The sequence
Selection. We pick products readers actually ask about: bangles in common diameters, pendants under a set price, carved pieces with treatment claims, and vendors with a track record of shipping overseas.
Ordering. The editor places the order personally and logs the order date, quoted shipping window, carrier, tracking events and arrival day, so we can report real transit time rather than a stated estimate.
Arrival and packaging. We photograph the parcel before opening, note the box, pouch, padding, certificate and customs paperwork, and record any chipping, wax residue, odor or loose stringing.
Bench tests. Weigh on a 0.001 g scale, measure with calipers, inspect under 10x and 30x loupes with fiber-optic light, take refractive index on a flat polished surface, run hydrostatic specific gravity to 0.01, check long-wave and short-wave UV response, and use a dichroscope and Chelsea filter where they add information.
Treatment assessment. We state what our instruments support and what they do not. Refractive index and specific gravity can rule some imitations in or out; confirmed bleached-and-polymer-impregnated or dyed material usually needs a laboratory memo, so we say when a claim remains unconfirmed.
Wear testing. Pendants are worn 14 days and bangles 30 days by a named editor, with rotation notes, hairline inspection and exposure to hand soap, sunscreen and daily knocks.
Price check. On scoring day we record the current asking price at three retailers and note shipping cost, duties and return terms.
Scoring and comparison. Five categories, each out of 5, weighted into an overall score written as X / 5, followed by a comparison table against two or three close alternatives we have also tested.
What we do not claim
Our bench readings are not a gemological certificate and not an appraisal. Where a purchase depends on provenance or a treatment guarantee, we tell readers to ask the vendor for a laboratory memo from a recognized lab.
Scope of the findings
Each reading identifies the piece and applicable test conditions. Wear periods concern the named sample; price comparisons identify their capture date and do not guarantee a later sale price.