrate with ease! My by-appointment approach means:
One-on-one appointments (personal attention and no crowds!)
Discretion and privacy (surprises remain surprises!)
Expert help from a Graduate Gemologist with 24 years of experience (yep, that’s me!)
Book your FREE appointment with me today! www.angelacisneros.com/book-appointment
Photo credit: @murder_she_wore (check out Jessica Fletcher's fabulous jewelry!)
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