Lab grown gemstones have exactly the same chemical, optical, and physical structure as a natural stone, and may also have their unique imperfections such as inclusions but they are formed by humans and not in the earth. They are also called synthetic, but for me I prefer the terminology lab grown as synthetic has connotations of fake, which these are certainly not. However Quartz have to undergo a hydro thermal process therefore these stones can be more expensive. Emerald can also be made in this way, hence pricing will be more expensive than other stones. Larger sizing of stones will make the price more expensive as well.
At the moment I am doing more gemmology courses to help me identify, natural, glass, or lab grown stones. It is usually more difficult to tell the difference with the naked eye. There is an ongoing scheme to track from where a diamond originally comes from to avoid the conflict zones and these can be laser marked.
Blood diamonds are no longer in the market so that they can’t finance the war zones, terrorism etc. The Clean Diamond Trade Act was signed into law on July 29, 2003. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) was set up to as a coalition of governments to eliminate the trade in these diamonds. Please always ask the jeweller questions about the diamond's origin and journey, check for its Kimberly Process certification, and request GIA certificates with Diamond Origin Report. It is more difficult at the moment to check on coloured stones, but a lot of work is being done by the World Jewellery Councils to sort this out.
Lab grown gemstones are not a recent phenomena, people have been playing with recreating gemstones since the 1800s. Sometimes Granny’s Sapphire ring could actually be made of glass or alternative, and it can be a huge disappointment for the family to find out.
Lab grown gemstones are stunning, the colours are fabulous and come in most of the gemstones you desire. They are more affordable than the earth grown varieties, but there is still a huge demand for the natural ones
Personally, I was a little reluctant to set lab grown stones, but when I saw their amazing colours, I couldn’t resist and am somewhat of a convert.
Stones from the earth do give the locals a job but also great scars are created in the earth’s surface.
It is a debate that will continue.