The gemstone market is flooded with synthetic stones, glass fillings, and cheap lab-created imitations sold at natural gemstone prices. For someone buying a stone for astrological remedies (Jyotish) or long-term value, walking away with a fake means getting zero energetic benefits and losing your money.
While advanced gemological testing requires specialized lab equipment, you don't need a science degree to spot obvious imitations.
Here is a straightforward, practical checklist to help you verify whether a gemstone is genuine before you spend a single rupee.
1. Check for Natural Inclusions (The Flaw Test)
Natural gemstones form deep within the earth under intense heat and pressure over millions of years. Because of this, almost every natural gemstone contains microscopic internal characteristics known as inclusions (such as silk, color banding, needles, or tiny crystal fingerprints).
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The Red Flag: If a stone looks completely glass-clean, crystal-clear, and sells at a low or moderate price, it is almost certainly synthetic glass, resin, or lab-created crystal.
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The Exception: Read our breakdown on natural vs. lab-created gemstones to understand why even high-clarity lab stones fail to deliver astrological value.
2. Inspect Under a 10x Loupe for Round Air Bubbles
One of the fastest ways to expose colored glass or composite imitations is using a standard 10x jeweler's loupe under strong white light.
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Air Bubbles: If you spot tiny, perfectly spherical air pockets trapped inside the stone, it is 100% artificial glass or lead-glass composite. Natural stones form crystal structures—they never contain circular air bubbles.
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Growth Lines: Look for straight or angular growth lines. Curved striae (wavy growth lines) are a classic indicator of flame-fusion synthetic gems.
3. Feel the Thermal Conductivity (The Touch Test)
Natural crystalline minerals conduct heat differently than plastic, glass, or acrylic substitutes.
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How to test: Place the loose stone against the tip of your nose or the inside of your wrist.
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The Result: Natural stones feel cold to the touch and stay noticeably cool for several seconds. Imitations made of resin or low-grade glass warm up almost immediately to match your body temperature.
4. Evaluate Specific Gravity (Heft in Hand)
Precious minerals like Corundum (Ruby and Sapphire) are dense.
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A genuine 3-carat natural sapphire will feel noticeably heavier in your palm than an acrylic or plastic replica of the exact same physical size.
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If a loose stone feels unusually light or hollow when handled, treat it with extreme caution.
5. Be Realistic About Color Saturation and Price
If a deal looks too good to be true, it is.
A pigeon-blood red untreated Ruby or a vivid royal Blue Sapphire without thermal treatment costs a premium in global markets. If a seller offers you a vibrant, glowing, flawless stone for an unusually low price, you are likely looking at:
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Heated / Beryllium-diffused stones (treated to fake premium color).
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Glass-filled stones (fracture-filled with lead glass to hide massive cracks).
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Synthetic flame-fusion stones.
6. Demand an Independent Government-Approved Lab Certificate
Physical home tests can help filter out cheap fakes, but they cannot detect sophisticated lab treatments like radiation, beryllium diffusion, or microscopic resin filling.
The only definitive proof of authenticity is an independent test report from an accredited gemological laboratory (such as IGI, GIA, or IIGJ).
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What to check on the report: Ensure the certificate explicitly states "Natural", specifies the Origin (if tested), and details whether the stone is "Untreated / Unheated".
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Avoid self-printed, in-house plastic guarantee cards that carry no accredited lab registration number.
7. Inspect Your Stone with a Professional Gemologist
If you are buying high-value stones like Pukhraj, Neelam, or Panna, have the stone examined by an expert who can walk you through the inclusion map under a gemological microscope.
If you are based in Delhi-NCR, you can bring your stone or inspect our certified inventory directly with our certified gemologists in Noida at our Sector 18 (Wave One Mall) and Gaur City Center showrooms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the scratch test safe to perform at home?
No. While hard minerals like Sapphire or Ruby score high on the Mohs hardness scale (9 out of 10), attempting to scratch a gemstone with a knife or file can damage the facet edges or chip lower-hardness stones like Emerald (7.5) or Opal (5.5). Let a lab perform non-destructive tests instead.
Do natural astrological gemstones ever come 100% flawless?
Extremely rarely, and when they do, they command astronomical prices at international auctions. For astrological use, minor natural inclusions are normal and prove the stone was born naturally in the earth without synthetic lab intervention.
What is the difference between a synthetic stone and an imitation?
An imitation is a completely fake material (like green glass pretending to be an emerald). A synthetic stone is grown in a lab with the same chemical formula as a real stone—but because it didn't form through natural geological processes, it has no astrological efficacy.
Authenticity is the foundation of real gemstone value. At Shiv Parvati Gems, every single loose stone and piece of astrological jewelry comes backed by certified government lab reports and a transparent authenticity guarantee.