How To Tell If A Red Beryl Is Real

Red beryl, often called red emerald, is a rare, exquisite deep red, maroon gemstone that is often confused with a ruby. In reality, the two stones are entirely different from one another and each requires different conditions for its formation.

Both stones have their own individual chemical formulae, incisions, structure and specific mining conditions. However, a red beryl is even rarer than a ruby and this is why priced higher. For every 150,000 quality gemstones mined and unearthed, one crystal of red beryl is found as suggested by The Utah Geological Survey. This stone has been mined in only a handful of locations like Round Mountains, Wah Wah Mountains, New Mexico and The Paramount Canyon. Its unique geochemical needs are responsible for its scarcity, several minerals like beryllium, manganese, oxygen and silicon should be available in abundance at the same time and place for these scarlet crystals to form.

Since this stone is rare and highly prices, sourcing a real red beryl isn’t an easy task. There are several imitations and fake alternatives available in the market to fool buyers and rip them off their money. Here are a few ways that’ll assist you in distinguishing a real red beryl from a low-quality fake one.

Color:

A true red beryl possesses a consistent pinkish red, raspberry tone and has unmatched clarity and luster. The undertone of a pure red beryl is pinker than red, therefore, deeper maroon color or burgundy can be a sign of a stone darkened with resins and dyes.

Clarity:

The clarity of a real red beryl is unrivaled, the gem is entirely see-through. Often during the unearthing and mining process, the crystals can get damaged and develop a cloudy effect. This obviously affects their price, the clearer the red beryl, the more expensive it is bound to be.

Magnification:

A simple test can be conducted using a microscope of high quality to get a clearer visual of the stone’s structure. A red beryl that occurs in nature has distinct structural characteristics and inclusions. An inclusion is basically one mineral getting trapped inside other during the formation process, it is a clear indicator of the situation that stone was developed under. A real red beryl will have a consistent hexagonal system of inclusions and growth tubes. Initially, these tubes are hollow, even from the sides and run straight. But as the crystal develops, they become filled with white opaque content from other minerals.

Density and Weight:

A key tip to remember is that all red beryl found naturally in mines will never be bigger than a few inches and can easily fit within the palm of your hand. This stone is always just a few millimeters in diameter and has an imperfect facet. So far, the largest of the crystals are 2 centimeters wide and 6 centimeters long, most of these scarlet stones available for sale in the market weigh less than 1 carat.

Spot Treatments:

Often to enhance a stone’s beauty and sell it for a higher price, it is made to undergo radiations and treatments of sorts. Although impossible to be viewed with the naked eye, observing the gemstone under a Fourier Series IR Spectroscope can easily help detect color changes and any enhancements made to add to improve its quality. A 100% real and natural red beryl has zero color shifting, it has a consistent pinkish red color. Another thing to look out for are the gem’s optical properties. Even the smallest amount of heat can alter the crystal lattice and affect its luster.

Test Its Durability:

Unlike a fake crystal or glass, a real red beryl is a hard and sturdy stone. It reaches a level of 7.5 on Moh’s Hardness Scale and, therefore, can withstand significant force and impact. It does not get scratched or shatters easily. Drop the stone you’ve purchased if you’re questioning its purity. If it breaks apart, then it is likely silica or quartz and not a natural red beryl. These stones are very difficult to cut and shape owing to their elongated hexagonal crystalline structure, hardness and thickness.

Test Its Physical Properties:

• Get the stone in question tested for its specific gravity. The specific gravity of real red berylvaries between 2.63 and 2.72.
• Do a thermal test, heat the stone up. A natural red berylis very stable and its color will remain intact even at 1000 degrees.
• With the help of refractometer measure its refractive index. If the measured value is between 1.560 and 1.576 then the stone indeed is real.
• A real red berylemits no fluorescence and has a stable consistent color.

Our Final Thoughts!

Red Emerald is a gemstone of great value, it is very highly priced as only a handful are mined every year. These scarlet stones are far more expensive than gold and are priced according to their weight about $10,000 per Carat. Prices of a single crystal may range from $75,000 to over $100,000. These stones are a long-term investment as their resale in coming years is bound to collect you more money than you originally purchased it for.

Although the methods mentioned above can give you an idea of whether the stone that you’re dealing with is a real red beryl or not, the results still aren’t conclusive. To be on the safe side, it is recommended that you get this stone observed by a professional. Since they deal with precious stones on a daily basis, they have sophisticated machinery to check for their authenticity. Make sure that you make your purchase from a reliable seller as there are many artificial intruders out there.