GIA Colored Stone Tip Sheet

Species Variety Readings/Features Notes

Almandine Garnet Red to brownish red, RI >1.759. Red to brownish-red, purple to purplish-red. Don't
Purple to purplish-red, RI > 1.77. put red stones in polariscope. Use RI and lack of
pleochroism.
Amber Very low SG. Will float in saturated salt solution.
Look for trapped material.
Andalusite RI: 1.634-1.543. Birefringency: . Strong brownish-green and red pleochroism.
007-.013. Maximum birefringency is key in separating from
tourmaline. Will float in 3.32 SG liquid.
Andradite Garnet Demantoid Horsetail inclusions. Look through the stone to
the back facets. The facets may show colors as
though they were tarnished.
Beryl Aquamarine RI: Generally 1.560-1.565. May be
higher.
Beryl Emerald RI: 1.577-1.583 RI is a little higher than synthetics. Fingerprint
inclusions are rather transparent and low-relief.
Beryl, Synthetic Synthetic Flux syn. Emerald RI is lower than Wispy veil-like inclusions typical. Very white and
Emerald Natural emerald: 1.561-1.564. opaque. Natural emerald inclusions blend in with
Hydrothermal syn. Emerald RI: surroundings. Hydrothermal process: nailhead
1.568-1.573. spicules.
Calcite RI: 1.486-1.658. Strong doubling. Flat cleavage breaks, even when break is not a
Poor polish; hard to get good RI. broad, flat surface. Poor polish
Check for birefringence blink.
Chalcedony Agate RI: 1.53. AGG Dull or waxy conchoidal fracture. Banding visible
at arm's length.
Chalcedony Bloodstone RI: 1.53 Dark green with red spots or veins, dull or waxy
conchoidal fracture
Chalcedony Carnelian RI: 1.53, AGG Dull or waxy conchoidal fracture. May show faint
agate-like banding.
Chalcedony Chrysoprase RI: 1.53, AGG Normally yellowish-green in color. Dyed green
chalcedony is more bluish-green.
Chalcedony Fire Agate RI: 1.53-1.54 Iridescence. Botryoidal.
Chalcedony Jasper RI: 1.54 Dull conchoidal fracture. Color often appears
uneven when dyed. No calcite or pyrite
Chalcedony Spot reading 1.53. AGG Frequently dyed green (don't need to identify this
for exam). Usually more of a bluish-green.
Chrysoprase is yellowish-green. Dull or waxy
Chrysoberyl RI: 1.755-1.746: birefringence: . conchoidal
Lower RI andfracture.
biaxial figure separate from
008-.010 corundum: birefringence separates from
Coral Often wavy, parallel fibrous structure. Irregular,
uneven fracture. Birefringence blink.
Corundum Black Star Spot RI: 1.76-1.77 Usually cut in double cabochon with base
Sapphire unpolished showing hexagonal growth banding.
Corundum Ruby RI: 1.762-1.77, uniaxial Violetish-red to orangy-red pleochroism. Use
birefringence (.008-.010) and pleochroism to
verify DR.
Corundum Sapphire RI: 1.762-1.77. Birefringence: . Straight and hexagonal color banding. White
008-.010. tissue over light source makes color banding
Corundum, Synthetic Ruby RI: 1.77 Flame fusion may show curved striae. Close iris
synthetic to see. Flux rubies show drippy flux fingerprints,
often white, but may be yellowish, reddish or
brownish.Inclusions frequently opaque.
Fingerprints may look net like.
Corundum, Synthetic Alexandrite-like syn. sapphire commonly shows
synthetic Sapphire curved striae (close down iris to best see). May
have high-relief small gas bubbles.Stars are
usually too perfect. Look for curved color banding
on bottom of cabs. Curved color banding in
flame-fusion stones. Flux fingerprints in flux
stones.Fingerprints stay opaque when stone is
rocked and look drippy. Flux sapphires may also
show flat platinum particles.

