An Article On The Difference In Lab Grown and Natural Gemstones

An explaination of the difference between lab grown gems and the gems that come from the earth and how synthetic stones are different from lab grown gemstones! 

A. What's the Difference in Stones?
It is truly a miracle when all the elements of our Earth come together to produce amazing stones. Cutting into a rock and seeing all the layers of time compressed together with heat, cold, minerals, chemicals, and other rudiments certainly excites the avid gem collector and jewelry designer. What is even more amazing is how manufacturers and scientists have been able to recreate what nature does.

This leads us to simulated stones. Many terms are used in the industry so let's clarify what is meant by simulated, synthetic, and lab-grown gems.

* Natural gemstones mean they are given to us by nature. They have not been treated or altered. They are usually cut or polished but that's it.

* Genuine gemstones (treated) are natural gemstones, but have been treated to enhance their appearance, color or texture.

* Synthetic gemstones (laboratory grown) are like natural gemstones in almost every way from their structure, color, cut and other elements. In fact, many gemologists can be fooled since test results often come out the same as a natural gemstone. The definition of synthetic is material created in a laboratory using basically the same ingredients found in the natural products.

* Simulated gemstones (laboratory grown) have an appearance similar to natural gemstones but have different optical, physical and chemical compositions. Cubic Zirconium is the major stone in this category.

Gemstones that are treated (still genuine) are done so for better color, better clarity, or to actually change the color of the stone. As long as treatments are disclosed to you there is nothing wrong with most of them, as long as you realize that some treatments are permanent and some are not.

Here are a few of the more common types of treatments that you may encounter and some information about them.

Fracture Filling: It puts a glass filling in the break that fills the fracture and makes the fracture invisible. Although it is a long term treatment the filling can come our in certain circumstances. You should always be informed about a diamond purchase involving a stone that has been fracture filled.

Laser Drilling: a process that uses a laser to drill out an inclusion in a diamond. It leaves a tell-tale drill hole that is visible to the trained eye. However, sometimes filler is put into the drill hole to mask the hole. This will take an experienced gemologist to identify.

Heating: considered a normal extension of how most gemstones get their color anyway, by heat in the ground. Virtually every gemstone you can imagine has at least some of its species heated to improve color. As long as the process is permanent, and most are, heating is acceptable and necessary. There are, however, some gemstones that will revert back to their original color over time.

Diffusion: a process that bakes a coloring element onto the surface of a gemstone.

Oiling: a treatment done to emeralds and opals most often. This process uses a resin or oil to infiltrate and fill surface breaking fissures. This seals the stone against foreign material getting into the stone, and makes the fissures less noticeably. Virtually all emeralds are oiled in today's market. Opals must be oiled to seal them from loss of water in the gemstone. Oiling is not permanent and can easily be redone when the need arises.