I saw that and wondered about that too, but when you look straight into the stone, you don't really see that dark color as much. If you look at the stones at the top of the photo, they look very clear. But honestly, I really don't know. Maybe I'll ask one of the antique jewelry dealers at the next vintage show to take a look at them. I just don't want to get my hopes up! The odds of me buying real Georgan buckles on ebay for $9.99 is just too far-fetched to believe!