I just inherited a pair of diamond and emerald (looking) earrings in draw. They belonged to my grandmother. I tried looking at websites that told whether stones are real, but they seemed base it on things you look for when BUYING diamonds.

The earrings in question are an inch long and are rectangles. They have ten stones (5 "emeralds", 5 "diamonds") in each earring. There are no labels on the earrings of any time (stamps, etc.). They are in a reputable jewelry store’s box. They are not screw backs.

Any ideas?

As has been mentioned - it is very difficult to tell by a description and even with photographs would be hard.

If you want to try by yourself, definitely have a look at all those sites that are about buying diamond or emerald jewellery as they will still tell you what to look for - then get a magnifying glass of at least 10x power and have a good look at the stones and at settings. There may be a faded stamp somewhere there that you missed with the naked eye.

If you have a jeweller locally where you go to buy things occasionally - or have repairs done - I would venture to take the earrings in and ask if it is ‘worthwhile’ to have the earrings appraised. Many jewellers will tell you on the spot for no fee if the jewellery is costume. Of course, always get a second opinion if the information is free, just to make sure!

There is some marvellous vintage costume jewellery out there, so even if they aren’t ‘real’, they may still have some monetary value, and of course, they were your grandmother’s so will have sentimental value as well!