Created gemstones are a great alternative to natural gemstone jewelry. Natural gemstones such as rubies, sapphires, and emeralds are very popular choices in jewelry, but can often be very expensive in most jewelry stores. Created gemstones, also called lab created gemstones, are a less expensive version of these stones. It is important to draw the distinction between created gemstones, which are produced in a lab but which are chemically identical to a natural version of the gem, and simulated diamonds which are stones made to look like the real thing but using different processes and materials.
Created gemstones are manufactured in a laboratory. The stones are made in a controlled environment that replicates natural gemstones in every way. Created gemstones are made in a way that is similar to how they are created in nature, with the same pressure and heat. As a result, the stones have the exact same color, strength, and composition as natural stones.
There is one difference between natural and created gemstones. Natural gemstones have flaws that happened during the process of being created. These flaws are called inclusions, and the less inclusions a natural stone has, the higher the clarity rating. The higher the clarity, the more expensive the stone becomes. Lab created gemstones do not have inclusions because they are made in such a controlled manner. Because they are made outside of nature, the stones made in a laboratory are flawless. Natural stones with fewer flaws are more expensive than flawless lab created ones. Sometimes lab created stones can look fake because of the lack of inclusions in the stone, which can lower their price.
Regardless, most created gemstones look like their natural counterparts to the naked eye. This provides beautiful yet affordable jewelry options that will last a lifetime. Natural and created gemstone jewelry can be found at any jewelry store. The stones that are not naturally made are labeled “lab created” to prevent any confusion. Of course the only real decision you have to make is whether to tell your friends your new stone is lab created – but be confident that if you keep it to yourself, they will never know!
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