Synthetic ametrine, on the other hand, will vary from 20-38 degrees or so off of the c-axis due to the way they’re grown. Almost all natural ametrine will have a color boundary that runs nearly parallel to the c-axis, being off by 10 degrees or so at most. Having found the c-axis, you’ll easily be able to determine if the stone is natural or synthetic. You can also make one at home with a little bit of DIY skill.Įssentially, the C-axis will show when you have the gem or crystal at an angle where it looks uniform in coloration. Finding one is a bit of a specialized task but it can be learned effectively at home if you pick up a polariscope. This is a direction through the crystal which causes no birefringence, or separation of the light. The c-axis of a gemstone is also called the optical axis. Related: Synthetic Gemstones (Everything You Need To Know) 4. A deeply saturated, affordable ametrine is immediately suspect as noted above. Most natural ametrine currently on the market is rather pale in color, a stark contrast to the material from decades ago. It’s unlikely that this is natural in most cases, but there were some gemstones from early on in the Bolivian mine’s commercial work that showed these properties.Ĭolor saturation is also a major factor. On occasion a piece of ametrine may have more than one area of yellow or purple, often spread around a central point. On occasion standard clear quartz that was mined in Bolivia is treated and sold as “natural ametrine.” This is technically true, but any true ametrine that emerges is invariably yellow and purple with no other dominant tones. These may be natural crystals, but they didn’t get pulled from the earth as ametrine! Example of synthetic (fake) ametrine. This might seem obvious, but there are a number of people selling ametrine with blue or green tones in it. While beautiful, and real quartz, this sort of ametrine isn’t natural and it should be disclosed as such if you choose to sell it either on its own or within a piece of jewelry. The solution used to create the quartz is doped with the proper ions, and then the crystal is exposed to radiation once it’s been grown but before cutting. More of it is created through the treatment of hydrothermally grown quartz. There are various methods, including localized heat treatment of amethyst similar to the technique used to create the majority of citrine on the market. Synthetic ametrine can be created by treating natural quartz crystals. I’ve been unable to find any high-grade stones I’m certain are natural for under $800, and that’s definitely on the cheap end of things. People really want the deep purple/yellow with a clearly defined boundary and most natural material that’s affordable is simply isn’t that pretty overall.Īmetrine that is eye-clean, deeply saturated, and well defined is either not natural or comes with a high price tag. The latter could be natural, pale ametrine isn’t in very high demand. Some might be very pale and almost not worth cutting in the first place. Consider this evidence that it might be natural ametrine, but you’ll need to do more footwork to make sure. Of course, every scam artist who does even barebones research is going to claim their material came from Bolivia. This is a dead giveaway that you’re looking at a synthetic or simulated ametrine, and it’s one I’ve seen more than once. The only way in is to take a small aircraft or a series of shorter treks by boat and road. The mine itself was lost for quite some time, and it remains remote and virtually inaccessible to most people. This is the only place where the stones are found in commercial quantities. If the gemstone is listed with provenance, then it should almost always be from the Anahi mine in Bolivia. How To Tell If Ametrine is Real or Fake 1. Related: (Real vs Fake Citrine) How To Tell If You Have Real Citrine or Not. With such a wide market, however, it can be hard to determine if what you’re buying is real.īut how do you know if your crystal or gem is real or not? Let’s take a look at some of the tell-tale hints that will let you know for sure. When citrine and amethyst meet in the same crystal, the result is a splendid bi-colored crystal that can be cut into jaw-dropping gemstones. Ametrine is an oddity, a purple and yellow type of quartz that combines two evergreen favorites.
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