What is this Mystery Stone?

When you have a group of stones and a whole lot of questions, what do you do? In this video I will show you my process of unraveling the mystery of what a stone is.
For those who would like to explore more about investing in gemstones and gemology, visit www.gemshepherd.com

[@smartin8287]

Hi Peter, I can't thank you enough for all the time and effort you put into making these videos for us. I am in the middle of my GG course and your videos have been an invaluable learning tool for me. Anytime I read something confusing in the textbook there seems to be a video of yours explaining the topic clearly. I really do think you should consider teaching as you have a natural knack for taking quite dry concepts and bringing them to life. Your explanations are not only easy to understand but also funny too. THANK YOU PETER! :)

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Wow this is high praise indeed~ Thanks very much. I'm glad that I could help you on your way :D

[@gavinclark6815]

Thanks for the video Peter, can't wait to watch this one again.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

My pleasure Gavin~ rewatch as often as you like ;)

[@danconstanciojr8476]

Peter, you have a great voice. Your explanations for fact and fiction deciphering gemstones is truly impressively easy to comprehend.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Thank you Dan ~ I appreciate this high praise.

[@nikhdes]

I absolutely missed Peter and his videos!! There's never a boring moment and still the videos are so full of practical knowledge. I cannot thank Peter enough for all his help in my job, but still I'll give it a shot. Thank you, Peter! (I am still wondering why Disney hasn't cast him as a mad pirate yet... )

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

So very glad to be of service Nikhil~ Also... Disney still has some time to realize the opportunity they're missing ;)

[@roberttyrrell2250]

As a novice self taught jeweler, best thing I did was buy good eqpt learn to use it properly. Then learn characteristics of most gems. Too old to spend $40k for GIA school. Missed my calling. Love colored stones. Thanks for another great vid. A portable polariscope is handy in feilld. Not great but handy.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Tools really come down to potential, don't they? In gemology, tools and the proficiency in using them are the most valuable of things: information. Coloured stones are where its at!

[@CorkyK]

I am so glad I found your channel. I enjoy your style tremendously, but I absolutely relish the education you are providing to us. Thank you sir, you are a gentleman and a scholar.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Thanks Corky ~ Glad to be of service.

[@jamesbarisitz4794]

Three sapphires in the mystery bag. That's a little sunshine in the total! Great vid, in spite of the pirate headgear. 😃

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Three sapphires is indeed some sunshine. Glad you enjoyed the video and are stout of heart enough to endure my pirate headgear ;) Cheers James

[@unity2BC]

Really helpful , sensible,and easy to understand post thank you ,

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Thanks, I'm glad to have been of service.

[@travishall6548]

Really glad to see you making videos again, I quite enjoy the information given that almost feels guarded or only for those "in the know" at least from my perspective anyway. Also the way it's delivered, you have a gift sir for delivering that very useful information with a very "chaplain" esque way that is so very entertaining. As always thank you for your content.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Thank you Travis ~ yes indeed the information I guarded for many, because there is such a price to get it. My perspective is that general knowledge should be available for all, because specialized knowledge can only be acquired in person by actually getting involved with the gems themselves. I hope we can all move forward together. Cheers

[@Celestial_Reach]

Thank you so much for the last part. And for many of your videos. Super helpful.

[@jamiecurran3544]

Cheers Peter!😁✌️

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Cheers Jamie~

[@Kim-cq5gk]

For a brand new hobbyist, what are your thoughts on the Presidium II gem tester. Mainly I’m scared of getting glass! 😇😅 Also ~ Thank you for the amazing video education! I enjoy learning new things!

