How Rudraksha, gemstones, crystals and organic gems are tested and identified — written by the laboratory, for anyone who wants to understand what they own.
The sequence a laboratory uses to identify a gemstone without harm — refractometer, specific gravity, microscope, polariscope, spectroscope and UV.
X-ray is the only test that looks inside a Rudraksha. What the lab sees, why the compartment count matters, and what the image cannot tell you.
A synthetic ruby is real ruby; a simulant is not ruby at all. Why the terms matter, how a lab separates the three, and the disclosure you are owed.
The nine gems of Indian tradition, the stones commonly sold in their place, and what a laboratory can and cannot verify about each.
Glass is the commonest substitute for crystal. The bubbles, swirls, birefringence, RI and hardness differences — and which you can check yourself.
Every kind of fake Rudraksha — carved, joined, wood, resin, look-alike seeds — and the checks that expose each, from home inspection to X-ray.
The warning signs behind most disappointed buyers — impossible prices, vague listings, unverifiable certificates, pressure — and what a careful buyer does.
What a lab report actually adds — a documented, matchable, verifiable record of identity — and why a seller's certificate adds far less than it seems.
How genuine beads are examined — mukhi, X-ray compartments, carved faces, joined beads, origins and the myths that do not hold up.
22 guides → Gemstone Testing & Lab ScienceRefractive index, specific gravity, inclusions, treatments and synthetics — the science a laboratory uses to identify a stone.
18 guides → The Nine Gems & Their SubstitutesRuby, blue sapphire, yellow sapphire, emerald, pearl, coral, hessonite, cat's eye and diamond — and the stones sold in their place.
12 guides → Crystals & Healing StonesQuartz against glass, dyed agate, imitation turquoise and lapis, man-made goldstone — how to tell natural crystal from imitation.
16 guides → Pearls, Coral, Amber & Organic GemsGems that grew in living things: natural vs cultured pearls, dyed and reconstituted coral, amber against copal and plastic.
9 guides → Certificates, Reports & VerificationWhat a laboratory report states, what it cannot, how to verify one online, and how to recognise a forged certificate.
10 guides → Buyer Protection & Red FlagsQuestions to ask, claims to doubt, and the warning signs that matter — wherever you choose to buy.
9 guides → Care, Wear & TraditionCleaning, storing and re-stringing, and the scriptural and cultural background of beads and stones.
9 guides →What a lab report actually adds — a documented, matchable, verifiable record of identity — and why a seller's certificate adds far less than it seems.
The warning signs behind most disappointed buyers — impossible prices, vague listings, unverifiable certificates, pressure — and what a careful buyer does.
Every kind of fake Rudraksha — carved, joined, wood, resin, look-alike seeds — and the checks that expose each, from home inspection to X-ray.
Glass is the commonest substitute for crystal. The bubbles, swirls, birefringence, RI and hardness differences — and which you can check yourself.
The nine gems of Indian tradition, the stones commonly sold in their place, and what a laboratory can and cannot verify about each.
A synthetic ruby is real ruby; a simulant is not ruby at all. Why the terms matter, how a lab separates the three, and the disclosure you are owed.
X-ray is the only test that looks inside a Rudraksha. What the lab sees, why the compartment count matters, and what the image cannot tell you.
The sequence a laboratory uses to identify a gemstone without harm — refractometer, specific gravity, microscope, polariscope, spectroscope and UV.
How yellow sapphire is separated from citrine, topaz, glass and synthetic corundum, and why vivid yellow at a low price so often means beryllium diffusion.
Identification and valuation are different jobs with different incentives. Why a lab that prints prices is not testing, and how to get a valuation.
Mukhi are the grooves that divide a Rudraksha. How a lab counts them, when the count is ambiguous, and how surface faces relate to internal chambers.
A report is an opinion on identity based on stated tests. What it leaves out — value, effect, future condition — and why those limits are a good sign.
Many gems glow under UV. How the colour and strength of fluorescence help separate species, natural from synthetic and treated from untreated.
Tradition provides substitute stones for each of the nine gems. What each Upratna actually is, what is sold in its place, and why it still deserves testing.
Most turquoise beads are dyed howlite or magnesite; much real turquoise is stabilised. How a lab separates natural, treated, reconstituted and fake.
Three Rudraksha fused in growth make a Trijuti, one of the rarest forms. Why it is so uncommon, why assembled triples are common, and how they differ.
How to carry stones, jewellery and malas safely — packing, documents, customs and restricted materials — and what to do about the laboratory report.
Tiger's eye is quartz with silky banded chatoyancy. How it is identified, what its blue and red forms are, and how fibre-optic glass fakes are caught.
The laboratory examines Rudraksha, gemstones, malas, bracelets and crystals and issues a numbered, PIN-protected report you can verify online at any time.