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 Post subject: Bought as Peridot but not
PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 8:00 pm 
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Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2011 5:17 am
Posts: 65
I picked up a beautiful necklace about 12-13 yrs ago that was sold at TJ Maxx as Peridot. It did have a more vivid color saturation than other peridot I'd seen but nothing that made me suspicious (but what did I know back then).

Today I'm working on Peridot in my GIA Colored stones course and decided to take out all my peridot. I took my necklace to my gem microscope and noticed NO inclusions in any of the 8x6 mm stones. So I took out the refractometer (the gem is set above the bezel mounting) and it registered just a hair over the 1.59 mark and singly refractive.

I'm not to the gem ID course yet and my books aren't giving me very good answers as to what this material may be. I'm finding glass to have a lower RI.

Any thougths as to what my stone could be?

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Gemologist diploma (GIA)
Accredited Jewelry Professional diploma (GIA)

~Melissa


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 Post subject: Re: Bought as Peridot but not
PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 8:18 pm 
amommj wrote:
.......just a hair over the 1.59 mark and singly refractive.

I'm not to the gem ID course yet and my books aren't giving me very good answers as to what this material may be. I'm finding glass to have a lower RI.

Any thougths as to what my stone could be?


I'll have a small bet that it's glass.


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 Post subject: Re: Bought as Peridot but not
PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 9:57 pm 
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Joined: Fri Sep 08, 2006 8:20 pm
Posts: 354
Location: Texas
Simple but handy rule: 1.50 to 1.70 singley refractive = glass, plastic or assembled stone. There you go, no problems.


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 Post subject: Re: Bought as Peridot but not
PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 12:48 am 
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Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2011 5:17 am
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Thanks so much for your feedback and tip. It's a real bummer. I thought initially I had a rare top color of peridot until my GIA assignment today. I love this course though and it's nice to learn more about my pieces whether or not I like what I'm learning.

_________________
GIA student, wife, and mom to 3.

Gemologist diploma (GIA)
Accredited Jewelry Professional diploma (GIA)

~Melissa


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 Post subject: Re: Bought as Peridot but not
PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 6:29 am 
amommj wrote:
Thanks so much for your feedback and tip. It's a real bummer. I thought initially I had a rare top color of peridot until my GIA assignment today. I love this course though and it's nice to learn more about my pieces whether or not I like what I'm learning.


There's one more thing to add. Along with some other gemstone imitations, glass can be very attractive to look at, even if it does not have the durability of the imitated material. Swarovski, to give possibly the best name, makes some lovely costume jewellery in high-RI glass. It may not last forever but looks great when new and, if looked after and worn only occasionally may last as long as its owner does :) CZ is another imitant which is a lovely material in its own right; it's only the need of some to think of it (pass it off as) as something it is not that demeans it.

So.... you bought your necklace because it attracted you and you have enjoyed wearing it. No doubt you should continue to do so. You should only feel cheated if you were charged a Peridot price for it :roll: As someone once said, "There are no free lunches".


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 Post subject: Re: Bought as Peridot but not
PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 2:21 pm 
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Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2006 1:15 pm
Posts: 1795
Location: canada
yes unfortunately its an old saying but still very true

When a man with money meets a man with experience
the man with the money gets experience and the man with experience gets the money

George

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A Chinese proverb says "Gold is valuable, Jade is Priceless."


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