Composite Stones

To identify these stones the stone is illuminated with a strong thin light from the pavillon. To examine the stone in a liquid gives a better result.

When we examine the stone carrefully we will see;

• The difference in colour or luster in between the crown and the pavillon  

• A separation plane around the girdle 

• The air bubbles around the girdle plane 

• Colourless girdle 

• irregularity at the table    

When composite stones are made out of garnet and glass;  

Put the stone table down on a white paper, examine with a strong light from different angles. A red ring will be noticed on the white paper.

          Note: This red ring will not be visible if the stone is  red, orange or purple or the garnet crown is too thin. 

Doublet: It is made two coloured material or a colourless crown and coloured pavillon by fusing or gluing with a colourless glue.  These composite stones are made from a colourless natural stone on the crown and a coloured synthetic stone or glass on the pavillon.  

This sapphire doublet has a colourless sapphire as crown and fused to a synthetic blue pavillon. 

Triplet:  Either two colourless material are glued together with a coloured glue or three piece are glued together with a colourless glue.

The emerald triplet below is made from two colourless beryl glued with a green glue.