Expert Tips & Advice

The desire to buy natural gemstones online has never been stronger, and the risks have never been higher. With the gemstone market flooded with synthetic, treated, and imitation stones, distinguishing genuine gems from convincing fakes requires knowledge, the right questions, and a trustworthy seller. 

This guide walks you through exactly how to identify original gemstones online and what to look for before you part with your money.

Why "Natural" Doesn't Always Mean What You Think

The word "natural" is one of the most misused terms in the gemstone trade. A stone can be labelled natural and still be heavily treated, such as heated, filled with glass, coated, or dyed to improve its appearance artificially. These treatments significantly affect the stone's astrological efficacy and long-term value.

Common examples of deceptive practices include: 

• lead glass-filled rubies (where fractures are filled with glass to improve clarity)

• beryllium diffusion in yellow sapphires (a chemical process that alters colour), wax-coated turquoise or coral. 

If you're looking to genuinely buy original gems online, you need to look beyond the word "natural" and dig into more nuanced understandings of certifications, dealer policies, and gemological verification.

What Makes a Gemstone Truly "Original" and Natural?

A genuine, untreated gemstone should meet the following criteria:

1. No Heat Treatment: For Jyotish (astrological) purposes, especially, stones must be unheated and untreated to retain their natural cosmic energy. Heating alters the crystal structure and can diminish the stone's metaphysical properties.

2. No Chemical Enhancement: Beryllium, lead glass, and fracture-filling treatments are red flags. Reputable dealers will have a clearly stated no-treatment policy.

3. Lab Certification: A genuine natural gemstone should come with a certificate from a recognised, government-approved gemological laboratory confirming it is natural, untreated, and unenhanced.

4. Provenance Clarity: Knowing whether a ruby is from Burma or Mozambique, or whether an emerald is from Zambia or Colombia, matters both for pricing and quality assessment.

How to Spot Fake or Treated Gemstones Online?

Since you can't physically examine a stone when you buy natural gemstones online, you have to rely on indirect signals. 

Here's what to watch for:

1. Photography: If product images look too perfect, like they are perfectly saturated, uniformly lit, free of any inclusions, then know that they're likely enhanced. Because authentic dealers use real, unedited photographs of actual inventory.

2. Pricing: A 5-carat untreated Burmese ruby at ₹2,000 is not a bargain; in reality, it's a warning sign. Understand approximate market rates so you can spot pricing that seems impossible to occur. 

3. Certification: Ask specifically which lab certified the stone and what the certificate covers. Government-approved labs are the gold standard in India for gems of premium quality.

4. Return Policy: Trustworthy sellers offering original gemstone online will have transparent return and exchange policies because they're confident in what they're selling.

The Role of Gemological Expertise in Natural Gemstones

When you buy original gems online, you're ultimately trusting the expertise behind the business. Gems n Diamond is backed by qualified gemologists at every level of the supply chain. Charandeep Singh Sethi, part of the third generation of the SNJ Group, holds credentials from I.I.G.J. Jaipur (a government-approved institute) and a Diamond Graduate certification from GIA, America.

Every gemstone is examined by multiple gemologists within the group before being listed for sale. Additional certification is then sourced from government-approved labs, creating a multi-layered verification process that eliminates the margin for error. The group has been in operation since 1972 and explicitly does not deal in chemically treated gems of any kind at all. 

Key Certifications to Look For

Not all gemstone certificates are equal. When shopping for natural gemstones, look for reports from reputable laboratories such as:

• GIA (Gemological Institute of America): Internationally recognised for diamonds and colored stones.

• IGI (International Gemological Institute): Widely accepted across India and globally.

• Government Labs in India: State-run gemological labs provide reliable certification for astrological-grade stones.

At Gems n Diamond, every stone comes with an Authentication Certificate, and additional government lab certification is obtained for higher-value stones. This gives buyers documented assurance of what they're purchasing and not some random gem they are being fooled into purchasing. 

Astrological Gemstones: Why Untreated Quality Matters Most

For those purchasing natural gemstones for astrological or Jyotish purposes, the quality bar is even higher. Astrologers universally recommend unheated, untreated gems because any enhancement is believed to disrupt the stone's natural energy field and reduce its planetary influence.

Gems n Diamond specialises in Jyotish-grade gemstones, meaning that every stone is selected specifically for its natural qualities, without compromise. The team also offers personalised astrological consultations to help you select the right stone for your birth chart, planetary positions, and specific life goals. Get in touch to know more. 

Conclusion

Knowing how to buy natural gemstones online safely is a skill worth developing, especially given the prevalence of treated and synthetic stones in today's market. One should always look for certified, untreated stones from experienced dealers with transparent policies, real photography, and gemological credentials. 

Gems n Diamond delivers on all of these standards, and you can get yours too. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I verify if an online gemstone is original? 

Request the lab certificate and check which government-approved laboratory issued it. Also, verify that the seller uses real, unedited product photographs.

What does "untreated" mean in gemstones? 

An untreated gemstone has not been subjected to any artificial enhancement such as heating, filling, coating, or chemical diffusion. These are the most valuable for both investment and astrological use.

Is Gems n Diamond a reliable place to buy natural gemstones online? 

Yes. The SNJ Group behind Gems n Diamond has over 50 years of combined experience, employs qualified gemologists, and explicitly does not deal in treated or synthetic stones.

What is the difference between natural and synthetic gemstones? 

Natural gemstones are formed in the earth over thousands of years. Synthetic stones are created in laboratories and, while they may look similar, carry no astrological value and have significantly lower resale value.

Can treated gemstones be used for astrology? 

Most astrologers and Jyotish practitioners advise against treating stones for astrological purposes, as treatments are believed to diminish the stone's natural energy and planetary connection.