The Truth about Natural and Lab-Grown Gems

Did you ever wonder whether the gems in your jewelry are ‘real’ or not?

Well of course they are real, but did they come out of the ground?? or were they created in a lab? 

Basically there are 3 types of gems; Natural, Lab-grown and Imitation.

Natural Gemstones are found deep within the earth’s surface. They have been formed over many years and without the interference of humans. They are removed from the earth, cut and polished to be made ready for your jewelry. Natural gemstones are the most valued and more costly. There is a limited supply of these gems and there are lots of man hours and equipment involved in getting these gems out of the ground. And Natural Gemstones will tend to have some imperfections, depending upon the quality. 

Whenever possible I LOVE using natural gems. Many of my designs use natural Turquoise, Amethyst, Malachite and more.

Lab-Grown gemstones have been created my man and as the name implies, have emerged from a lab!

Here’s the great part. They STILL have the same physical and chemical properties of the natural stone. The advantages include; it takes less time and less man hours to create these gems. Plus lab-grown gems can be perfect, with no natural flaws.

I tend to use many of these in my designs when the cost of the natural stone becomes prohibitive. 

Imitation gems are stones that are created from other materials such as glass, plastic or ceramic. They also can be created by color treating lower quality stones that would normally be considered waste. Howlite is a great example. This white stone is easily found and tends to have black or grey inclusions. When it is colored blue, it can simulate turquoise. These ‘genuine fakes’ have a place in the costume jewelry industry.

Bottom line: it doesn’t matter which you prefer as long as you know what you are purchasing. Always buy from a reputable designer. that way you will be assured of getting the gem you want.

Look over my designs today. 

And if you enjoyed this post please check out

Amethyst. My all time Favorite Gem!