Synthetics 101 | All about Lab Grown Gemstones 

As a Graduate Gemologist and jewelry business owner, I am always happy to show synthetic gems to customers. I find that the biggest hurdle is assuring the buying public that these stones are REAL and are NOT imitations or simulants. The difference between synthetic and natural gems is ORIGIN. One is mined from the earth and the other is grown in a laboratory under conditions that mimic those of nature. This channel does a great job in educating the public and cultivating their trust in our industry.

Natural is always amazing but I also love synthetic because you can do amazing things way cheaper. It’s all about the beauty to me not the creation process.

I love how gemstone created naturally BUT synthetic is also fascinating because how you can copy the natural one WITHOUT DESTROYING the natural beauty of earth's surface

theyre both cool but overall i’d say i prefer synthetics, i love how theyre a product of science but modelled after something we found in nature!

I always consider synthetic to be better, purer, more vivid colours, larger.

I've always found the debate between "Natural" and "Synthetic" to be rather ridiculous, mainly because it sounds too elitist for my taste. As long as they're real, I didn't really care one way or the other. Go with what you can afford. If it doesn't require tearing up the planet, even better.

I'm team both. I like to use synthetics in earrings because the loss isn't as tragic.

Well that answers a lot of the questions i had about synthetic stones. They are all quite beautiful and especially the ruby, sapphire, and emerald synthetic because they tend to be a clearer stone then their natural counterparts. I dont prefer either one or the other. In jewelery, i prefer a stone that i can afford, in the cut and clarity that i can afford. So im open to either. Lab grown gems are fascinating. It just blows my mind how long they have actually been around!

color stones, natural. diamonds lab grown. Diamonds are as common as quartz and way too expensive for what it is. I have a red to Blue color change garnet, way more rare and hard to get than a crappy white diamond. I prefer my moissanite because the refraction is higher and the stones are far more lively.

Since you asked, I had no problem loving synthetic gemstones if they were cheap to buy. They are cheaper but still not cheap. So I'd go with the best value of a gemstone, which is determined by demand as a factor. If we took what I'd have to spend completely out of it, I love them both equally and would be happy to wear either. Chemically, they are the same.

I play both sides! 😂. I love them all. I purchase naturals when I find exceptional deals and will leave them to my children and grandchildren to hopefully create our own family heirlooms. This was, as always, a great video! I could watch you guys all day!

I'm rather neutral about the topic. If the gem makes someone happy it doesn't matter if the gem is lab or natural if I do have to pick one it will have to be lab created, mainly because they tend to be more ethically produced.

Synthetic because it gives more access and creative control jewelry designers.

Great job, Rob! I'm team Natural but I understand that can be fraught with political and inhumane consequences if one isn't mindful when purchasing.

Synthetics provide so much room for creativity. We wouldn't have all those crazy rare earth doped garnets without synthetics.

my wife loves the synthetic stones I have mounted for her. I made her a ring with a large pigeon's blood synthetic ruby and it looks like something out of a royal treasury. The emerald tennis bracelet is stunning. Ruby heart shaped earnings with matching pendant. The list of fine jewelry with precious stones she now has is lengthy.

I really enjoyed this episode. I've been researching how synthetics are made and this video cleared up questions I had. Thank you putting this together and placing it online. I appreciate both natural and synthetic. An episode on "fakes" like much of the moldavite you see being sold, would also be interesting.

I am team moissanite! Which is now lab grown as well. 💎

I do synthetic stones and spinel can be made in almost any colour. A very versatile stone that is underappreciated.

Sooo, synthetic diamond may contain the Umbrella Corporation symbol... LOL! My wedding ring is a synthetic emerald with tiny white sapphires to accent it. Hubby would prefer I had a natural one, but my crow brain doesn't mind since it's still a shiny. 😄 I think it's rather lovely, a gorgeous almost forest green color.

I've always preferred natural gemstones, but there are synthetic stones that have unique properties that I like, specifically synthetics that have a chemical composition that is quite impossible to find in the natural state. Like LuAG(a type of synthetic garnet) which makes it flouresce even under daylight.

I’m learning here and everywhere to make sure I provide my customers with the most accurate truthfulness I can. Great video Thankyou!

Awesome video! Thanks for making this! When I cut the first Ce:LuAG that went viral a year ago I was blown away by the consumers reaction! 🙏❤️

Wow very educational and a great explanation! Thanks for the info on this! I would love to see another video on deeper explanation of the different processes.

