How to understand synthetic stone?

A. STOLYAREVICH, chief expert of the Gemological Center of Moscow State University. Thank you very much for the fact that in such difficult times the journal “Science and Life” is published continuously, without disruption. I love the magazine very much and have been reading it since 1960. Until 1992, people subscribed to the magazine and our family and all the neighbors read it. But now you have to read from time to time, more often several issues at once. What can I do? I don’t have my own magazines, it’s difficult to subscribe: I’m retired, and my pension is small. So now I borrow the magazine from the library, and only when it’s my turn: the magazine is given only by appointment – it’s so popular. You can find interesting articles on any topic and for any age. But there was one question I couldn’t find an answer to. Maybe you can help? My mother once gave me a ring that she bought in the 60s, and the stone in it was a ruby. We believed that this was a natural ruby ​​that brought happiness to our family. My mother has been dead for a long time. I am retired and decided to give the ring to my granddaughter. And suddenly she declares that it is an artificial ruby, that is, glass – it was so offensive. In the jewelry store they said that the ruby ​​was natural, since the ring was marked with gold purity and two more numbers – 52 – as if these numbers denoted a natural stone. But in the second store they said that this was nonsense and they never put natural stones (precious) in our rings, but only glass. I beg you, please respond to my letter. I always believed in my ruby, it seemed that only it often helped me in life – this is my horoscope stone. T. SAZONOVA (Yeysk, Krasnodar Territory). At all times, jewelry has played a significant role as objects of decoration, accumulation and investment. Products are bought, donated, passed down by inheritance in the hope that, if necessary, they can be quickly sold at a fairly high price. But the specific world of jewelry is diverse, and often those items that for many years were considered an undeniable value, today no longer have such a significant value. Especially often, problematic situations arise during the sale, purchase and other transactions in the market of jewelry with inserts made of synthetic stones. What is synthetic stone? A wide variety of materials are used in jewelry. Sometimes these are natural stones, sometimes they are imitations, similar only in appearance, but differing from natural stones in composition and properties. And sometimes these are synthetic stones, which are complete analogues of natural ones, but obtained (grown) artificially by man. Attempts to create analogues of precious materials were made in ancient times by alchemists, but precious metals were never synthesized in tangible quantities, while the successful synthesis of artificial stones can be considered the embodiment of the alchemists’ dream. The first information about the production of synthetic stones dates back to 1885. In 1891, the French mineralogist Verneuil made a statement in the general press about the discovery of a method for growing synthetic ruby, which made it possible to obtain crystals suitable for jewelry use in size, color and transparency. And already in 1907, the global annual production of synthetic rubies reached 5 million carats (1 carat = 0,2 grams). Synthetic sapphire was first obtained in 1910 (see “Science and Life” No. 8, 1997). Thus, even in products made at the end of the last or at the beginning of this century, we can find synthetic rubies or sapphires. And at present, synthetic stones used as inserts in jewelry are quite widespread; there is even a special market for “synthetics,” which is dynamically developing and very promising. Along with the now traditional rubies and sapphires grown by the Verneuil method, other synthetic stones appeared: alexandrite, emerald, spinel, quartz and even diamond. Moreover, artificial stones have been created that have no analogues in nature, for example, cubic zirconium oxide, widely known as cubic zirconia. For Russia, the greatest surge in popularity of jewelry with synthetic sapphires and rubies occurred in the 1960-1980s. It was then that jewelry made of gold, usually 583-carat gold, with large bright red transparent inserts of “Verneuil” rubies or bright blue ones of “Verneuil” sapphires, went on wide sale. There are even artificial corundums with a color-changing effect (the stone changes color depending on lighting conditions). It should be noted that the labels (tags) accompanying each product often indicated only the name of the stone without explanation – whether it was natural or synthetic. Sometimes the price tag in a jewelry store simply said “corundum.” Currently, there are strict regulations that define the rules for the designation and naming of jewelry stones, according to which the word “synthetic” is mandatory, and the sale of synthetic stones under the guise of natural ones is prosecuted by law. Precious stones are considered to be only natural stones, and even then not all of them, but only diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald, alexandrite and pearl. How can you determine whether a stone is natural or synthetic? The answer can be obtained by contacting a specialist in the field of precious stones – a gemologist. Indeed, by appearance it can be quite difficult to distinguish a natural stone from a synthetic one, even for an experienced jeweler. Indeed, in terms of their optical, physical and mechanical properties, and chemical composition, these stones are almost complete analogues. Therefore, an artificial ruby ​​cannot be called “glass”. Glass that imitates stone is used only in cheap jewelry. To conduct a thorough gemological study of inclusions, microimpurities, and structural features of jewelry stones, specialists use microscopy, spectroscopy and other subtle methods of studying substances. Currently, there are several large expert gemological centers and laboratories in Russia. The most famous are located in Moscow: Gemological Center of Moscow State University (Faculty of Geology), Moscow Mining and Geological Academy. Consultation with a gemologist can also be obtained at the Mining Institute of St. Petersburg and at the Yekaterinburg Geological Prospecting Academy.

