Like for diamonds, false claims, mispresentations, and fraudulent practices exist for the sale of colored gemstones. Always have your gemstone checked by a qualified gemologist-appraiser before closing the sale. Any fine gemstone purchased today should have a laboratory report with it. Here are some gemstone scams that are out there:

1. Treating the gemstone with colored oils to enhance the color, such as for emeralds. This treatment is not permanent. Note that treating gemstones with colorless oils is a generally accepted practice.

2. Treating fracture-filled gemstones with epoxy resins in order to hide fractures or inclusions in the gemstone. This treatment is also not permanent and in fact may hide a stone that is defective structurally.

3. Using colored foil on the back of a closed-back jewelry piece in order to intensify the color of a pale or poor-quality gemstone. Somtimes near-colorless stones for used in this practice. This is more commonly found in antique jewelry.

4. Selling a gemstone doublet, which is a composite stone comprised a real gemstone top bonded to a colored glass bottom. This is more commonly found in antique jewelry.

5. Selling an gemstone triplet, such as for opals, where a colored bonding agent is sandwiched between top and bottom colorless pieces.