| Because of the rarity of naturally occurring | | | | closest imitation of the real stone. It is most |
| gemstones and the high costs of mining them, | | | | often used to create rubies. |
| the market demand has been met by | | | | The Hydrothermal Technique |
| laboratory-created simulated gemstones. These | | | | The hydrothermal technique is most often used |
| are the stones which are often used as | | | | to make emeralds. Using the natural |
| birthstones in jewelry. | | | | components of an emerald, the materials are |
| Composed of the same chemicals, minerals, and | | | | subjected to high heat in a sealed container of |
| gasses, simulated gemstones are created by heat | | | | water. As the water cools, the crystals form |
| and pressure, just like their naturally occurring | | | | under high pressure. |
| sister stones which took eons to be created | | | | The Doublet or Triplet Method |
| beneath the earth’s surface. There are | | | | Sometimes gemstones are created using a |
| basically four methods used in the creation of | | | | doublet or triplet method. A thin layer of |
| simulated stones. | | | | gemstone is fused over another layer or layers |
| The Flame Fusion or Verneuil Process | | | | of another material. Also called composite |
| As far back as the late 1800s, rubies were being | | | | stones, the edge of this thin layer can be seen |
| created in laboratories using the flame fusion | | | | quite clearly. Sometimes a large stone like a |
| method. The method is low cost, and the rate | | | | ruby is created by fusing a thin layer of natural |
| of crystal growth is rapid, which is why it is still | | | | sapphire over a large synthetic ruby base. Other |
| used today to create large numbers of | | | | stones commonly fused with another are opals, |
| inexpensive gemstones. The powdered minerals | | | | amber, and ammonite, which because of their |
| and chemicals of the natural stone are fused | | | | fragility need to be fused with a stronger stone. |
| together with a high oxyhydrogen flame. The | | | | Simulated diamonds are called cubic zirconia (CZ) |
| powder melts and begins to crystallize in curved | | | | and come in a range of clear shades from |
| layers. While the stone could be considered | | | | colorless to shades of pink, yellow, and blue. |
| flawless as compared to a natural stone because | | | | CZ’s are nearly as hard as rubies and |
| there are no foreign materials or inclusions in it, | | | | sapphires, with high brilliance and fire like diamonds. |
| sometimes tiny gas bubbles may be trapped in | | | | Moissanite is found naturally in meteorites. The |
| the crystal layers, reducing the value of the stone. | | | | minerals and chemicals are re-created in the lab to |
| The Flux-Melt Technique | | | | produce a brilliant clear stone that is nearly as |
| Like all the other methods, the flux-melt technique | | | | hard as a diamond, and is the closest mimic to |
| uses only the naturally occurring components of a | | | | the true diamond. |
| gemstone. The ingredients are liquefied into a | | | | As long as the consumer is made aware of what |
| flux and crystals are grown under controlled | | | | he or she is buying, synthetic lab-created stones |
| conditions. These conditions closely mimic the | | | | are a quality alternative to natural stones. |
| way the stones are naturally formed, and are the | | | | |