Compiled by Carl Wozniak

Superior Stones 1
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 GIA Colored Stone Tip Sheet

Species Variety Readings/Features Notes

Corundum/Syn. RI: 1.762-1.770 on both crown and Crown may have natural inclusions. Shallow
Corundum pavilion. green crown when held table to culet.
CZ OTL Slight see-through. Orange pavilion flash.
Moderate dispersion. Orangish-yellow
fluorescence under LW UV, greenish-yellow
Diamond OTL under SW UV. sharpness, polish marks go in
Facet junction
different directions, girdle appearance, bearding;
splintery, step-like fracture
Diopside Star Spot RI: 1.67 Four-rayed star usual
Diopside RI: 1.675-1.701. Birefringence: . Getting maximum birefringence is key separation
024-.030. with peridot.
Fluorite RI: 1.43 RI lower than glass. Four directions of cleavage.
Low luster. Low hardness. May show color
Garnet and Glass RI: Garnet cap over 1.74. Pavilion in Separation plane with spherical gas bubbles
Doublet 1.50s-1.60s (doughnuts). Red-flag effect if garnet is very thin.
Garnet has higher luster than the glass.
GGG OTL. SR. Orange and blue pavilion flash. Fluoresces
pinkish orange under SW UV.
Glass RI: 1.47-1.70. SR. Can be ADR. Conchoidal chips with vitreous luster and swirl
marks. Spherical gas bubbles. Curved color
banding. Striae. Goldstone: triangular gold-colred
Grossularite Hessonite RI: 1.74 (can go to 1.76) inclusions.
"Heat-wave" effect (inclusions and facet edges
Garnet appear distorted). Can be confused with spinel,
but natural light green spinel is very rare.
Fluorescense is none to weak. Synthetic spinel
fluoresces yellowish-green.
Hematite Metallic luster. Splintery fracture, High SG.
Hydrogrossular RI: 1.72 Lower readings indicate Idocrase. Will not be
Garnet marked wrong if identified as such.
Idocrase Spot reading 1.70-1.71 Idocrase and hydrogrossular often occur together.
If stone has slightly lower properties it is idocrase.
Will not be marked wrong if called hydrogrossular
Iolite garnet.
RI overlaps amethyst. Iolite is blue to bluish violet.
Strong trichroism: colorless to light yellow, blue,
dark blue-violet. Sometiimes can be seen with
unaided eye.
Ivory RI: 1.54 Poor polish common. Look for "engine-turned"
banding.
Jadeite Spot reading almost always1.66 Accurate RI essential to separate
Jet Dull conchoidal fracture. Very light. Brown streak
on paper.
Labradorite Labradorescence. Commonly shows either
Feldspar cleavage or an uneven, splintery step-like
fracture. Black needle-like inclusions common.
Lapis lazuli RI can vary. Color used to separate from sodalite. Sodalite is
often more violet. Sodalite rarely contains pyrite.
Malachite Always opaque. Bands of light and dark green.
Shows birefringence blink.
Microcline Amazonite RI: 1.522-1.530. Uneven, splintery or Opaque. Greenish-blue, bluish-green or green.
Feldspar step-like fracture. Grid-ike structure (mottled green and white
patterns can usually be seen).
Nephrite Spot reading almost always 1.61 Generally grayish-green in color ("spinich jade")
Obsidian Snowflake RI: 1.49 White flowery patches on black background
Obsidian RI: 1.49 Gas bubbles, stubby black needles. May be
Opal RI: 1.45 Play of color.
Opal Doublet or Doublet: opal on black chalcedony. Triplet: Rock
Triplet crystal quartz cap, opal, black chalcedony back.
Orthoclase Moonstone RI: 1.52, DR, biaxial Adularescence
Feldspar
Pearl, Cultured RI: 1.530-1.685. High birefringence. Check for birefringence blink.

