Identifying a mystery gemstone ring from @maejeanvintage
The creator presents a vintage ring with blue gemstones and challenges the viewer to identify them. They then walk through a detailed gemological process of elimination, using tools like a refractometer, dichroscope, and microscope, and referencing a gem identification manual to rule out common guesses like topaz and aquamarine. After analyzing properties like refractive index, pleochroism, and inclusions, the creator reveals the gemstones are blue tourmaline and concludes with a personal anecdote about an employee claiming the ring for herself.
Creator: @maejeanvintage on Instagram
Transcript
I bet you can't guess what gemstone this is. Before testing these, we thought they might be blue topaz or aquamarine, but the refractive index is in the 1.63 to 1.66 range, which are definitely not in range for topaz, aquamarine, or even spinel or sapphire. It would be in range for apatite or forsterite, but the stones' reaction under fluorescence as well as their inclusions in pleochroism rule those out. A look through the microscope shows that the stones are doubly refractive with a medium to
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