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

The pen-type testers are mainly useful for diamonds and their simulants. So if you're dealing with coloured stones, my opinion is that the tool provides a lot of false hope and is more likely to mislead you than anything else. I have a few other videos on avoiding getting glass, which i'll link below. The big key is to learn the properties of the gemstones you're hoping to buy. kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHzNkpKmabeCqZosi=cIxP5d4ofLm8rUqB kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGLOp3qZo9t8Z7ssi=LbXyjUg9xx6xZAmM

[@oeisirikan4153]

I like the first presentation on this video. It looks even more interesting than your usual video. Good knowledge, thank you, Peter.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

I'm glad you enjoyed it ~ thanks Lek ;)

[@josephhuber4214]

Awesome video my guy, would love to see you do a video of the gem markets and bargaining for stones.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Thank you Joseph. Thats a wonderful idea for the future. I’ll look for ways to do it tastefully, as price information can be quite jealously guarded and id like to not end up in the river XD

[@briangilbert3884]

@@GemologyforSchmucks Very good... don't end up in the river... river bad...

[@Schtroumpsolis]

I apreciate the show. Keep telling us. About the business..please

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Thanks Francois ~ im glad my work is of use to you. Hoping to dispel the confusion I can and enlarge the playing field for those who are interested in dealing in nature's lasting treasures.

[@baromacdangoldandgemstons4044]

🙏🙏🙏 thank you very much teacher we are are your students from africa...keep Going Teacher..🌻🌻🌹🌹

[@ChairmanMoni]

The last bit was hilarious

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Glad you enjoyed it~

[@ChairmanMoni]

@@GemologyforSchmucks I thoroughly did, thank you. although I dealt mostly with diamonds, I do have a keen interest in other gems. still learning.. long way to go. I'm actually thinking to study colored stones properly, like getting a certificate that I can hang on my wall type education. but the true Gem will always be your beard with the bandana. Viewers need no eletroscopical spectrometer's reflectional defraction to see that. 😂😂

[@rogerhargreaves2272]

Ha, great new intro Peter. Great production with a lot of information. Interesting to hear about doing the ‘mine run’, sounds quite fun. I’d be like a kid in a sweet shop, not knowing what I getting from the pick ‘n mix lot. Glad your well, stay safe my friend. Rog. 👍😀

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Thanks as always Rog~ These are indeed fun, especially when there is more variety. After Th 50th piece of tourmaline, it gets pretty old, but the thought of there being an odd screaming spinel or or sapphire disguised as a tourmaline etc always keeps one on their toes.

[@rogerhargreaves2272]

@@GemologyforSchmucks - yea I bet, always good when you get something exciting. Actually, my birthstone is Peridot, but for some reason, whoever decides these has decided to add Spinel as a Birthstone for August. I smell snazzy marketing, like the old marketing hype of Diamond 🥱. Actually, a suggestion for your channel.....the modern generation seems to be ditching Diamond as an Engagement stone for more environmentally and financial reasons to Lab Diamonds, Moissanite or other coloured gemstones. Maybe they have caught on to the scam marketing and supply restrictions of the big monopolies like De Beers.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

The racket around birthstones really has me quite incensed, and at some point i'll spill my guts on why as it deserves a full rant in my opinion. I also agree with you on the spinel thing and particularly on the use of the word *snazzy* because its just that: an attempt to to inject enthusiasm using glitter, musical numbers and jazz hands. Anyhow - more on that later. The modern generation is buying into alternatives to earth mined diamonds, and i'd say rightly so. Lab diamonds and Moissanite (both manmade products) allow a diamond look for maybe half the budget, and that satisfies the need of many people to have a wedding trinket. For me I don't have interest in those things passing through my hands, and even less interest in them STICKING to my hands. I want something natural and with soul, and thats what i'd want to be on the hand of one I care about also. Jeepers. I have a lot of soap boxes. Is this why I got into youtube??! Cheers ~

[@rogerhargreaves2272]

