[Jewelry making - Article 00864] - Re: [Orchid] Are they Rubies?

[Peter W . Rowe]

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>     For more than 10,000 years people have been enchanted, mystified
>     and edified by Gemstones; for under 100 years now we've had
>     'instrumentation'...are we better now for it? Do we love and honor
>     precious stones even more now...? 

    Sure, we love em.  But we also have to be realists.  Most of us
    hopefully have come to understand that if you're contemplating driving
    home after a few too many drinks,  hanging an amethyst around your
    neck isn't going to help fix the drunken state,  nor will it impress
    the cops or the courts.  And so it goes.  We love and honor gems, and
    enjoy their traditions and the heritage that ties us to gem lovers
    throughout the ages. 

    But if we're reasonably intelligent, we also understand that much of
    what was "known" about gems in times past isn't true.  Makes fun
    stories, but we need to understand what is traditional and fun,
    versus what is real world and true.   

    We also understand that two hundred years ago, there were far fewer
    fake options for that costly looking ruby that we had to be on the
    lookout for.  Now, for better or worse, there are lots of synthetics
    for which we do indeed need more than just our eyes, to be sure of
    what we're paying good money for.  The aforementioned amethyst is a
    good example.  Without instrumentation and modern knowledge, the
    common synthetic looks identical to the finest natural.  If indeed
    the distinction needs to be made at all between natural and
    synthetic or just plain fake, these days,  instrumentation at some
    level is part of daily life in gem dealings. 

    Does this make gems less appealing?  In some ways.  But knowledge is
    power. Knowing more about the gems than did people in times past
    gives us a basis on which to appreciate the stones in ways our
    forefathers did not.  Is it more, or less?  who knows.  We still love
    the things. 

Peter.

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