Huge real amethyst?

[ILoveGems14]

Is my Amethyst real?
Because i bought mine on ebay and it's dark purple and weighs at 155.42ct. After i got it about three months later a guy said that the person who sold me the Amethyst used x-rays to darken the Amethyst from a pale Amethyst to a dark Amethyst. Is this true???

Thanks,
ILoveGems14

 

[GregS]

My goodness, it's black, impossible to tell if it's real.

 

[GregS]

My goodness, it's black, impossible to tell if it's real.

I posted that reply from my phone where it looked black, it's dark but not black.

 

[LoversKites]

I've never heard of an xray treatment.

 

[chrono]

I think the OP meant that quartz is irradiated to create produce an amethyst colour.

http://www.gia.edu/gem-treatment
Quartz – Varieties of quartz may be irradiated to produce amethyst, and some combination treatments that include heating after irradiation resulted in green quartz.

 

[ILoveGems14]

thanks so much for all your replys.
I'm Just wondering is it worth much?

ILoveGems14

 

[T L]

Highly doubtful its real, especially if there's absolutely no color zoning or bands in it. There's a ton of synthetic amethyst on the market, and unfortunately, a lot of it is sold on ebay to unsuspecting people for very little $$.

 

[ILoveGems14]

Could that really be possible?

 

[chrono]

Could that really be possible?

Could what be possible?

 

[ILoveGems14]

That It could be fake.

 

[chrono]

Yes, possibly synthetic as they are plenty of those around. Could also be irradiated.

 

[LD]

Synthetic quartz is everywhere. For one that size, from Ebay, it's almost certainly synthetic (sorry).

 

[ILoveGems14]

LD,
Is there some way to check If It's a fake?

 

[cm366]

One reason there's so much synthetic quartz around is that the cure is worse than the disease. You can see if it's natural or synthetic by getting it tested at a reputable lab (e.g. GIA or AGL, linked below) but their prices are almost certainly more than you paid for the stone to begin with. That's one reason why many (not all, I know, TL) posters would recommend not buying from eBay vendors until you're more familiar with coloured stones - sticking with more reputable sources will help you avoid scams.

GIA: http://www.gia.edu/gem-lab-service/colored-stone
AGL: http://aglgemlab.com/pricelist/

 

[T L]

LD,
Is there some way to check If It's a fake?

I'm not LD, but at this time, I don't think there is. Natural amethyst as zoning in it, so if it has zoning, it might be natural, last I checked (who knows these days). Very even color all throughout, and enormous size, is a tell tale sign something might be amiss.

Only buy amethyst from highly reputable dealers that know their sources well.

I would not advise buying amethyst on ebay unless its a highly reputable dealer.

 

[chrono]

I am sure labs like GIA and AGL have the resources and skills to distinguish natural from synthetic, untreated or heated from irradiated but the cost is so high compared to what you paid that it's not worth the time and effort.

 

[ILoveGems14]

I just got back from my jewelers and he said that it's worth $500+ even though it's synthetic.
Cool huh!

ILoveGems14

 

[chrono]

Is he truly willing to pay you $500 for it? I see plenty of 300 ct synthetic amethysts on eBay with similar colouration advertised for no more than $50. Just out of curiousity, how did the jeweller determine that it is a synthetic stone?

 

[FrekeChild]

Is he truly willing to pay you $500 for it? I see plenty of 300 ct synthetic amethysts on eBay with similar colouration advertised for no more than $50. Just out of curiousity, how did the jeweller determine that it is a synthetic stone?

Yeah, I always take "It's worth $____" from jewelers with a giant grain of salt unless they say, "I'll give you $____ for it right now."

Things are worth what someone will pay for them.

 

[Marlow]

They use Fe2O3 in synthetic quarz - then Gamma rays and Fe3+ is transformed to Fe4+ which is responsible for the violet color in naturel and synthetic amethyst.

Same opinion - a synthetic quarz.
I avoid quarz - only Uli Zeisberg is a vendor I trust in course I see the rough and then the cut stone later.
Some are collected by himself.

And if the "jeweller" really wants to pay 500$ gimme his adress - have a lot of gems to sell only id**ts would buy for a lot of money.

 

[geoffreysnow]

Synthetic amethyst on ebay is worth what the market is willing to pay. Looking at completed listings, it's worth ~$20 bucks. Here are some complete ebay item numbers to check out:
121377802197
311003937210
121378481551
161360351362
121376954004

 

[ILoveGems14]

Nope,
But I had It valued and that's how much he valued It for.

ILoveGems14

 

[Marlow]

 

[digdeep]

Glad you are happy with "that" valuation by "that" jeweler...........

Unless you get verification from an independent lab, or a jeweler who follows up the valuation with "I'll give you the money right now if you sell it to me......" It's like whistling in the wind. But if it makes you happy, okay fine. The people on this forum have tried to gently help you descend back to colored stone reality...........

 

[FrekeChild]

Nope,
But I had It valued and that's how much he valued It for.

ILoveGems14

Did he offer to buy it from you at that price? Because if he didn't, that's not actually what he's valuing it at. He's telling you what you want to hear.