Is this aquamarine? What is that white line thing? I've heard chinese people like to soak the aquamarine stones in acid bath and make them clear, is there a way to tell whether or not a aquamarine stone was treated with acid or not?
I don't think we can tell anything from this photo. it just looks like a crack.
Acid would not help aquamarine. That might be one of the lies dealers are telling to explain the odd smooth surface on resin-filled aquamarines which have been hitting the market.
Then how come those clear looking aquamarines are so cheap in china? I just thought that they must have come up with some creative ways to make low quality aquamarine stones look nice?
Stephen Challener wrote:
That might be one of the lies dealers are telling to explain the odd smooth surface on resin-filled aquamarines which have been hitting the market.
The resin-filled aquamarines that you are talking about are from China, right? Or other countries have started making resin-filled gemstones as well?
Stephen Challener wrote:
I don't think we can tell anything from this photo. it just looks like a crack.
When you look at it from another angle, it doesn't look like a line: (see picture) Could that be some kind of inclusions....?
Hi TastyGem. Have you considered getting a polariscope reaction, refractive index or specific gravity of the stone?
Any empirical information would help.
( I only have chelsea filter, uv Flashlight, and magnifier... Is polariscope very useful when it comes to identify gemstones? (may be I should get one if it is not too expansive)
Also, when I inspected it with a magnifier, I saw some purple lines, what could those lines be? Fillings? But shouldn't (resin)fillings be orange or yellow color?
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
None of the instruments you have will identify anything. Sorry.
You can see, TastyGem that this thread is going nowhere. We are no closer to identifying your unknown. A polariscope can helpdetermine if a gem is amorphous, isotropic or singly or doubly refractive. Do you have a laptop (not a cell phone) and a pair of polarized sunglasses? If the answer is "yes" you have a makeshift polariscope.
May I suggest that you go to a meeting of your closest Gem & Mineral Society (Rock Club) and ask them to help you learn how to identify unknowns. http://the-vug.com/educate-and-inform/r ... gem-clubs/ Follow the page down for listing of state clubs.
Look, you can buy a fairly competent gem ID setup for not much money out of China. A polariscope, Refractometer, Dichroscope, and darkfield loupe would cost just a few hundred dollars. That is way less that you are going to lose making mistakes by buying fakes, or failing to recognise profitable opportunities when buying in unsophisticated markets.
You actually have no choice. You are never going to get the answers you keep looking for by posting bad images on an internet forum.
Instruments can be useless without the skill to interpret results.
I agree completely Barbara.
But there are enough good YouTube videos on how to use the basic instruments, that will enable him to get enough data to post. At that point we have a shot of helping him. Right now we have nothing to work with.
My prediction is that he, like so many, will fall for the one of the various point and shoot gem meters out there that pretend to give an identification. The learning curve is very intimidating to so many.
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
Good point Steve. DO NOT GET A GEM METER!!! I always suggest a gem and mineral clubs because their members have instruments at the club and can teach others how to use them.
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