Citrine, that touch of sunshine like warm yellow tone, in the world of jewelry exudes a unique and charming charm. It is not only a beautiful decoration, but also given a special meaning in some cultures and traditional concepts, such as symbolizing wealth and good luck, so it is favored by consumers. However, with the growth of market demand, illegal businesses in order to seek profits, often some fake and shoddy products will be sold as topaz. This makes many consumers suspicious when buying citrine, fearing that what they are buying is not the real thing. So how do you know if the Citrine is real? The following will give you a detailed introduction to several methods to identify the authenticity of Citrine.
Observed appearance features
colour
The color of natural Citrine usually presents a natural sense of layer and variation. It’s not going to be a very uniform and bright color that’s unreal. True topaz color may have different shades of color bands, and there will be a natural transition of color from the center of the crystal to the edge. For example, Brazilian topaz may have areas that gradually change from light yellow to golden yellow. And some artificially dyed or synthetic topaz, the color is often too uniform, lack this natural change. If the color of a topaz looks like it has been deliberately applied, without any gradient of tone, it is probably fake.
Crystal morphology
Citrine belongs to the hexagonal crystal system, and its natural crystal form is mostly hexagonal columnar. When observing, if you can see that the crystal presents a relatively regular hexagonal column, and the growth texture on all sides is naturally smooth, then this is an important feature of natural topaz. Of course, there are also some topaz will exist in the form of crystal clusters, many small crystals clustered together, mutual growth. And fake topaz made of glass imitation or other synthetic materials, its crystal form can be skewed, either the shape is not regular enough, or the surface is too smooth, without the fine texture and fluctuation of natural crystal growth.
Internal inclusion
Natural Citrine often contains some mineral inclusions, gas-liquid inclusions and so on. The shape, size and distribution of these inclusions are irregular. For example, there may be acicular inclusions of rutile scattered throughout the crystal, or a cloud of gas-liquid inclusions. Under bright light, the presence of these natural inclusions can be seen by looking closely through a magnifying glass or microscope. However, the inclusions inside the synthetic Citrine are relatively few, and may have some regular characteristics, such as the tiny bubbles produced in the synthesis process often appear in strings or rows; The glass imitation may have only a few circular bubbles inside, and the size is more uniform, and the distribution is more regular.
Test physical properties
hardness
Citrine has a hardness of about 7 on the Mohs hardness scale. This property can be used for simple hardness testing. Find a material with a known hardness, such as quartz (hardness 7) or feldspar (hardness about 6-6.5). Using topaz to gently scratch on these substances, if topaz can leave scratches on the feldspar, without damaging itself, and can not leave scratches on the quartz, then the preliminary judgment of its hardness is in line with the characteristics of Citrine. However, it should be noted that this test method may cause some damage to Citrine, so be careful when operating, and try to choose an inconspicuous part for testing.
density
The density of topaz is about 2.65 grams per cubic centimeter. The authenticity can be judged by measuring the quality and volume of Citrine and calculating its density. However, this method requires more accurate measuring instruments, such as electronic balances, drainage methods to measure the volume of devices, etc., for ordinary consumers to operate more difficult. However, in some professional jewelry appraisal institutions, density testing is one of the important means to identify the authenticity of topaz. If the measured density differs significantly from the standard density of topaz, it is likely to be fake topaz.
Thermal conductivity
The thermal conductivity of Citrine is different from that of imitations such as glass. The test can be performed using a thermal conductivity meter. Contact the probe of the thermal conductivity meter with topaz. If the thermal conductivity meter sends a corresponding signal, it indicates that its thermal conductivity conforms to the characteristics of topaz. However, the thermal conductivity meter is not absolutely accurate, and the thermal conductivity of some synthetic materials may be similar to toprine, so it is also necessary to combine other identification methods.
With the help of professional identification
Certificate query
When buying Citrine, be sure to ask the merchant for a professional jewelry identification certificate. At present, there are many authoritative jewelry appraisal institutions in China, such as the National Jewelry and Jade Quality Supervision and Inspection Center (NGTC). After receiving the certificate, you can inquire on the official website of the corresponding institution through the number and other information provided on the certificate to verify the authenticity of the certificate and whether the information on the certificate is consistent with the purchased topaz. If the certificate is fake, or the description on the certificate does not match the real thing, then it is likely that a fake topaz has been purchased.
Professional organization appraisal
If there is still doubt about the Citrine in your hands, or the purchase is a high value topaz jewelry, it is recommended to send it to a professional jewelry appraisal institution for identification. Professional appraisers will use a variety of advanced instruments and equipment, such as spectrometers, microscopes, etc., to conduct a comprehensive analysis and detection of the chemical composition, crystal structure, physical properties, etc., so as to accurately determine its authenticity and whether it has been processed and other information. Although professional agencies need to pay a certain fee for identification, it is one of the most reliable ways to ensure the authenticity of topaz.
Purchase channels and price reference
Regular purchase channel
Choosing regular jewelry stores, shopping malls or reputable online merchants to buy topaz is an important way to reduce the risk of buying fake goods. Regular merchants usually have strict purchase channels and quality control systems, which can provide certain quality assurance and after-sales service. They generally do not sell fake and inferior products for short-term profit, because it will damage their business reputation. And some roadside stalls, small vendors or unidentified online shops, the authenticity of their sales of topaz is difficult to guarantee, the price may also exist unreasonable high or too low, the purchase needs to be extra cautious.
Price rationality
Understanding the market price range of Citrine is also helpful for judging its authenticity. The price of natural topaz varies depending on the quality, origin, crystal size and other factors. Generally speaking, natural topaz with good quality, such as bright color, pure crystal, high transparency and excellent origin, has a relatively high price, which may be tens or even hundreds of yuan per gram; The price of poor quality natural topaz is relatively low. If the price of topaz purchased is significantly lower than the normal market price, it is likely to be fake or processed low-quality products. However, it should be noted that the high price does not necessarily mean that it is really natural topaz, and it needs to be combined with other identification methods for comprehensive judgment.
Conclusion
Identifying the authenticity of Citrine requires comprehensive judgment of many factors. By careful observation of appearance characteristics, including color, crystal morphology, and internal inclusions; Test physical properties such as hardness, density and thermal conductivity; Using professional appraisal, such as seeking certificates and sending them to professional institutions for appraisal; As well as paying attention to the purchase channels and price rationality, it can greatly improve the accuracy of judging the authenticity of Citrine.
When buying Citrine, consumers should be vigilant, do not easily be confused by low prices or false publicity, use the identification knowledge learned to ensure that they buy real topaz, so that they can enjoy the beauty and unique charm brought by topaz, but also avoid economic losses.
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