Imitations Gems Part 2
ASSEMBLED STONES
When manufacturers glue or fuse two or more separate pieces of material together to form a unit, the result is called an assembled stone. (Assembled stones are also known as composite stones.) The separate pieces can be natural or manmade. A doublet is an assembled stone that consists of two joined segment. A triplet has three segments, or two segments and a layer of colored cement. When you look at an assembled stone set in jewelry, the layers should be difficult to distinguish.
Assembled stones designed to imitate natural gems include green synthetic spinel triplets, which have served as imitation emerald. Manufacturers have also come up with an assembled tanzanite imitation, which appeared at the 1996 Tucson gem show labeled ‘‘Tanzaions.’’ This triplet consisted of two layers of synthetic spinel and one layer of glass. The glue used to cement the materials together contained the violet hue characteristic of natural tanzanite.
DISCLOSURE
In the jewelry industry, the term disclosure means selling goods for what they are. practicing disclosure should be essential to good business practices, but when it comes to synthetics and imitations, disclosure isn’t always so simple. For example, synthetic amethyst can so closely resemble the natural gem that a salesperson might not realize that a ring she just sold as genuine contained a synthetic. Or in the case of an opal triplet, customers might not understand that the cabochon in a pendant owes part of its beauty and durability to non-opal layers.
Or what about the case of a retailer who purchases a beautiful 2-ct.ruby from a dealer at a gem show thinking it’s natural? He sells it to a customer as natural, but when the customer has the gem appraised, it turns out to be lab-grown. Who is responsible for failing to disclose? More importantly, how can the industry make sure that such mistakes don’t happen---and guard against deception in general?
THE GEMOLOGIST’S ROLE
Gemologists play an important role in ensuring that disclosure becomes the industry standard. That’s because gemologists are trained to recognize the subtle differences between various types of gem materials, including synthetics and assembled stones.
THE INDUSTRY ROLE
Whether the gem is mined, lab-grown, assembled, it goes through many steps before it reaches the customers. For the sake of consumer confidence, it’s important for the industry to disclose the truth about what’s being sold, every step of the way. When you accept money for a gem, you should already know what it is---synthetic or natural, for example. If you don’t know for sure what you’re selling, then you should proceed with the caution before offering it for sale. Make sure you know the identity o the material you’re dealing with. This can save money or---perhaps more important---your reputation. Don’t risk becoming the victim or perpetrator of fraud.
Once you make a sale and a gem turns out to be something other than what you sold it as, the public interprets the transaction as dishonest. It doesn’t matter whether the misrepresentation was deliberately or not.
Remember, synthetics and imitations play and important role in the industry. If they are sold for what they are, they are something both buyers and sellers can be proud to deal in, own, and wear. Their versatility brings the beauty of natural gems within reach of everyone, at every market level. They provide valid options that are appropriate for different buyers with different needs.
Disclosure by every member of the jewelry industry can raise public awareness of natural gems and their synthetic or imitation alternatives, and increase sales at every level. The trained gemologist has an important part to play in giving industry members the knowledge they need to properly disclose the identity of all colored stones.