Check for a consistent and even color throughout the stone. Fakes are more likely to contain blemishes and impure spots. That said: rubies do sometimes have imperfections. Use the “stoplight red” as a guide, but do not expect to find a real ruby that is actually that bright. If you do, then the ruby is likely fake. A real ruby should be more like a bright traffic light, however, than like a dull stone. [3] X Trustworthy Source Gemological Institute of America Nonprofit institute responsible for gemological research and education and setting gemstone buying and selling standards Go to source
Composite rubies are not as durable as real rubies. There is a chance that the ruby is not a complete “fake,” and just a machine-made stone. [6] X Research source
The red mark might be a sign that the gem is artificially colored. It might tell you that the “gem” is actually made from a much weaker material.
Garnets are dull, dark-red silicate minerals. They are much softer than a ruby. Tourmaline is a reddish-pink silicate mineral. Tourmaline is somewhat harder than a garnet, but much softer than the ruby. Red-colored glass imitations are usually cheap, but not very durable. It should be easy to tell if a “ruby” is actually made from glass. Composite rubies are real rubies that have been fused with glass. This makes the stone larger so that a jeweler can sell it for more money. Beware! Composite rubies are often sold as “real” rubies, for real ruby prices. [9] X Research source
Look up reputable jewelers in your city. Consider looking at reviews online before you visit the jeweler. Check whether other customers were satisfied with the accuracy of this person’s analysis.
Certify your ruby for the sake of insurance. If you ever lose the ruby in a disaster or another mix-up, then you will be more likely to receive compensation for the loss if you can prove that you lost an actual ruby. If you plan to keep the ruby, keep it as a family heirloom. When your family or friends one day inherit the ruby, it will be much more valuable if it is certified. You will also save them the trouble of going through the same steps to determine whether the ruby is real.
If you see bubbles of any kind, then you are likely dealing with a fake ruby. Look for flaws other than bubbles. External flaws (blemishes) include scratches, pits, nicks, and small scrapes. Internal flaws (inclusions) are categorized as: cracks (feathers) crystals, negative crystals, silk, fingerprints, halos, cavities, chips, and color zoning.