Jewelry encyclopedia: what are synthetic stones

Most rubies, sapphires, emeralds and other inserts in jewelry today are synthetic. This is not mentioned in the advertisement, but just look at the product tag to be convinced that in 90% of cases there will be “synthet” next to the name of the stone. or another indication of the artificial origin of the insert, for example, “g/t emerald”. This is where the huge difference in price comes from, for example, for a ring with a ruby, in different stores. Is it so scary, and what kind of synthetic stones can be used in jewelry?

Subtleties of classification

Jewelry stones, created not by nature, but by man, can be divided into synthetic (synthesized) and imitations. The first ones have a natural, real-life analogue and completely coincide with it in color, composition, hardness and other physical and chemical properties. For example, rubies, emeralds, diamonds, and sapphires can be natural or synthetic. Laboratory-grown stones gain commercially attractive weight in a matter of months, whereas in nature this process takes centuries. The term “synthetic” in relation to “test tube” precious stones is considered unfortunate in the jewelry community, since consumers associate it with imitation and even counterfeiting. Jewelry with such stones, of course, has a more affordable price than with nuggets mined in mines and mines, but they cannot be called glass. By law, the manufacturer is required to indicate on the product label that the stone is artificially grown. You can distinguish synthesized stones from natural ones with the help of an examination at a gemological center, but not by eye. Imitations are made from glass, minerals, metals, ceramics, and plastic. They have no natural analogue, since they were “invented” in laboratory conditions. Thus, neither Swarovski crystals nor cubic zirconia have any similarity in nature, although they are similar in appearance to rock crystal and even diamonds. Imitating jewelry inserts are used in the manufacture of costume jewelry and accessories (watches), less often in jewelry.

The history of the appearance of synthesized stones

• Verneuil method – for sapphire, ruby, spinel, rutile and fabulite. Based on the use of natural low-grade raw materials, crushed into powder (charge) and seed.
• The Czochralski method is for growing alexandrite, sapphire, garnet, spinel, tanzanion. Used since the 1950s, it makes it possible to grow large crystals by controlling their growth. In English, such stones are called pulled, which means “stretched”. The mineral is literally pulled out of the melt of the raw material.
• Hydrothermal (h/t) method – for emerald, aquamarine, morganite, sapphire, ruby, beryl. The crushed natural stone is transferred into an aqueous solution, and a crystal with a reconstructed structure is recreated in autoclaves.

Synthetic stones in Russia

The older generation likes to repeat: “Now you only have synthetics, but before…”. What came before? Earrings, rings and pendants that we inherited from our mothers and grandmothers are almost always inlaid with synthetic stones. Natural resources were either sent abroad, used for the needs of industry and the military-industrial complex, or were not mined at all.

1966 is recognized as the year of the beginning of mass production of jewelry in the USSR. The inserts in them were synthetic rubies, sapphires, and alexandrites grown using the Czochralski method. The USSR did not produce synthetic emeralds, so there is a chance that the green insert of my mother’s ring is a natural emerald or at least natural beryl.

Fashionable synthetics

It must be said that imitation is fashionable. Now many are delighted with moissanite, previously cubic zirconia was popular, and even earlier, shortly after World War II, synthetic rutile, which was also called titanium, diamond, daimotist, rainbow diamond, was a bestseller.

Rutile has a higher refractive index than diamond, and you can see a rainbow glow in it, which caused the delight of the public. True, interest in rutile quickly subsided. There is a birefringence effect in the stone, which clouds its back edges. So synthetics can be fashionable, but diamonds. Diamonds are forever!

Why are synthetic stones and imitations needed?

First of all, “substitutes” for precious stones are good because they make jewelry more affordable. Buying a ring with an artificially grown emerald without spending too much for your own budget or saving money for several months for beauty created by nature is everyone’s personal choice. And those who do not need to save up to purchase jewelry masterpieces prefer to wear inexpensive copies of jewelry outside of red carpets and gala dinners. An example is Beyoncé, whose engagement ring with an 18-carat diamond is valued at $5 million: for every day, the singer has a copy of this ring, which costs 1 times less – $000.

Also, the “alternative to luxury” fits into the global eco-trend – concern for preserving the environment, since the deposits of some precious stones are close to depletion these days.

And finally, it is much easier to obtain ideal characteristics from a grown stone in terms of carat weight, color, light refraction, and the absence of any defects – inclusions, microcracks, etc. There are laboratory centers for the production of synthetic stones in Russia, China, India, the USA, Sweden and other countries of the world.

