Raw stone

Natural crystal crystals can appear in seven color series: colorless, pink, purple, yellow, green, blue, and smoky. Synthetic crystals can appear cobalt blue, which has not yet been found in natural crystals.

During the natural crystallization growth process, natural crystals may exhibit uneven color distribution due to changes in the surrounding crystallization environment, but the color transition is natural. Synthetic crystals are brightly colored and evenly distributed.

The characteristics of natural crystals or synthetic crystal raw stones differ significantly: natural crystals are generally in the shape of hexagonal columns and aggregates of rhombohedral bodies. Horizontal stripes are common on cylindrical surfaces, while growth mounds, dissolution pits, and growth steps are common on rhombohedral crystal surfaces; Synthetic crystals generally have a hexagonal plate shape, with uniformly sized and evenly distributed "papule" shaped protrusions on the crystal surface, and obvious seed crystal plates visible inside.

Detection and identification of jewelry

Due to the fact that crystal jewelry no longer has the crystal appearance of the original stone, distinguishing between "natural" or "synthetic" crystals requires careful consideration of color distribution and internal packaging characteristics. On this basis, accurate differentiation can be made using infrared spectroscopy.

Color distribution: During the crystallization and growth process of natural crystals, changes in the surrounding environment can cause variations in temperature and pressure, as well as changes in component concentrations. These changes to some extent result in uneven color distribution, resulting in natural variations. Synthetic crystals have bright colors and are evenly distributed, resulting in a cobalt blue color that natural crystals do not have.

Package features: The internal package is the most commonly used and reliable method to distinguish natural crystals from synthetic crystals, often with the help of the naked eye, magnifying glass, or gemstone microscope. Through testing of this sample, combined with daily identification and teaching experience, it was found that a large number of gas-liquid inclusions and solid mineral inclusions can appear in natural crystals, such as needle shaped hematite, tourmaline, chlorite, calcite, fluorite, hematite, pyrite, etc. If these natural mineral inclusions are found in the crystal, it can basically be judged as natural crystal; If only gas-liquid two-phase "nail shaped" inclusions and "breadcrumbs" inclusions are found in crystals, it is likely to be synthetic crystals. If there are growth defects and accompanying phenomena such as cracks, twin crystals, negative crystals, phantoms, nodules, etc. in the crystal, it can generally be determined to be natural crystal.

Infrared spectral characteristics: Under the irradiation of infrared light, gemstones undergo transitions in the vibrational energy levels of lattice (molecules), complex anion groups, and coordination groups, and absorb the corresponding infrared light to produce a spectrum called infrared spectrum. Infrared spectral features are an effective means of detecting and studying mineral composition and structural structure, and provide strong evidence for distinguishing crystals from synthetic crystals.