It is a well known fact that travelers love to buy jewelry and gems when traveling overseas, and that jewelry often represents some of a foreign country's best bargains. These bargains can turn into a rip-off, however, if the buyer doesn't know enough about the gems in question.

Within the United States, it's a violation of Federal Trade Commission guidelines to use names which mislead buyers as to the identity of what they are buying. This often is not the case abroad. In the newly released third edition of Jewelry and Gems: The Buying Guide, authors Antoinette Matlins and Antonio Bonanno provide a complete list of misleading gemstone names encountered abroad. Keep this list handy when buying jewelry overseas, so you'll always know what you are really getting.

Gem Misnomers & What They Really Mean

• Japanese Amethyst - Synthetic Amethyst
• Alaskan Black Diamond - Hematite
• Herkimer Diamond - Colorless Quartz
• Matura Diamond - Colorless Zircon
• Mogok Diamond - Colorless Topaz
• Ranggon Diamond - Colorless Zircon
• Chatham Emerald - Synthetic
• Gilson Emerald - Synthetic
• Oriental Emerald - Green Sapphire
• Goldstone - Glass with Copper Crystals
• Australian Jade - Chrysoprase Quartz
• Indian Jade - Aventurine Quartz
• Korean Jade - Serpentine
• Manchurian Jade - Soapstone
• Mexican Jade - Dyed Green Calcite
• Soochow Jade - Serpentine, Soapstone
• German Lapis - Dyed-Blue Jasper
• Swiss Lapis - Dyed-Blue Jasper
• Atlas Pearl - Imitation
• Red Sea Pearl - Coral
• Adelaide Ruby - Garnet
• Australian Ruby - Garnet
• Balas Ruby - Spinel
• Bohemian Ruby - Garnet
• Brazilian Ruby - Tourmaline
• Cape Ruby - Garnet
• Lux Sapphire - Iolite
• Water Sapphire - Iolite
• Madeira Topaz - Quartz
• Palmeira Topaz - Quartz
• Rio Topaz - Quartz
• Smoky Topaz - Smoky Quartz