How to tell if its old vintage Russian amethyst from others?
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Hi Dawn,
Siberian Amethyst is one of the more sought after amethyst color hues. However, basic gemology testing may not be sufficient to identify specific regions/localities, if that is what you are asking.
Inclusions can be indicators for some geographic origin, but tracing material back to a specific locality / region may not be easily accomplished without specific tests, that require an in-depth geologic understanding of the region’s hydrothermal processes from where the stone was mined.
Those tests are well beyond a standard array of gemology classification and require a qualified lab to perform.
A lot of discussion has pinned the “Siberian” label to the color of the stone more than a specific locality, since the mineral is found in quite a few places.
Other forum members may have better information on this, but here are some initial articles to read.
Cheers!
-Troy
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Amethyst ID is very dicey…I don’t know of any locality specific inclusions which would identify amethyst from Siberia vs “Siberian” color amethyst from other places. Moreover, separating synthetic amethyst from natural is also very difficult… It can be done by sophisticated lab tests, but the cost of the tests is greater than the value of the [possibly] natural amethyst. So if you see inclusions in a stone that are obviously synthetic, you have synthetic amethyst. If you see obvious natural inclusions, you have natural. If the amethyst is clean, you have no conclusive way of knowing whether it is natural or synethetic. Fortunately amethyst is a pretty, but inexpensive stone, so it seldom matters a lot whether it is natural or not. -royjohn
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