Emerald Cut Rhodolite Garnet or Amethyst wanna be
There are two of these. they are set in a vintage sterling silver clip earring. I am being told they are either Rhodolite Garnet or Amethyst. I was thinking glass but I do not see any air bubbles All thoughts are appreciated.
2 comments
idealgems1
·5 months agoA refractive index reading plus a polariscope test is how you would make the call. But for amateur sleuths, this is what you can do with just magnification.
Amethyst will often have inclusions that look like feathers or breadcrumbs. It will also often show straight or angular color zoning; that's linear concentrations of color with intermittent lines of lack of color. Look at all angles with a white background from backside with face down. Sometimes you can even see the color zoning face up, as exemplified in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th photos in this listing: 1.35 ct Natural Amethyst & Diamonds 14KY Solid Gold Custom Ring Was $1,195 Video | eBay
Rhodolite will often have more random included crystals and/or straight silk like needle inclusions. Often the needle inclusions will intersect in three directions (hexagonal orientation).
As @oncoyotemountainart said, glass usually will have rounded facet junctions. Other characteristics of glass are warm to the touch, lots of vitreous conchoidal (glass-like) chips at corners (but amethyst has a similar "fracture"), gas bubbles (but included crystals can look like gas bubbles; gas bubbles have a more pronounced darker outline and can be oval or elongated), areas of the surface that resemble an orange peel, some facets that are concave rather than perfectly flat (from the glass shrinking as it cools), possible mold separation lines, and is more likely to have scratches on exposed surfaces (but earrings don't get much wear and tear).
That should keep you busy. Good luck!
oncoyotemountainart
·5 months agoThey kind of looks like glass to me. The facet "cuts" look rounded rather than sharp. That usually means glass. Old purple glass tends to fade with time to more of a brownish red color. If it is stone, you should be able to seem some matrix or inclusions.