@@GemologyforSchmucks - I totally agree with the clever marketing around birthstones Peter. Like everything these days it’s commercialised beyond everything. Valentine’s Day makes me 🤮 tbh. Interesting your point about the modern generation using stones that do not require vast destruction of the earth, but you can’t beat the mystery evoked by the real thing. The knowledge of where, how, when, why it was formed is all part of the beauty. If you don’t appreciate any of these things then you might as well go for a £2 C.Z. Coloured gemstones can be like pearls before Swine, “oh I don’t like that Emerald, there’s little cracks in it”. Well we know those inclusions are an integral part of that stone, and give it its unique character. Oh, we could go on and on. Keep safe my friend. Rog. 😀

[@jean-marcdomallain284]

Hi Peter. Great video as always. As an amateur and a beginner in gemcutting, I am discovering the universe of gemstones and your videos are a mine of informations to me. Could you tell me where I can find to purchase a chart like the one you show in the video please ? If you had to recommend one book for recognising stones, which one would it be ? Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge such a pleasant way ! I am looking forward your next videos. Jean-Marc, from France

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Hi Jean-Marc, Thanks for your kind words. The chart that I use was provided by AIGS during my A.G. course with them. You could check with them, or possibly GIA's online shop. A good book on the topic of gem identification is Richard T. Liddicoat's The Handbook of Gem Identification. It is a bit old/ dated, but the fundamentals of how we identify stones are the same.

[@stephbgg6451]

Hi everyone , nice and fun vidéo. I think for garnet a strong magnet can .be a very helpfull test as well. 😃

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Indeed ~ a magnet is a good indicator, though not "proof".

[@stephbgg6451]

👍

[@samchristopher3321]

Loved seeing your ID process. Do you take anything other than a 10X loop with you when you go to the gem markets identifying stones to buy? UV light? Very curious... Thank you!

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

HI Sam~ What tools I take with me are usually dependent on what stones im searching for. A loupe and a good flashlight are the basics. If I know im hunting for spessartite (mandarin garnet etc), then i make sure to take my spectroscope. If I was hunting for aquamarine, emerald or rubies, then i'd likely bring along a Chelsea filter and my 3way flashlight which has longwave UV. It all comes down to what I am looking for and what it is likely to be confused with.

[@kaftan1776]

Nice.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Thanks~

[@enasoii]

Hi Peter, great videos… now where do i get that giant poster with all the different stone characteristics

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Thank you very much ~ I got mine from AIGS school in Bangkok. I think if enough people annoy them, then they'll make them more readily available to the public. As I see it, its great marketing. Shoot... I might have to put out my own branded version ;)

[@kerrihansen8991]

I laugh so much when watching your videos. And I learn so much. (Particularly the pronunciation of words I have only read, and thus have been butchering.) Thank you for making these complex topics fun. Colored stones are so exciting!

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

I'm glad to serve, Kerri~

[@idonthaveaname42]

I think it would be cool to do a series where we have a mystery stone and you go through all the tests and let us try to guess what it is, then reveal in the next episode.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

An excellent Idea, thank you~

[@billbryant9995]

Nicely done, I appreciate the in depth description of the tools used for analysis. I'll have to look for that chart you showed; I think it would be nice if you had a form you fill in to record characteristics of the stone during analysis, like RFI, single/double refractive, etc. I have not seen a form, am curious what you would include. One day I'd like to get some real training!

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Some schools offer that sort of document for the first few lab classes, but with the volume of stones that you need to test to get used to the process and gain confidence in your usage of the tools, most students just end up recording the data on notebook page. It looks nice to have it all on a form, and if I was doing it for a client (for whatever reason XD ) , I would definitely create a spreadsheet. Otherwise, just for my own knowledge... i just a sticky note or scrap paper #recycling Cheers Bill~

[@samchristopher3321]

JTV sells a beautiful gem encyclopedia type reference book. It DOES have the color charts for almost every stone plus other information to help to properly id gems. It is HIGHLY recommended. It is a 3 book set and you can just. Buy the 1 with all the info. For the record, it's the only thing I have ever purchased from JTV.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

@@samchristopher3321 Sounds like a great resource for many people ~ thanks Sam

[@roberthamblett9619]

Hi Peter..another great vid and another curveball question.....is it not possible for a stone ( such as a sapphire) that can come in any shade or mix of 'additives' to have the same or similar spectrum to another stone ..eg Garnet?

