How to Tell if Ametrine is Real

Natural ametrine is a bicolored quartz variety, colored both purple and yellow from amethyst and citrine.  It’s a unique stone that combines two of the most popular crystals.  Unfortunately, like many gems, they can be faked, so it’s important to be careful so that you don’t purchase a fraudulent gemstone.  When considering an ametrine, there are a few factors to keep in mind to ensure your purchase is authentic.

How can you tell if ametrine is real?

Ametrine is a transparent gemstone that doesn’t have many flaws.  It’s a naturally occurring gemstone that may showcase a slight flaw here and there, such as a stress flaw or color transformation, but believe it or not, it’s not too hard to determine a fake ametrine from a genuine one.

Usually, a fake ametrine can be identified usually be the many flaws a real ametrine doesn’t portray.

Size, color and clarity

First, you will want to keep the three C’s in mind — the size, color and clarity.

If the stone is bigger than average and almost seems too perfect, then there’s a good chance it’s fake.  To the touch, synthetic gemstones will almost feel like a piece of plastic, not something natural.  The same can be said if you hold up two in your hand and they look identical.  No two will look the same.  Also, look at the symmetry.  A real ametrine will have natural flaws and will never be 100% perfect.

Also, take a look at the clarity.  To tell if ametrine is real, you will want to pay very close attention to the shade it emits.  Real ametrine will emit the amethyst purple color and the yellow color of citrine, the two stones its made of.  Usually, ametrine will have few flaws and showcases a great deal of clarity.  Most of what you see on the market will be rather pale.  If it’s vivid in color, almost too bright, it’s likely a fake.  Irradiated or lab-grown quartz of any kind will be much darker than the naturally occurring piece.

The color is something to pay close attention to, aside from the shade.  A naturally occurring ametrine won’t be as vivid and will always be yellow or purple.  If you see a color other than purple or yellow, such as blue or green, then this isn’t true ametrine.   This is a big one and can often give it away.  Treated clear quartz can be sold as “natural ametrine,” but any true ametrine will have yellow and purple tones and that’s it.  If you were to easily spot a fake, the color can almost always give it away.

Location

This is easy to lie about, but what needs to be mentioned is that ametrine is only mined from the Anahi mine located in Bolivia.  This is a very remote area, only accessible by boat or rough roads.  At the moment, this is the only place where you can mine the stone.

Of course, people can lie about where it came from, but if the seller doesn’t know where it came from or they mention another location aside from this mine, then red flags should be raised.

Whenever you choose an ametrine, be sure to select one that splits the colors 50/50 as well as has a bright intensity.  The clearer the color zone, the better this quality is said to be.  It’s also helpful to purchase from a reputable dealer.  There will always be scams out there, but if you’re aware of how to spot a fake, you can hopefully find an ametrine that’s true to nature.