Gemmology

"Eliminate all other factors and the one which remains must be the truth" - Sherlock Holmes

Gemmology is the science of identifying and evaluating gemstones. Short of destructive testing, which would be pointless to say the least, it is not possible to positively identify a gemstone using a single test. The process is one of elimination and even when a particular stone is identified, its origin and the possibility that it could be a man made crystal have to be considered.