random question Options

[aggum1983]

I couldn't find a topic on this, but when you are at a gem store, how do you know if a specimen is real or grown in a lab? I was at a store in Boulder and the lady said that the opal jewelry was synthetic. That made me think, what else could be synthetic? I would assume that they would be obligated to say that they aren't real, but just in case they are exactly honest, is there a quick way to tell?

[Crusty]

The average Joe will not likely be able to tell the difference between a high quality synthetic and the real thing. Maybe specific gravity? Not sure if a synthetic mirrors the actual properties or not.

Best protection is to buy from a reputable seller.

[aggum1983]

The average Joe will not likely be able to tell the difference between a high quality synthetic and the real thing. Maybe specific gravity? Not sure if a synthetic mirrors the actual properties or not. Best protection is to buy from a reputable seller.

Thank you Crusty. That makes sense. I'm not sure if that even exists or not, and I didn't really hear what the lady said about the synthetic opal. She did explain it to the customer, I just started paying attention too late.