How to Test Genuine Ruby Gemstones
Ruby is a popular gemstone used in jewelry and decorative arts. Its distinctive red color comes from the hard metal element chromium; you may also find rubies with purple or pink hues. Red stones often mistaken for rubies are usually made from garnet or red silica glass, according to Cornell University. True rubies rate 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness, just below diamonds. It's that characteristic that allows you to test if a ruby is genuine. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Potential ruby gemstone
- Cloth
- Old toothbrush
- One cent coin
- Piece of glass
- Steel knife
- Rough sandpaper
- Porcelain tile
Instructions
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1
Clean the ruby with a damp cloth or toothbrush to remove any debris or marks. Dig your fingernail into the gemstone to see if you can leave a scratch. If you can, it's not a ruby.
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2
Gently scratch the ruby with a one cent coin. Choose an area that you don't mind damaging slightly, such as the underside of a gemstone that will be set in a ring. If the gem marks, then it's not a ruby.
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3
Scratch the gem with a series of other items. Use a piece of glass and a steel knife. The knife has a hardness level of 7 and should not be able to scratch the ruby. Scratch the red stone with rough sandpaper. If there is no noticeable effect, then the gem is likely to be a genuine ruby.
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4
Rub the ruby against a clean white porcelain tile. If it's real, the ruby will leave no color or streak behind. It may even scratch the tile. If the stone leaves a colored mark on the tile, it is likely to be another type of substance. The absence of a streak isn't definitive confirmation that the ruby is genuine, but the presence of color does confirm that it isn't real.
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Tips & Warnings
Use the sharp points of other gemstones or substances to scratch the tested ruby.
Be careful not to damage your gemstone with too much scratching.
References
- Photo Credit ruby necklace image by OMKAR A.V from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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Very interesting tests.
