Tagged: Synthetic Gemstones
Below you will find fine jewelry university articles "tagged" with the topic: Synthetic Gemstones.
Fine Jewelry University
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Gem in the Spotlight: Spinel
Spinel may be one of the most underappreciated gemstones in all of history. For centuries it has been confused with more popular gems like ruby and sapphire, and only recently have people begun to appreciate spinel for its own natural beauty. Commonly made in a lab spinel has been used a lower cost substitute for other gems, but natural spinel is actually a stunning gem in its own right. This in-depth article covers the gemology, history, and lore of this amazing and often overlooked gem... read more »
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How Are Lab Grown Diamonds Made?
The dream of making a beautiful and valuable diamond from simple carbon has long captivated the imagination of scientists and visionaries alike. Just like the alchemists of old who sought to turn lead into gold, many have tried to achieve this impressive feat. We have only recently been able to produce gem quality, lab grown diamonds that are large enough to be used in jewelry. But, how is it done? Early Efforts Throughout history, many people have claimed to have successfully synthesized diamonds. However, it was not until relatively recently... read more »
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What Are Lab Grown Diamonds?
In the simplest terms, lab grown diamonds are diamonds that have been made by people instead of mined out of the earth. If it’s so simple, you might wonder why there’s an entire article below this sentence. The complexity arises from the fact that lots of different terms have been used to describe lab grown diamonds and their cousins, and not everyone uses these terms in the same way. So, let’s begin with some vocabulary. Synthetic. Understanding this term correctly is the key that unlocks this entire question. Synthetic can... read more »
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Is a Lab Grown Diamond Right for Me?
Picking a diamond for your engagement ring is a big decision. For most of us, buying a diamond is a significant financial undertaking, and we want to get it right. Unfortunately, understanding diamonds takes a lot of specialized knowledge that most people don’t have (anyone remember their refractive indexes from high school physics?). Even more unfortunately, the diamond industry suffers from a lot of misinformation and paranoia both from inside the trade and from outside observers. I have heard people say that natural diamonds come with a 400% mark up... read more »
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How to Tell If a Diamond Is Natural or Lab Grown
How can I know if my diamond is real? This is a question we get all the time, and it’s not as simple as you might think. First, you have to decide what “real” means. If you are not familiar with lab grown diamonds, you might want to check out our introduction to lab grown and synthetic diamonds before continuing with this article. So, now you know that lab grown diamonds are just as real as natural diamonds, but we still want to be able to tell them apart. When... read more »
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Fake Diamonds: The Great Diamond Attack
A popular game show would have three people all say that they were someone and the contestant would try to find out who was the real person. Technology has created many new diamonds and diamond lookalikes. “What is a real diamond?” is a difficult question these days. And the problem of separating a fully natural diamond from all the modern possibilities is quite demanding. So what is a real diamond? Let’s start with the older diamond look a likes, (CZ, GGG, YAG, Synthetic corundum and spinal, Glass) or simulants are... read more »
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Synthetic Gems: The Whole Story
Synthetic rubies, emeralds, sapphires, diamonds and more are everywhere. Man made gems come in many forms: every thing from simple glass to high tech chemical tongue twister like gadolinium gallium garnet (also called GGG) and the modern diamond simulant moissanite. Synthetic gems are not bad, fakes, or the curse of a modern society. The more you know about them, the better you can understand their place in our society and in the jewelry world... read more »