Properties of synthetic stones, differences from natural ones

All stones obtained artificially are divided into 2 groups:

• which are analogues of natural minerals existing in nature;
• artificially created (this means that they have no natural analogues).

• hydrothermal emerald;
• artificial sapphire;
• synthetic ruby;
• chromium-containing chrysoberyl (analogue of alexandrite);
• synthesized diamond;
• carborundum (synthetic moissanite).

The second include:

• cubic zirconia;
• glass-ceramic;
• Swarovski crystals;
• sapphire crystal;
• yttrium aluminum garnet;
• gadolinium gallium garnet;
• alpinite;
• fabulite, etc.

Stones of the second category differ from natural ones in that there are no natural formations similar to them. Analogues have characteristics and properties completely identical to the originals.

It is not easy to distinguish synthesized stones from natural stones, and it is almost impossible to do this without special equipment.

Features of artificially grown stones:

• more saturated, bright crystal color;
• the presence of differently colored lighter or darker stripes, “flags” in the crystal growth zones;
• absence of cracks, impurities;
• the presence of small gas bubbles is the result of the technological process of crystal growth in a gas suspension of water and salts.

It’s not just precious stones that are synthesized. Due to the existing beneficial properties necessary for the manufacture of various products, for example, nepheline (for the production of soda, in the glass and leather industries) and rutile (food additive E171, also used for the production of ceramics) are artificially created.

There is no consensus regarding the presence of medicinal and magical properties in man-made stones. Some lithotherapists and astrologers say that artificial crystals are “dummies,” while others are confident that they have the same qualities as their natural “brothers.”

Advantages and disadvantages of synthetic gemstones

Synthetic analogues of precious stones have a number of advantages:

• are cheap;
• due to their artificial origin, they have no cracks, they are easier to cut – any type of cut can be used;
• you can grow a sapphire or ruby ​​in a form suitable for the chosen cut;
• synthetics do not require additional processing (refinement).

It would seem that there are continuous advantages. And yet natural stones cost tens, hundreds and thousands of times more than artificial ones. Why are they so valuable? For some people, awareness of authenticity is important. For others, buying natural gemstones is a kind of investment. Still others believe in the magic of stones. From this point of view, only a mineral of natural origin has the power of a talisman or amulet.

Stones as imitation

Imitation is not fake. We do not consider cases where one stone is passed off as another (for example, garnet or tourmaline for a ruby) or is completely replaced with glass or plastic. We are not talking about the substitution of concepts, when the seller confuses the buyer by using the name of a precious stone to profitably sell a less valuable one, for example, as in the case of the “Yakut emerald” – chrome diopside. We are talking only about artificially synthesized stones, which are legally used in jewelry as an inexpensive replacement for precious stones, differing from them in composition, but resembling them in appearance.

Fianit

Cubic zirconia is an artificial analogue of a diamond. It differs in composition (it is zirconium dioxide), but is similar to diamond in such characteristics as refractive index and has a diamond luster. The hardness of cubic zirconia on the Mohs scale is lower in comparison with diamond, 8 versus 10. It would seem not much, only 2 points, but in reality this means that cubic zirconia is about 180 times softer than diamond, and is also brittle. That’s why you shouldn’t choose it for engagement or wedding rings – it won’t stand up to daily wear. In the color version, cubic zirconia replaces emerald, ruby, and sapphire.

Cubic zirconia was invented in the USSR in 1968. Now this is the most popular imitation diamond – it costs a penny and looks impressive. But in the first years of production, it was exported at the same price as diamonds.

There is a legend that in the USSR they did not advertise the invention of cubic zirconia for several years and managed to sell large quantities of artificial stones under the guise of first-class diamonds. Since 1972, cubic zirconia in the USSR replaced diamonds in mass-produced jewelry.

Moissanite

Moissanite in its composition is silicon carbide. Today, this stone is actively advertised as a wonderful replacement for diamonds – not just equivalent, but even superior in quality. The following advantages are indicated:

• a higher refractive index of light than a diamond (an unnatural shine for a diamond is one of the signs by which experts identify moissanite);
• a higher dispersion rate, that is, a better “play” of the stone (however, in most cases, in order for the stone to “play”, a cut other than a classic diamond is needed);
• hardness exceeding that of precious corundums – sapphires and rubies (9,25 versus 9).

Natural moissanites are found less frequently than diamonds, and are not valued at all – they are small, ugly, dirty-brown crystals, unsuitable for use in jewelry. Even artificially synthesized stones always have a yellowish-green tint.

“Real” moissanites

Until 2016, the patent for the production of synthesized moissanites belonged to an American company. Now its effect has expired, and the main producer of raw materials is China. Hence the division into “real” moissanites (made in the USA) and “fake” Chinese ones. In both cases, it is a synthetic artificial stone, which is not classified as precious.