Thank you, i love these lessons. More of this please! :)

Thanks for this great, and clear information. I needed this desperately about 25 years ago when I wanted to confirm that my high school ring was synthetic corundum and not synthetic spinel. The conclusion was synthetic corundum, but it was like an act of Congress to get the company that made the ring to clarify it for me. Obviously no one but myself ever inquired way back then... The company was Balfour.

The minerals needed to make Lab Gemstones also had to be mined by humans.

Pure sapphire is pure aluminum oxide (alumina, Al2O3) and is colorless. Trace amounts of chromium (Cr) turn the gemstone red (rubies), while adding titanium and iron turn the crystal blue (blue sapphire)

I'm so conflicted on this topic... some of my favorite facets are yagg, gagg, luag, etc., but there's just something special to be said about unadulterated natural specimens.

I like nature for cool specimens and love natural forms BUT I prefer lab created because it'd generally cheaper, less slavery and deaths, less impact overall and it makes it easier to find gems with certain specifics hard to find in nature which fits with creative ideas I have more personally :)

Lab creation means the four traditionally "precious" gems for the masses! Plus those insane YAG colors are magnificent. I would like to have a davemoaite included diamond though. I don't think those will be created any time soon. But lab emerald can be produced so clean that it will never be found like that in nature.

COOL!! Great info!! Thank you so much! 🙏🙏🙏

Seeing the environmental devastation in some of the world's poorest countries in order to mine for natural gemstones should make one realise this is the way forwards.

My third grade classmate brought synthetic rubies to show and tell back in 1959. I always assumed she came by them through her dad's work at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. Lasers were just coming into wider use, and ruby rods, so I was told, were used to produce lasers.

As much as diamonds are the stereotypical engagement ring gem. I think when it comes my time for that that I would much rather synthetically make my partners birthstone gem and get that put into a ring. One cause its their birthstone, and two id have the satisfaction of "I made this". Sounds special to me.

Loved this one! As an amateur gemologist/jeweler I have been trying to find *any* information on how to tell the difference between natural & synthetic stones. I don't really have a preference except for emeralds, which I am on team natural. But it can affect perceived value on the part of a purchaser, as well as accuracy being important.

Check out LuAG, Ce YAG, any other scintillating synthetic gemstone, the world of man made stones is as nice if not nicer than the natural stones, you guys are missing out!

Very informative video.

How does everyone feel about paying natural gemstone prices, such as diamonds, only to find out later that what you actually purchased was “lab grown”??

very informative!!!! thanks for sharing

1:11 Ruby and Sapphire 1:41 Rutile, Spinel, Strontium titanate 4:17 Emerald 6:02 Diamond

My Grandfather in law owned a pawn shop for many years. After his passing, as we cleared the store we went through some individual stones he believed were diamonds. We took them to a jeweler who said No they were not. This makes me wonder if an actually accredited appraiser could not visit especially, older pawn shops. If they could actually identify gems that have a greater value than the estimate of the shop and create an income from the discrepancy? Kind like a person who flips a house. Are there people who do this? How accurate would you expect the average pawn shop to be evaluating gems?

It comes down to your age, and price. When i was younger i bought a beautiful set of Lab Grown orange sapphires. Necklace and earrings. They were 14k ygd with small diamonds surrounding. I love them. Would I buy them now, probably as natural would be prohibitive and I have these and love them.

Team synthetic. It's nice to wear a larger stone that only the very rich could enjoy previously. If I win a big lottery, I am sure I will change my mind on that, but meanwhile, if the the chemical composition is the same, that's really good enough for me.

Nature and humans both have their unique and amazing gemstones. The inclusions made by nature are fascinating. The man-made YAG will always be one of my favourites. Give natural and man-made stones the same respect. Full disclosure would then be done with pride. Whether you have a natural or man-made diamond - both are beautiful. (If anything is a concern is diamonds created from loved ones - I would wear my family or another family but I would like to know. We are, after all, just sentient carbon.)

Upon getting engaged months ago, I learned a lot about natural and synthetic diamonds. I got my girlfriend involved in the ring buying process. In the end, we got a 1.4 carat lab diamond of very high overall quality for sooo much less than it's natural counterpart. We're both conservative financially and were very happy with the purchase.

I actually like the look of the chatter marks. I bet they'd look neat if I put the gem on top of a light source.

Synthetic gems are the way of the future. Some, like the flux method produce beautiful crystals that look better than any natural crystal. The flux method used by Chatham Created Gemstones produces breathtaking ruby crystals that are more beautiful than anything mined from earth. Because of the way they are formed, Vernuel boules produce cut gems that have an unattractive greasy appearance when faceted. This is because the atoms in flame fusion grown gems never have the chance to line up properly. Those layers you see cause interference as light passes through the stone, and this causes the greasy fake look characteristic of Vernuel grown gems. I have a large collection of flux grown rubies, emeralds, and sapphires that have not been cut, and they are more beautiful than any natural crystals I have seen.

