Lab's Warning About Synthetic Rubies
May 24, 21
(IDEX Online) - A lab has issued a warning about synthetic rubies after a necklace of 50 sizeable and high quality gems was submitted for analysis.
GGTL Laboratories Liechtenstein says the client believed they were genuine and asked them to identify treatments and country of origin.
Suspicions were aroused because "none of the inclusion scenarios gave away any possible country of origin, something highly unusual when an experienced analyst observes such stones".
They were "very attractive and saturated red colour", but were somewhat included and showed mainly fingerprints and clouds among other small and atypical inclusions.
A series of tests - microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, chemical analysis and DFI fluorescence imaging and spectroscopy - confirmed that they were actually flux-grown synthetics.
"Every once in a while a flux-grown synthetic ruby is identified at our laboratories," said GGTL in a statement.
"But this is the first time ever that we have seen a piece with that many large flux-grown synthetic rubies."
Pic shows one of the synthetic rubies