How to Spot a Fake Blue Sapphire?

Blue sapphires or Neelam are very valuable gemstones because they have significant value astrologically and traditionally. They are also rare, have a rich history, are beautiful and are one of the longest-known gemstones in the world. Therefore, they are highly popular and expensive. These precious stones are so valuable that people started selling fake blue sapphires to gain money. 

So, here we will tell you how you should be one step ahead and spot a fake blue sapphire. 

Know the Types of Fake Sapphires

Before we dive into the technique to identify the gem, first let’s discuss how a gem could be fake and what a fake gemstone actually means: 

Synthetic Sapphires – These are gems which are created in a lab, they are not mined or formed naturally hence they are fake or synthetic. These gems do not have many inclusions. 

Simulants – These are the gems that look exactly like sapphire, a replica that have been sold in the name of blue sapphire. For example, Tanzanite looks exactly like the Neelam stone. 

Another variant of fake stone is treated gemstones. They are naturally formed and are not entirely fake but are treated in a laboratory. The treatment will enhance the colour and improve the clarity of the stone, which eliminates its originality. Astrologically, it is advised to wear untreated gems only. 

Now let’s see how you can spot an Original Neelam stone: 

Examine the Color & Clarity 

Natural sapphires have a rich intense deep blue hue with slight variations and often display a hint of overtone of violet. Typically, they may also have a slightly uneven colour distribution. 

If your stone is extremely vivid or has a neon-like blue, it is possible that it’s fake. 

But majorly you should check for inclusions as they are natural imperfections within a gemstone. They can help you figure out the authenticity of the stone. Neelam stone commonly have needle-like inclusions called silk, fingerprints or small mineral crystals in them, while synthetic ones can have gas bubbles or signs of fusion in them. You can use a Loupe to examine the inclusions of a sapphire. 

Conduct a Scratch Test

Since sapphires have a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, there is no other material that can scratch them than diamonds. So you can conduct a scratch test on your stones. You can use a steel knife or other material to scratch your stone, if a scratch happens then it is not a real blue sapphire. 

Inspect the Stone’s Glow

The stone can glow differently under UV light if it’s original and fake. Under the UV light, some sapphire will exhibit fluorescence. Natural ones will show a faint to moderate glow while synthetic ones will glow very strongly and uniformly. But this process is not foolproof. You can test this way but the best way will be to get the gem inspected, professionally. 

Professional Check

The best way to ensure that your gem is real is to buy blue sapphire from a reputable seller that provides lab certification. You can also cross-check the certificate from the lab. The certificate will provide all the details like origin, color, and treatment as well. 

You can also visit a trusted professional jeweler that can accurately identify your gem’s authenticity. 

Conclusion

Gemstones are very valuable, especially the Neelam because of their rarity and significance. If you are looking forward to buying one, make sure that it is not fake. We have mentioned above the method by which you can check the originality of your gem. Though, you should purchase the gem from a retailer which provides lab certification like Navratan.com, where you will also get the best blue sapphire price.