Scientists from China have developed a technology for coating moissanite with a diamond film, which made it possible to remove the unsightly tint. The presence of this film confuses even diamond testers: they can confuse moissanite with a diamond. The cost of American moissanite is higher than Chinese: a large stone costs the same as a small diamond.

Rhinestones

Rhinestones, that is, cut pieces of glass, were the first crystals to replace precious stones in jewelry – examples of their use have been known since the Middle Ages. To imitate colored crystals, rubies, sapphires and emeralds, colored foil was placed under the rhinestones. The name comes from the name of Georg (Joseph) Strass. This jeweler invented lead crystal in the 18th century, a toxic material with excellent performance and brilliance.

Today, the most famous rhinestones are, of course, Austrian Swarovski. The composition is classified, but it definitely does not contain harmful lead (in crystals produced after 2011). They say that the actively advertised diamondite is also cut glass, but there is no exact data about this type of insert.

What are the main differences between synthesized and natural stones?

It is extremely difficult to distinguish between a synthetic and natural sapphire or ruby ​​“at home,” so the best way not to make a mistake when purchasing is to make it in trusted places and carefully study the product tag, without hesitating to ask the seller questions. Even for experts, it is not always easy to determine the origin of a stone. “Synthetics” can be indicated by rounded air bubbles, the presence of dust-like inclusions, and curved lines of mineral growth.

Synthetic sapphire: difference from natural

Synthetic sapphire is a stone that has the same composition as natural one. If you see a gold ring with a large sapphire that costs 8000 rubles, you can rest assured that this is a synthetic sapphire. Despite seasonal sales, promotions, and store closures, natural stone is more expensive.

Synthetic sapphire is flawless and crystal clear, its color is even, which is rare for natural corundum. Examination under a microscope will reveal a growth pattern uncharacteristic of a natural formation. The price of high-quality synthetic sapphire is much higher than the cost of imitations, for example, sapphire-colored cubic zirconia.

Synthetic ruby: difference from natural one

Low price, unnatural purity and uniformity of color are the first things that should make you think about the artificial origin of ruby. Large red corundums are rarely found in nature, and therefore sizes larger than 1 carat should be alarming. In addition, synthetic ruby ​​will change color under ultraviolet light. Under a magnifying glass you can see inclusions-bubbles (in natural – needles).

What to buy, natural gems, their synthesized analogue or imitation – it’s up to you to decide. The situation with stones is similar to the situation with works of art. You can buy an original Monet (natural diamond), a painted copy (artificially synthesized stone) or a poster (cubic zirconia, moissanite, rhinestones). In all three cases, no one will accuse you of lack of taste. However, you are unlikely to be proud to show the poster to guests.

The Wedding Ring Palace offers jewelry that is worthy of becoming heirlooms. Our jewelry is made with natural precious stones.

Areas of application of artificially grown stones

Jewelry making is not the only area of ​​application for grown minerals. Moreover, crystals that are not of the highest quality are transferred for the manufacture of jewelry, since during the cutting process the jeweler will remove defects by turning a sample of the desired size and shape.

The largest volume of crystals grown on an industrial scale is used:

• for the manufacture of cutting tools (diamonds);
• as heat conductors in the production of laser equipment (diamond, ruby, sapphire);
• in the production of high-precision optical devices (diamond, sapphire);
• for the manufacture of electronics (diamond, sapphire).

Well-known production centers

More than a hundred tons of artificial sapphires are produced annually in the world. Centers for the production of synthetic stones: Japan, China, USA, and Russia. It is in the Russian Federation that one of the largest enterprises for growing artificial sapphires in the world is located.

One of the largest enterprises specializing in the production of emerald analogues is Tairus. It was created by forces of Russia and Thailand. The specialists of this center managed to grow emeralds whose quality is in no way lower than the world-recognized Colombian gems. Emeralds are also grown in Japan and Belarus. Among European countries, Switzerland, Germany and France specialize in green stones.

Most artificial pearls are grown in China and Japan.

Natural minerals will always be in demand and will never fall in price. Especially considering that stocks are constantly decreasing. In many cases, they can be replaced by artificial analogues. Synthetic stone can be grown in any color, large size and with specified technical characteristics.

• https://sunmag.me/tsennosti/29-09-2016-yuvelirnaya-entsiklopediya-sinteticheskie-kamni.html
• https://novgorod.cokgold.ru/articles/chto-nuzhno-znat/naturalnye-sinteticheskie-kamni/
• https://MoyKamen.com/vidy/iskusstvennye/sinteticheskie-kamni.html
• https://velestone.ru/ukrasheniya/iskusstvennye-kamni-v-uvelirnyh-izdeliah/