Compiled by Carl Wozniak

Superior Stones 2
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 GIA Colored Stone Tip Sheet

Species Variety Readings/Features Notes

Peridot RI 1.654-1.690: birefringence 0.35- Low RI (1.654) key separation from diopside.
0.38 Very high birefringence separates from others.
Moderate doubling, disk-like liquid and gas
inclusions called lily pads.
Plastic Plastic RI has very wide range: 1.46- Does not show good polish.
1.70. SR.
Pyrope Garnet RI: 1.74 Blood red. Do not use polariscope on red stones.
Separate by lack of pleochroism.
Quartz Amethyst RI: 1.544-1.553. Birefringence: .009. Irregular color zoning common.Bull's-eye optic
Quartz Aventurine Spot reading: 1.54 Aventurescence. Chrome mica (green disk)
inclusions typical
Quartz Citrine RI: 1.544-1.553 Sinks in 3.32 SG liquid
Quartz Rock Crystal Spot RI: 1.5: DR Bulls-eye figure possible
Quartz Rose RI: 1.54-1.55 Usually DR but may be
AGG if highly included.
Quartz Tiger's Eye Spot RI: 1.54-1.55 Normally yellowish-brown. May be dyed any
color. Can see eye on flat surfaces. Splintery
Rhodochrosite Usually opaque pink often with lacy, banded
bacon-strip appearance. Poor polish. Check
birefringence blink.
Rhodolite Garnet RI: 1.75-1.77 Always pink or purple. If over 1.77 they are
almandite. No pleochroism separates from
corundum.
Rhodonite RI: 1.73. Since it is often mixed with Does not show birefringence blink like
quartz you may get 1.54 rhodochrosite.
Rutile, Synthetic OTL Light yellow body color. Very high dispersion.
Extreme doubling. Poor polish.
Serpentine RI: 1.57 (can go as low as 1.54) Normally yellowish-green. Often has white veining
or black inclusions. Poor polish due to low
hardness. Dull, irregular fracture. Chalcedony
takes much better polish and has conchoidal
Shell Dull irregular or splintery fracture is fracture.structure lines run in different directions in
Fibrous
typical different colored bands. Mother-of-pearl.Low
hardness and poor polish. May show only a gray
shadow that fades slowly in polariscope. Check
birefringence blink.
Sodalite RI: 1.48 Often veined with white inclusions. Usually more
transluscent than lapis.RI slightly lower than
expected for lapis or chalcedony. Usually more
violet than lapis.
Spessartite OTL Must contain orange.
Spinel RI just below 1.72, synthetic spinel is Natural spinel often has low color saturation.
higer. Sometimes cut as large, shallow stones.
Synthetic spinel usually well-proportioned
Spinel Triplet, RI: 1.728 on both crown and pavilion Shine penlight through back of stone: colorless
synthetic girdle. Most common colors are yellowish-green,
bluish green and violet.
Spinel, Synthetic RI: 1.73 Crosshatch effect in polariscope. High-relief
small gas bubbles. Shows strong yellowish-green
fluorescence.
Spodumene RI: 1.660-1.676 Very often shows splintery fracture. May see two
directions of cleavage.
Strontium titanate OTL SR Very clear. No doubling. Very high dispersion.
Syn. Sapphire/ RI: Crown, 1.762-1.770; Pavilion, Strong dispersion. Spectral pavilion flash.
Strontium OTL.
Titanate Doublet
Topaz RI: Colorless, blue, green, 1.609- Sinks in 3.32 SG liquid, unlike tourmaline or
1.617; Yellow, brown, red, 1.629- andalusite.
1.637. Birefringence always .008.

Compiled by Carl Wozniak

Superior Stones 3
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 GIA Colored Stone Tip Sheet

Species Variety Readings/Features Notes

Tourmaline RI: 1.624-1.644. Birefringence of . Shows strong pleochroism in darker stones.
018-.040 Birefringence separates from topaz and
andalusite. Liquid or gas inclusions common.
Turquoise Dull, chalky, granular, or irregular Look for undercut matrix. Often so porous it
fracture absorbs RI liquid.
Turquoise, RI: 1.61 Cream of wheat effect (tiny blue spheres)
Synthetic Spiderweb matrix (not undercut)
YAG OTL High read-through. Blue and violet pavilion flash
over most facets.
Zircon DR Abraded facet junctions common. Facet doubling.
Look through table first, then bezel facets.
Confirm with polarizer.
Zoisite Tanzanite RI: 1.691-1.700 RI separates from spodumene. Blue zoisite has
strong pleochroism: blue, violetish-red, greenish-
yellow. Check in more than one direction. Light
colored stones show weaker pleochroism.

Compiled by Carl Wozniak

Superior Stones 4
www.superiorstones.com