Help at hand to avoid fake gems in Oman

Muscat: After coming across people, who were cheated into buying cheap gems for a higher price, Fahad Mahmood Al Balushi decided to open a gem testing lab, which would help people differentiate between authentic and synthetic gems and create awareness about the issue.
Learning about gemstones has been a hobby for Al Balushi for two decades. His passion has made him travel to gemstone markets in several places around the world and he opened his own in Muscat a few months ago.
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“I was always passionate about gemstones and fascinated by their different types, so red is not just ruby, but it could be a sapphire or a garnet, and a host of other types, but most people are not aware of that and I wanted to educate people about this, so I started the lab earlier this year,” Al Balushi said.
Testing of the gems is not a lengthy process, but needs meticulous attention.
Variety of tools
“We use a variety of tools to test the gems — their density, depth, refractive index, composition and a few other technical details, and by the end of the testing, we draft a report and give a certificate of authenticity to the client.”
According to him, the human eye and a 10x magnifying glass loop are the most important tools for gem testers. With his vast knowledge and experience in dealing with gemstones, Al Balushi can actually just hold a gem in his hand, look at it from different angles, and tell you a lot about it.
However, he makes use of all his equipment to test the gems, just to satisfy himself, as well as the customer, for accuracy.
A powerful microscope is usually the last step in a testing process and also plays a very important role. “The microscope helps us determine if the stone is natural or synthetic, so it is really important.”
Al Balushi said purchasing gemstones online is very risky and should be avoided.
“Purchasing stones online involves lots of risks, as a majority of them might turn out to be fake. Manufactures are coming up with new tricks in the market to cheat customers and so it’s best to be avoided.”
Ever since he started the store, Al Balushi has received many individual and corporate customers, many of whose stones turned out to be fake.
“Buy a stone you like and keep the bill with you. Get the stone tested in a lab and keep the certificate. If it’s not a genuine piece, you can take it back to the shop where you bought it from within the number of days mentioned in your bill. Sometimes the jewellery stores would have certificates of authenticity already, so just ask for those instead.”
Al Balushi has a message for people buying gemstones, “I want everyone to have the original stone and not be cheated. We have a 12-hour service and can submit the report on the same day, and our rates are very competitive, when compared with other international labs.”

Carat Laboratory is located in Said Plaza in Qurum, opposite Khamis Plaza.