Emeralds - Synthetic or True

Identifying a fake emerald.

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Emeralds - Synthetic or True
False and True Emeralds

Emeralds are among the most appreciated and valuable gems that exist. There are several definitions, but the vast majority of these speak about the criterion that to be considered an emerald, it has to be a beryl (aluminum silicate and beryllium) with a chrome impurity, which gives it an intense green color, and there is also a considerable transparency for gemological use.

The gemology laboratory of the Federal University of Ceará Department of Geology, has twelve specimens, which serve as samples for study.

The objective of the work is, through the observation of inclusions and other internal features, to identify the origin of the twelve samples, as well as their characterization as natural or synthetic gems, if natural, their occurrence, as the country where they were originally found, and if synthetic, what is the synthesis method.

Such samples have already been characterized and separated from other gems in the laboratory, using instruments such as spectroscope, dicroscope, refractometer and liquids, such as bromoform, for the density test. However, in the study in question, the inclusions and internal features of the emeralds are being analyzed using the gemological microscope.

The gemological microscope is one of the most important instruments for the study of gems, because in the daily life of the gemologist, this instrument is frequently used and indispensable for the observation of features invisible to the naked eye, such as the observation of inclusions.

The inclusions, in turn, appear in minerals showing important information of their genesis, such as the formation site, which can be identified according, for example, with its morphology, as they were features that were present at the time the mineral it was crystallizing.

With the help of bibliographies, many, specific to emeralds, and the analyzes, which are still in progress, will present the final results already proposed as the characterization as true or synthetic emeralds.