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Poignant indeed!~ Spectra are totally dependent on what is in the stone. If something is added to the stone in a potent enough amount, that can be expected to influence the spectrum of the stone. Chromium doped jade is an excellent example, as is cobalt diffused, earth mined spinel. Spectrum alone is not something to trust on *most* stones. The fun part is when you know that some stones will not tolerate treatment of certain types. Without going on FOREVER about the topic i'll say that: yes~ the spectrum can be influenced, but the sources of influence are typically noticeable, and a huge part of this business/science is keeping up to date with what is going on. If I get a corundum (sapphire/ruby) RI, then I don't trust the spectrum, because I now that corundum may be treated easily. If I get a garnet or tourmaline RI, I worry less, because the treatments are less... wide and varied at this point in history... Hows that for less than 5000 words of an essay? hahaha ~ cheers Robert.

[@roberthamblett9619]

🤯 thanks for the swift and concise reply.....everydays a schoolday

[@roberthamblett9619]

Is it possible for this to happen naturally? Say if the sapphire has the right amount of chrome and iron.

[@pepsimax6671]

Great video , quick question do you have a list of where you buy mystery bags or mine run other than ebay ?

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

I think most people get them at gem fairs or through suppliers they have worked through before (and probably either met at a gem fair, or on a visit to a mine locality). Its such a gamble to deal with those hard-sell dealers from mining localities. They talk a good game, but in practice it's really tough to get a good deal over the internet from them. Not impossible... but tough and perhaps its better to say unpredictable.

[@seleniat]

Super fun video! Have you played any with raman spectrometers? They seem super useful for identification (but also $$$$$)

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Haven’t had the chance myself yet to play with a Raman spectrometer. That’s definitely in the high science end of lab work. Most lab determination is still done with the instruments i use here, but raman comes in for things like detailed info on treatments and origin determination. Its like a hole... the deeper you dig, the bigger it gets XD

[@emilypeters8888]

Hi Peter I love your channel but have a gemology adjacent question. What tools would you start with if you were you were going to start doing silver work for something like a personal Etsy business. I am disabled and jewelry and gemology have long been a passion gemology before jewelry but hey wine and cheese as they say. That said I would want to be able to say with confidence what stones were what and if they are natural or lab. As with silver setting a very expensive stone in it is rare these days so would want to be careful to be clear of what I have. As I no have problem put a nice lab color change corundum in silver but I would like my to be able to tell my customers that is what is and why.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Hi Emily ~ you have wonderful aspirations. My suggestion for you is two fold: choose stones that don't have a true synthetic (identical crystal structure and chemical composition), and buy the tools that allow you to verify their identifying characteristics. For example, I'm a massive fan of orange, and I make no secret of my love for spessartite (orange garnet, which I have a video on here). None of the natural garnets currently have a synthetic counterpart. If you buy a loupe, and spectroscope and learn how to use them confidently, you can discern in a moment that those stones are certainly spessartite. Pyrope and almandine garnets are the same process and tools. These also have a range of prices from affordable up to investment level that you'd be happy to stash for a few decades, so learning about the qualities provides you real value going forward. If you go after ruby sapphire emerald or diamonds, spinel or alexandrite your life gets much more complex and much more expensive.

[@emilypeters8888]

@@GemologyforSchmucks thankyou btw sry I missed a word up when trying to say I have no issue with setting synthetics in silver I just want to be able to tell my customers correctly that is or is not natural. Second I do I appreciate the advice and will do what I can to act on it as I setup a more permanent work space. I love orange stones my self though I know it was a synthetic orange to red color change sapphire that I had set many years ago in 1920's gothic style silver mounting that I picked up second, that inspired that love. The impact that ring had can not be overstated. As a closing thought I am a January baby and really have come to like garnets after learning they are available in so much more than red. Again thankyou for your response.

