Differentiating A Lapis Lazuli Stone From A Fake One

Beauty has always been envied - especially rare beauties like the Lapis Lazuli stone. An exquisite ultra blue rock that has been around for thousands of years. For much of its existence, the Lapis stone has been known to give off an aura of wisdom and been linked with psychic energies. That is why it has been cherished and held dear as jewelry by traditions of the past. For over 6000 years, the Sare -e- Sang mines located in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan have remained the only sour\ce for the highest quality of Lapis stone. Even though other sources have been discovered over the years but the quality of the stones produced out of these locations are no match to the ones coming from Afghanistan. The inaccessible terrain, barren mountains, and out of reach from modern day tools, these mines have been producing the same quality Lapis stone for decades.

So far no other stones produced anywhere on planet earth has been able to match the quality of these Lapis stones. And therefore it’s no surprise to see many imitation stones being circulated in various markets around the world.

The highest quality Lapis stone is so rare that it has probably become one of the most commonly faked gemstones around the world. If you want to see a great collection of genuine quality Lapis stones or jewelry, here's a great one. These imitation stones come in different quality and appearances and with the use of modern technology being, it has become very hard to spot a fake Lapis Lazuli stone from a real one. The most common imitation being done these days is the painting of lesser quality Lapis to make it look like a higher quality one and then being traded for a higher price. A good way of learning how to find great Lapis pieces is by going to a reputable online collection and analyzing their collections. That way you can learn to analyze and spot the details that make them real. I get it. It’s scary to not know whether you’re paying so much money for a real stone or not. But you don’t have to worry, we have put together this guide for you that will help you spot a fake Lapis stone from a real one and you can certainly benefit from it.

Test # 1 The Test Of Touch One of the easiest ways to spot a fake imitated Lapis stone is to hold it in your hand. If you’re holding an imitation stone in your hand, it will lose its cold sensation after some time. On the other hand, the real Lapis stone is immune to the time of contact. No matter, how long you hold it in your hand, it will always bear a cold sensation.

Test # 2 Acetone Test Another test that can help you distinguish between a real Lapis stone and a fake one is the acetone test. If you rub acetone against an original Lapis stone, it’s color won’t fade away. On the other hand, an imitated Lapis Lazuli will tend to lose it’s color.

Test # 3 Hardness Test The third test that you can perform to check the validity of your Lapis Lazuli stone is the hardness test. An original Lapis Lazuli stone will be able to withstand a glass scratch test. However, keep in mind, a genuine Lapis stone will in fact get scratched by a knife.

Test # 4 No Golden Flecks and White Swirls It’s a known fact that an original Lapis will have a distinguishing pattern on it. It’s majestic appearance is not complete without the golden flecks and white swirls which as caused by the mineral combination of Lapis Lazuli. On the other hand, another stone Sodalite which is often sold as a Lapis will have a greyish blue color but will have no flecks and swirls.