Nothing gives more pleasure than wearing jewellery made of pretty coloured precious and semi-precious stones: emeralds, rubies, garnets; and there is nothing better to accent yourself and your wardrobe. But wait, are you sure that the stones you are wearing are real? How can you tell real gemstones from imitation and synthetics? Here are some tips to help you distinguish the real from the imitations and to get your money's worth.

Genuine or natural – These are made by Mother Nature and are therefore rare, of limited supply, and highly valuable. The price tag itself may give you a hint when buying gemstones and jewellery made of such precious stones. However, this not a fixed rule. Prices are determined based on certain factors such as the gemstone's availability, quality and how desirable it is to the market. That is why rubies are usually more expensive than garnets, and diamonds are considered the most expensive gemstone of all.

Also, note that natural stones are not perfect. They come with flaws such as cracks and impurities. This is especially true for rubies and emeralds. There is no emerald or ruby in the market that have no cracks or impurities in them. So if you find that your stone is practically flawless and clear, the higher the chances are it is an imitation. That is why clarity is one of the ways to evaluate a gemstone's value. The less flaws a gem has, the higher the price it will fetch. Quality of a gemstone is determined by clarity as well as by its colour, carat weight, and cut.

Weight is also another way to tell a real gem from its artificial counterpart. Natural gemstones are lighter and more transparent than their artificial counterparts.

Synthetic - A synthetic stone shares all the characteristics of a natural stone. The difference is that these are created in a lab. Because synthetic gems are made of all the elements like that of the genuine ones, it is really very hard to distinguish it from the genuine stones especially with the technology today. But synthetic gems are denser than their natural counterparts and so are heavier and appear more opaque than transparent. However, being able to distinguish these aspects require a keen eye and an expert knowledge on gemstones.

Imitation - The true paste are made up of glass or plastic. The only similarity they have with genuine gemstones is that they look the same. A jeweller can easily tell a fake or simulated copy from a real one.

Composite - These are stones that are assembled using glass or an inexpensive stone. It is then is placed on top of a thin bit of genuine stone. The division is not visible to the naked eye. You need a lens to see it.

However, the best way you can assure yourself of the genuineness of your jewels is to ask the jewel store for its lab certificate. You can also develop a keen eye for distinguishing real gemstones by learning more about them. A gemstone guide will give you a lot of information, as well as the physical and chemical makeup of precious and semiprecious stones.