For a down and dirty, quicky type ID on a white stone, I’d head for
the nearest pawnbroker. Odds are they’ll be glad to test it with
their electronic diamond tester to let you know if it is, in fact, a
diamond. If its not a diamond you’re probably looking at a CZ or a
white sapphire. Unfortunately most pawnbrokers won’t have the
equipment to be able to spot the difference between those two.
If it is truly THE Avon Co. jewelry, (of perfume fame), my money is
on CZ, and I’d want to double check to see if it really is karat
gold and not some sort of plate. Your pawnbroker should have acid
on hand and can easily check that for you too. I’ve seen VERY
little karat gold Avon stuff.
Hoping for you that they’re HUGE diamonds!!
Steve
(who has been a pawnbroker for the last 14 years)
Your earrings are already priceless once you said that they were from
your mother. Another kind of value…do you understand me?
I don’t want to disappoint you=A0 but I=A0can guarantee that you have =
a
pair of Cubic Zircons, no doubt. Also don’t be sad, Zircon is a
remarkable mineral, if only for its almost ubiquitous presence in the
crust of Earth. It is found in magmatic rocks (as primary
crystallization products), in metamorphic rocks (as recrystallized
grains) and in sedimentary rocks (as detrital grains).
Unfortunately Avon isn’t famous due to precious stones in their
jewelry.
I don't want to disappoint you but I can guarantee that you
have a pair of Cubic Zircons, no doubt.
I’m sorry, but regardless of the stamp on the piece and the
company’s reputation (or lack thereof) you cannot guarantee anyone
anything about a gemstone without having seen the piece in person.
How do you know that the piece wasn’t made by a company that didn’t
use natural gemstones but that they were replaced with something else
by a different company (something I’ve done a number of times for
customers) without looking at them??? You cannot, as a gemologist,
make any assumptions about gemstones without some kind of scientific
backing. While the stones may very well turn out to be CZ or some
other synthetic, making a blanket statement like this, with no
actual proof, is the reason so few people trust jewelers.
Daniel R. Spirer, G.G.
Daniel R. Spirer Jewelers, LLC
1780 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02140 @Daniel_R_Spirer
I can guarantee that you have a pair of Cubic Zircons, no doubt.
Also don't be sad, Zircon is a remarkable mineral...
Cubic zirconia is a manmade material; zircon is a natural mineral;
and “cubic zircon” is incorrect terminology. As a gemologist (per
your signature), you should know the difference. As a gemologist, you
should also know that you can’t guarantee the identity of a stone
without at least seeing it.
pair of Cubic Zircons, no doubt. Also don't be sad, Zircon is
a remarkable mineral, if only for its almost ubiquitous presence in
the crust of Earth.
Perhaps you meant cubic zirconia, which is definitely not zircon.
All naturally occurring cubic zirconia are found as inclusions in
zircon and are far too small for jewelry applications. For this
reason alone, every CZ you’ve seen in jewelry is a synthetic stone.
Your earrings are already priceless once you said that they
were from your mother. Another kind of value...do you understand
me?
Certainly.
Thanks to all who replied. I doubt very much the stones are
diamonds, but they’re white and I’d like to know what they are.
Unfortunately, this has all come about because my sister and I think
our (deceased) mother’s engagement ring was lost. We’re good at
losing jewelry in my family!