Lab Created Emeralds
When you pass a jewelry store, do you simply stare, ogle and sigh at those beautiful green emeralds that are exhibited in the window? You think to yourself, they're obviously out of my budget, so why bother even going in, asking the price and cursing your paycheck? Well, you can put those days behind you now. Lab created emeralds are a great option for those people looking for something close to the real thing, but not quite. Whether it's in the form of lab created emerald rings or earrings, you'll get a variety of shapes and sizes in these synthetic gemstones.
How are Lab Grown Emeralds Made?
There are different methods of synthetically making emeralds. The lab created emeralds that have the best quality and clarity are usually made using the hydrothermal method. This is the method that helps to create excellent quality crystals. This is done under conditions of high pressure and temperature, in which dissolved minerals are introduced. The temperature and pressure is maintained at such a level that the minerals that come out of the solution grow crystals over a certain period of time.
The other method of making lab grown emeralds is by the flux method. In this method, a substance (flux) is used to aid or promote the formation of crystals, without becoming a part of the crystal. For crystals to form and merge, they must be in a free-flowing state, that is, in a liquid state. A very high temperature is needed to liquidize this and so, a flux is used to carry out the process at a lower temperature instead, without the flux becoming a part of the crystals. However, it is often seen that in flux created emeralds, wispy veil-like inclusions are present, which is why emeralds created by the hydrothermal process are said to be superior in nature.
Lab Created vs Natural Emeralds
If you were to get into the nitty gritties of the lab created vs natural emeralds debate, then you will realize that natural emeralds are infamous for their high amount of inclusions. Inclusions are nothing but the imperfections, faults or cracks that are seen in a stone. When natural emeralds are perfected, then these cracks are filled with silicon or with the help of other commercial sealants. However, when it comes to synthetic or lab created emeralds, this problem does not arise. These are emeralds that are very clear stones and belong to a group of gems that are known as Beryl.
Furthermore, not just any emerald that has been synthetically made can get the coveted title of being called a lab created or synthetic emerald. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, or FTC is very stringent in its rules regarding what can and what cannot be branded as synthetic and lab grown emeralds. It states "It is unfair or deceptive to use the word "laboratory-grown," "laboratory-created," "[manufacturer name]-created," or "synthetic" with the name of any natural stone to describe any industry product unless such industry product has essentially the same optical, physical, and chemical properties as the stone named.". Hence, people need to be extra careful when marketing emeralds under the name of lab created emeralds.
It is being said that with the fast growth of lab created emeralds and in their quest for perfection, it is becoming difficult to differentiate a lab created emerald from a natural one. However, there are certain facts on emeralds that can help differentiate the two from each other, like luminescence in ultraviolet light test, as most, but not always are all natural emeralds said to be inert to ultraviolet light. In the end, whether a person wishes to purchase a natural or a synthetic diamond is a completely personal choice, as there are many advocates of natural diamonds out there who would never compromise on the source of a gem. However, when it comes to mere mortals (like me!) who'd prefer a lovely green, high quality gem jewelry for an affordable price, then lab grown emeralds are here to save the day!