Alchemists dreamed of synthesizing precious gemstones, they are probably hyped watching this video in the afterlife lmao

I'm always about natural things, even though some are still beautiful. I just think people who pass fakes off as real for high prices should have their hands broken. I see eBay sellers all the time passing off fakes as real. eBay should at least ban them, but it's money for eBay as well, so they pretty much let it happen.

Thank you for the compact yet very useful video. I can not but wonder if other gemstones get synthesis as well, like is garnet and amethyst and citrine and topaz and tourmaline has synthetics too ??

Personally, for a cut stone I feel like I might as well go lab, I love natural stones for their raw formations.

I’m totally all about the natural gems . Now, I love science, Hands down my favorite subject. I’m Fascinated this can be done! But there’s something about how nature and mother earth creates her treasures Over hundreds of millions of years, Patiently and completely, it’s about the time it takes. She never stops creating the whole time! It’s like nature doesn’t feel time the way we do. She always in a moment , Never born, never dies, to her time doesn’t exist so she can take her time , and she does.

I opted for a lab grown purple sapphire because I wanted a 4 carat and that would be so expensive! I happily ended up with a color-shifting one.

I believe that natural stones should be used for sentimental or significantly expensive jewelry, however I'm a strong believer in the use of synthetics, such as for industrial or mechanical purposes, like diamond abrasive, or ruby plates in mechanical watches. I believe that having a cheaper, more consistent analogue for the stones in jewelry allows the customer knows exactly what they're spending their money on if they want a natural stone in a display piece or a piece of jewelry. Both have their uses, but picking between the two, it has to be synthetic, because its more versatile and allows the buyer to experiment with what they want before they commit to permanently changing a stone.

I like synthetics for decorative purposes, but if I want something spiritually meaningful I'll always go with natural. To behold something more ancient than life itself is truly humbling.

Team I love them all.

My favorite stone & process is... Sapphire! Transparent white. And blue for Caligula's ring. Look it up (but not here on RU-vid! 🔞), it's gorgeous. His ring was rather thick though - I guess this must've made him a bit angry 😢

It depends on what you want the gem for. If it's for esthetics, I think the mystique of a natural stone is better suited. But if you're using the crystal for a high-speed transistor, purity and perfect crystalline structure may be more consistent in a synthetic stone.

You got a video on growing synthetic ruby watch jewels?

If they grew synthetics with impurities and imperfections, it would be beautiful like nature

Definitely team Natural... lab grown gems are becoming more and more deceptive and convincing in that the technology is improving such that inclusions and color variables can now be made, making it more difficult to determine if natural or lab created

I have a natural brazillian alexandrite and a synthetic alexandrite. I chose the synthetic to match the natural stone in size and overall color change profile. There are differences. First, the synthetic has a more complete color shift. Also under short wave UV light the synthetic is a brilliant vermillion, whereas the natural stone also flouresces in vermillion, but the color is duller. Finally, the price. The natural stone I have was purchased in 1987 for only about $1000 and was one of the first pulled from Brazill when they thought they had a large supply (they didn't). Retail today the stone by itself would sell for about $5000, while the synthetic in a gold setting with a nice little side diamond cost around $400. My little natural alexandrite is now set in a nice platinum setting with six barrel set diamonds. I wouldn't give either stone up, they are both gorgeous.

Hello sir, I am following your channel many times, so I have a question to you that can you explain about gemstones ruby and emblem and I how knowing which ones is real and fake stone ?😊😊

as beautiful and wonderous natural gemstones are, i prefer synthetic as it's less drastically less environmental impact and far more ethical

Nice😊

Next time I wear a synthetic gem I will be thinking about how much science is involved in its creation!

Another top drawee production. FYI, someone spelt Verneuil as Vernueil.

Synthetic is cool if you're trying to do something really neat with the stuff, but natural is also really cool

Where can I find synthetic gemstone manufacturers? I keep trying to find but I don’t get any luck

Hey guys I'm your biggest fan no lie! Can you do a video on hauyne for your biggest fan? After that do a video on phosgenite and after that do analcime. I'm sorry for being so needy.

