Can You Identify Gems Without Seeing Gemstone Colors?

Answer: There are only a few occasions when gemstone colors are determining factors for gemstone identification. As you learn gem identification procedures, you'll find that you can identify most species without the element of color. However, identifying varieties within a species poses a different challenge.

Gemstone Colors and Identifying Varieties

Although you can identify gemstone species without using color, many species have notable varieties based on their color. For example, you could identify the species beryl but would need some help with gemstone colors to determine if a beryl is an emerald or an aquamarine. Emeralds are green beryls colored by trace amounts of chromium or vanadium; aquamarines are blue beryls colored by trace amounts of ferrous iron.

I would encourage you to purchase a refractometer (if you haven't already) and read our series of articles on using a refractometer. That's a major step in gem identification. While you'll still have a lot to learn before you can identify gems with authority, you can begin making separations right away. By that, I mean you'll be able to tell if a stone is or isn't a topaz, quartz, etc.

Donald Clark, CSM IMG