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| Sunday, 17 November 2002 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Gems - the genuine and the fake by Carol Aloysius
However a disturbing trend has begun to emerge. For, along with these genuine gemstones, a large number of synthetic stones have also begun to proliferate, many of them simulating their genuine counterparts, and thus complicating the task of identifying the real gem from the synthetic.
"It is not only the customer who pays the price for this ignorance. Ironically even experienced traders often mistake synthetic stones for genuine gemstones. Which is why concise and easy to comprehend guide books on the correct identification of gemstones are an urgent requirement in this country, especially at a time when the Tourists Board is working so hard to boost Lanka's image abroad. Such books however are few and far between, especially those written in the English language", says Mrs R.N.P. de Silva, who has recently attempted to fill this void. Her book "Gemology: a Practical Approach", provides a step by step guide not only to identifying gemstones, but also provides an in-depth view into the whole business of gemology. It covers practically all aspects of gemology, starting with a comprehensive introduction on how gems are formed and their chief characteristics, (the study of crystallography), what causes their lustre which is the most attractive feature of a gemstone,and why gems are hard giving even the degrees of hardness in certain gemstones. The author further explains how cleavages and fractures are formed in genuine gemstones, and discusses their colours, which she says are the only guide that assists the human eye to identify a gemstone. A housewife turned businesswoman, Ms de Silva only recently gave up her role of housewife to work alongside her husband, a jeweller by profession, as the Directress of G.M.A. de Silva Jewellers, Ambalangoda, one of the oldest jewellery manufacturers in the area .
To study the subject thoroughly, she got down a correspondence course on gemmology from the UK and now holds a Fellowship in Gemmology from the Gemmological Association of Great Britain. It was only when she joined her husband in his business five years ago, that she realised how difficult it was for a customer or even a jeweller to differentiate between the fake and genuine gemstone without a sound knowledge of the subject. "No sooner I started working, I realised that many jewellers faced
real problems especially in proper identification of gems, because of
their lack of proper tools. Good tools are vital for the purpose of proper
identification of gemstones. Yet, due to prohibitive costs, very few She also notes that at present other than the Gem Corporation and a few privately owned places, there are very few well-equipped labs to test stones and suggests that there should be more courses in gemmology with a bigger focus on gem identification." Only a scientific study on gemmology can make people more knowledgable about gemstones", she stresses. "This is important especially now with the proliferation of glass imitations and synthetics." As she points out, "A mistake in identifying the genuine gemstone and the synthetic stone is far too costly - both for the buyer and the dealer and will lead to a loss of confidence on both sides. This is why a proper guide to gemstones is so important to the public." For the benefit of her readers, the author also discusses common technical terms used in the study of gems, such as reflection and refraction, polarised light, luminescence, osprphism, inclusions etc, and then proceeds to discuss the all important subject of identifying genuine gemstones from their synthetic counterparts, giving her readers useful guidelines to enable them to make the correct choice. Simply written, easy to understand and priced at only Rs. 350, this maiden effort by Ms de Silva, which carries a foreword by Professor P.G.R. Dharmaratne of the University of Moratuwa, is an invaluable guide to all gem lovers. It is available at most bookshops. Featured are some exquisite jewellery and a guide to the variety of precious stones. Gemology- A |
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News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
Sri Lanka's exquisite gemstones have fascinated gem lovers from time
immemorial. In recent years, the deep pits of Ratnapura, the City of gems
and its surrounding areas, have yielded new gem varieties similar in
colour to those of the well-known ruby, sapphire , emerald and amethyst,
adding to the country's rich store of precious stones.
The result in most instances has been disastrous, not just for those
customers who end up buying the wrong gem or a fake gem, but for the
industry as a whole, which has been brought into disrepute by hordes of
unscrupulous traders who sell substandard or fake gems at exorbitant
prices to unsuspecting customers unable to differentiate between a genuine
gemstone and a fake stone.
A mother of three sons, Ms de Silva admits that gemstones had a
particular fascination for her since childhood. "I consider them
nature's most beautiful creations," she says.
jewellers in our country own microscopes or spectroscopes which have to be
imported. It is unfortunate that some of these tools are not made locally
e.g. the Dichroscope and Refractrometre as well as hand lens and ultra
violet lamps, which would bring down their costs", she says.
