If it is red, it looks like ruby and if it is green, it resembles emerald. Could garnet be the best of both worlds? Though not ranked amongst the precious gemstones, garnet could be compared with the best of gemstones for its sheer brilliance and breathtaking colors. Garnet has been used for centuries in the making of jewelry. If you are looking to collect some of these wonderful garnet gemstones, you need to have a few facts on how to judge the genuinity of the stone. Here are some guidelines to keep you moving.
How To Identify Garnet Gemstone
1) It would be ideal to have sunlight for ensuring if it is garnet that you possess. If you are in the jewelry stone in the evening, you may need a bright source of light.
2) Ensure that you have sufficient space in the room so that you could distance yourself from the light by six feet.
3) Staying away from the light source, bring the gemstone closer to your eye. Hold the gemstone using tweezers.
4) If it is garnet that you have been holding on, you will notice refractions. Rainbow colors are referred to as refractions.
5) Still holding on the gemstone, look on to find if you could view double images. If you have double images on your view, the stone cannot be a real garnet.
6) You could use a magnet to ascertain the genuinity of the gemstone. Place your garnet on a clear and smooth surface. Bring neodymium magnet closer to the gemstone and observe if the gemstone is attracted towards the magnet. If the gemstone is attracted to the magnet, then it could be garnet. A piece of neodymium magnet or the earth magnet has the capacity to attract even a bigger sized gemstone. If your garnet is much smaller in size, you will find it jump and stick on to the magnet.
While the above-mentioned steps can be tried to ensure the quality of the gemstone, it would do well to remember that professional inspection would be best to ascertain the genuinity of the gemstone. Hence, it would be appropriate to seek the help of your jeweler, who would be able to confirm the quality of the stone.