Gemstone ID by picture...???

[soberguy]

Not sure if this has been discussed before, but thought I would see where this goes. Putting a picture of a gemstone on here and asking for an i.d. is asking too much! In the gemstone world, science is the answer! Science teaches us that visual identification is often the least reliable. If you get suggestions to have the stone tested, there is a reason. If people suggest you assume it is stainless steel and a faceted piece of glass, they aren''t being mean, they are being scientific lol! If you are in a lab, and there is a clear fluid on a table you DO NOT assume it is water lol! You assume it is a lethal acid! Same here. If I see a red gem in a picture, I do NOT see a ruby. I see a transparent, faceted red "stone" lol! There are a LOT of fakes out there, and they are getting better and better every day. So please don''t trash the ps''rs that are only trying to help...

 

[LD]

Date: 5/8/2010 1:18:25 PM
Author:soberguy
Not sure if this has been discussed before, but thought I would see where this goes. Putting a picture of a gemstone on here and asking for an i.d. is asking too much! In the gemstone world, science is the answer! Science teaches us that visual identification is often the least reliable. If you get suggestions to have the stone tested, there is a reason. If people suggest you assume it is stainless steel and a faceted piece of glass, they aren''t being mean, they are being scientific lol! If you are in a lab, and there is a clear fluid on a table you DO NOT assume it is water lol! You assume it is a lethal acid! Same here. If I see a red gem in a picture, I do NOT see a ruby. I see a transparent, faceted red ''stone'' lol! There are a LOT of fakes out there, and they are getting better and better every day. So please don''t trash the ps''rs that are only trying to help...

Thank you Soberguy - couldn''t agree more!

 

[ma re]

A great post Soberguy.

 

[Arcadian]

true true true. I won't even try to ID a gem by a picture if someone is looking to value it or to buy it. If they don't know, I don't know either LOL. My brain is already strained as it is(lol) and no one can give a definitive answer to either of those things via the internet.

-A

 

[dzop]

I don''t 100% agree with this. Some people have posted non-faceted stones that are obviously "not" certain things based upon visual characteristics- IIRC, someone asked if a rough stone was a sapphire, and it obviously wasn''t based upon it''s crystal habit.

I think a better way to put it is that, especially with rough stones, I can tell you what a stone ISNT, and I can maybe tell you what a stone IS, but I definitely cannot distinguish b/w synthetic and real or treated and untreated.

With faceted stones, you can make some other visual guesses as well (eg, is the stone dispersive? Is it doubly refractive? etc.) but its even more limited.

 

[Barrett]

I have to agree with dzop on some points....usually can narrow it down to a couple well educated guesses..as far as syn. treatments, etc. those are almost impossible but location, price, quality etc. can also give you a somewhat educated guess..but all are far from perfect and should never be taken at face value

 

[chrono]

Not for a positive ID but there might be some tell tale signs and characteristics that might eliminate some other guesses.