As a rock collector, I like a few natural specimens. A giant chunk of corundum that could never be made into a gem. A tiny natural that is nice to look at, but I wouldn't wear. But for my sparkly hoard, its looks and size that matter, and synthetic brings it! I like to imagine traveling back in time handing out my pretties to special people, or using cheap fakes while LARPing. Its fun :)

I had all but how can i contact with your guys , please ?.

Where is a good place I could buy raw and faceted synthetic gemstones? I have been looking a nice clean looking emerald

1:29 wouldn't it be funny if we learned he was actually like the 10th dude to do it, just the 1st to tell anyone. just woke up to this, was really cool to watch, even if I'm more of an agate boy

The silmarils will be on my crown

Do volcanoes have the white powder to create Emereld

Great program!! I am team synthetic because it seems as if making these causes less damage to the planet that mining does.

Synthesized gemstones are considered strategic items now in our modern high tech world. They are the ruby in lasers and ultra tiny mechanical bushing bearings found in Swiss watches and hard drive mechanisms. The greatest engineering feat of synthesized gemstone technology is found on the sensor cluster housing under the F-35 stealth fighter. Sapphire is used on all kinds of military optics where radar energy must be reflected, be transparent to light, UV and IR wavelengths. The F-35 optical sensor blister is one of the largest synthetic sapphire's ever produced. Oh but it gets better, a top secret sputtering plate vacuum plasma deposition system deposits sapphire atoms thick to polycarbonate on the F-35 canopy so it is more transparent to a wider wavelength of light while reflecting radar waves. These will never look as good looking as their natural counterparts but have strategic importance to the aerospace, electronics and military industries. For this reason, I am all for team synthetic

I am not a financially blessed person, but I do love the shiny stuff, so I say cost and value are my tools. If lab grown is cheaper, then it better be lovely in Silver. I hate the gold color unless it is a gem or amber. Could you grow amber in a lab setting?

There will never be replacements for Virgin Valley Black Fire Precious Opalised wood conk or pine cone replacements. The inclusions tell you who did what as a rule. I mean look at glass filled rubies or the "Tibetian Andesine"; honest rarity vs how much profit can we make from the real stones reputation being copied. That being said, if Im buying color I want it pure and clear and cheap, not just barely cheaper.

I like natural because of imperfections, but that goes for semi precious stones. Precious stones, when well cut are just more "worth it" for synthetic methods as they are usually too small to really have it make a difference. Not to mention the ethics of gem mining and the ultra high effect of marketing on value.

Wouldnt this also be alchemy to make a synthetic gem/crystal?

I think the most important distinction is the difference in labor. Natural diamonds and gems are usually slave labor and shouldn't be supported.

Is the term “lab created” the same as synthetic, or is that term used to describe colored glass, plastic, etc.?

Guys I wanna know something. Is there any possibility to turn dead natural gem into usable one in the lab

What are those metalic spheres in the ruby at 2:56?

Though and do everyone know that in the future, some will turn their deceased loved ones into diamonds. (And likely put them on a shrine or tomb gallery on a display case with a qr code)

It depends on the stone for me. I’m definitely far more into natural earth grown stones but I also do like some lab grown stones such as emerald and diamond. I think they are both amazing in their own right. Flux melt emeralds look closer to earth made emeralds, but HT have excellent clarity and less inclusions - if you want that million dollar emerald, or diamond look for a fraction of the cost. All that said, as an emerald fan, there is nothing like a natural, earth made emerald. Natural emeralds just have a look that can’t be replicated in a lab. It’s the Jardin. Diamonds, I’ll take lab grown over a natural one any day, unless it’s free or stupid cheap. We’ve got lab grown diamonds down.

Question if You are using a gem for a seed gem to grow hydrothermal, does it matter whether it’s natural or synthetic?

bro i mgona wyse youre vd for my geology text book thx for the informasion

Please unboxing spinel next video.

can you have a lab created alexandrite that only turns green to blue?

Natural but, I do have a Russian Lab Grown Alexandrite due to pricing. And I've made a bunch of Jewelry with Faceted and Stones I've found in the Desert.

The term "lab created gem" might convey the idea better than synthetic, since synthetic can be synonymous with "fake." (Edit) I buy whatever I can afford and whatever I like the looks of. But I’m mostly a fan of opals, and there’s a lot of beautiful affordable options.

For a mineral specimens, obviously have to go natural, but for cut stones I can't tell them apart so I'd go synthetic.

I’m a big fan of long haired robert

Totally team natural!

Synthetic can be cool, but I kinda like some of the imperfections in some natural gemstones.

It's like scientific alchemy. Which I guess is chemistry. But I mean in terms of the goal of making precious materials artificially.