What are Natural, Synthetic and Imitation Gemstones?
Gemstone information: there are basically three types of gemstones used in jewelry:
- Natural Gemstones - As the name implies these are gemstones found naturally in nature and are usually mined from the earth. Or found in water.
- Synthetic Gemstones - These gems are identical to natural gems in terms of chemical composition and physical properties. However, they are created in a laboratory under high pressure using the same compounds that make up natural gemstones.
- Imitation Gemstones – These are “gemstones” that try to look like the real gemstones but do not have a natural counterpart. Such as glass or plastic.
Gemstone Information: Natural Gemstones
A simple definition of a “natural gemstone” is any mineral that has been mined from the earth and cut into a gemstone. Or they can be found growing naturally in water such as pearls. Natural gemstones often take millions of years to form which is why gems have been prized possessions since the beginning of time. Additionally, a natural gemstone can be uniquely identified by its mineral makeup. However, as natural gems often have “flaws,” they are often treated to enhance, brighten, and improve the colour and clarity.
Furthermore, natural gemstones can be further divided into “natural” and “genuine” gemstones:
“Natural gemstones” are not treated in any way to enhance color or clarity other than being mined, cut / faceted and polished. Therefore, not surprisingly, these are both rarer and more expensive.
“Genuine gemstones” have had the colour and clarity enhanced, usually using a form of heat, chemical or laser treatment.
On this website we will simply refer to “Natural Gemstones”. This is for all the gemstones used our pendants, earrings, charms, rings, bracelets and all our other types of jewelry on this website.
Gemstone Information: Synthetic or Created Gemstones
Synthetic / Created gemstones are man-made gemstones with the same chemical composition, crystal structure, optical and physical properties as natural gems. Moreover, synthetic gemstones are also called “created gemstones” and have been manufactured since the 1800s.
The term “synthetic” comes from the ancient Greek word for “to put together.” Thus, people “build” or, more accurately, “grow” synthetic crystals and gems. In fact, this process is similar to what nature does beneath the earth over millions of years, but in a fraction of the time. And at a fraction of the cost of mining.
This process is done in a laboratory using minerals and chemicals that, given the proper environment (temperature, pressure etc), will arrange themselves into crystals. Therefore, these crystals have exactly the same structure as crystals that “grow” or appear naturally. In other words, the same as natural gems. As the manufacturing process is “controlled”, minerals that cause inclusions or color differences are not used. As they would have been if they were created by nature. Thus, created gemstones can be grown to have specific color and be “near perfect”. However they do have slightly different characteristics including the tell-tale inclusions and growth patterns within the gemstone created by the manufacturing process.
This is what gemologists rely on to identify synthetic gems from natural gems.
How identify to synthetic gems from natural gems
There are a number of ways. For example, the composition and structure of a synthetic ruby is the same as that of a natural ruby. A created ruby weighs the same as a natural ruby of equal size etc. However, be aware that the colour of natural gems often appear “dull”. Consequently, if you compare a created stone with a typical natural one. You will often see more inclusions in the form of black dots or cloudy spots in a natural gem compared to a created gem.
So, with nearly identical mineral makeup, most created and natural gemstones are pretty much indistinguishable to the average person. It requires a trained gemologist, high magnification along with other specialized equipment to really be able to tell one from the other.
The most common created gemstones are:
Pearl
Sapphire
Pearl
Diamond
Emerald
Spinel
Quartz, Amethyst, Citrine and Ametrine
Opal
Chrysoberyl and Alexandrite
Gemstone information to note: These tend to cheaper, brighter, and more available than natural gems. However, remember that as with natural gems, synthetic gemstones also vary in quality and price.
Imitation or Simulant Gemstones
Imitation gemstones, also called “simulants”, are substances that try to imitate the color, shape, or look of a natural gemstone. However, they are made of an entirely different material such as various plastics, glass, resin, and dyes.
Interestingly, one of the most common imitations / simulants are those trying to appear as diamonds. Cubic Zirconia (CZ) is a common and popular diamond simulant and can be quite expensive.
Additionally, coloured glass and resin are used a lot as well in jewellery. Also, B=blue glass can be substituted for blue sapphire, and red for a ruby etc. Also some can be very well made and be set in extremely nice jewellery. In fact some, as with created gems, require a gemologist to be able to tell the difference.