[@mitrasadoghi8622]

HI Peter,tk for fab info,im waching you from Iran😊😉,is the gemtester ,the goodone which are very expensive,needed for quick reading or is just a fancy tool?sorry for bad inglish😁

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Hi Mitra~ For the gem tester, do you mean the refractometer? or which instrument? Each of these tools is important for a different purpose. Some of them are expensive yes. The important thing to know is: what information can the tool give you. I cover this topic in detail in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJaxYnh9irl_jqM

[@lucianarodrigues2324]

Hi Peter! Do you give workshops for Gemology?

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

An excellent question ~ at the moment these are not available, but I am organizing my thoughts on the best way to do so. I believe there are several levels of need that are not being met by the current educational institutions. It will not be this year, but possibly in the following I may build a seminar or workshop. This idea is definitely in the infancy stage. Cheers, and may the day come soon~

[@sabiras7951]

Hi Peter, I am new to this gemstone world and I find your videos very useful. I have some gemstones that I think they are painite but their physical properties almost match with garnets. I am wondering how to differentiate between them and know what it actually is.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

I've responded to your comment on the garnets video ~ there are a few tools you can use, but if you don't have those tools, you will want to find a trained gemologist and have them test the stones.

[@sabiras7951]

@@GemologyforSchmucks thanks for the reply.

[@OmeletTwelve]

Oh Yay! I just bought 500 carats of these mixed cut stones for 12 cents per carat! They will be for use in Artwork, not jewelry but they'll also give me some ID practice. I think most are probably Topaz, but we'll see if I'm right. 🙂 But first, I'll need to purchase a refractometer...

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

It is indeed a powerful tool~ have fun

[@wheels845]

Dude,nice skull cap!

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Why thanks ~ just your average bandana though. It's become a part of my tropical weather uniform.

[@donsilverbulletspider3925]

Thanks Peter, I have missed your fun and very informative videos. One thing that would be helpful is to show the RI reading as I find that always difficult. Also was that chart you used the one from the GIA course? Hope you have been well.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Hi Don~ I'm glad to see your comments again aswell :D The RI reading is particularly tricky to show on camera, as it deals with optics and light etc, but i'll keep it in mind when i've got more mystery stones and see if I can get better shots of that for y'all. The chart i've got is one that was provided by AIGS - I chose them over GIA when I was selecting which school to study at, and it definitely served me and my purposes. There are many fine gemologists that come from GIA as well, certainly.

[@davidmaj4259]

How do you best tell synthetic corundum from natural?

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

There are several synthetic growth processes for corundum, so the first and last line of defense is the inclusion scene. This is also why it's important to see the inclusions of as many known stones as possible. This experience helps you build a map in your head of what the possibilities are in nature, and when you see something that deviates from that, it helps you pick up more evidence to distinguish natural and synthetic stones (or get a second opinion from an advanced lab).

[@coreymerrill3257]

But ...you have to know! I need the refractive index on aliens. C'mon man!

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

To be fair ~ it depends on the species of alien. Some are higher basic lustre than others #ammiright?

[@cocaynne7226]

Likeee

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

First one: Wohoo~!

[@cocaynne7226]

@@GemologyforSchmucks i am begginer gemologist and jeweller and your video help me a lot thanks .!!!

[@maximhollandnederlandthene7640]

What if all they give is paste stones ? 😒

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

If you don't pay for it, then i'd just hand those stones back to them... unless you have a market for historical pastes in jewelry (which can be a valuable niche).

[@maximhollandnederlandthene7640]

@@GemologyforSchmucks I like a good niche 😅🤗 That brings out the Sherlock in me

[@lochardcom4622]

You should speak a little slower. Hard to catch up

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Thanks for the suggestion, and i'm sorry if my pace has caused difficulties. There's a balance to be found for sure.