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  Thank you for checking this Layman's Guide To Gemstones.  We are asked often if our stones are REAL.  This is probably the most manipulated word in the gemstone industry.  Why?  It is due the to fact that the answer will give you a false answer-but a correct one.  Confused?  Hold on, let us clear up the haze.  Many dealers, mostly unscrupulous ones who prey on the uninformed, love this question because they can hear the "cha-ching" of the cash register each time this question is asked.  Here is the catch-the answer is YES, all stones are real-even the fake ones...Of course all stones are real, and that is the conundrum.  Swarthy dealers will tell you all their stones are real and leave it at that.  Ethical gem dealers will include that even though all gems are real, that only genuine gemstones are authentic and that lab created or synthetic stones are not necessarily authentic gemstones.  The true question that should be asked is "Are these stones NATURAL?"  You can also ask if the stones are Precious or Semi-Precious.  These questions deal with the physical properties of the stones and are specific to their type.

   Lab created and synthetic gemstones are not the same.  Lab created gemstones are genuine in that the same materials are used to create a lab stone as are found in nature.  What we mean is that if you look at a lab created ruby, it has the same physical and molecular properties as a ruby dug up in a mine.  The main difference is that the lab ruby was created under very controlled conditions in a laboratory.  Even though lab gemstones are in essence virtually the same as mined gemstones, the cost of lab gemstones is significantly less then genuine gemstones.  Lab stones can look equal to and often times better then stones mined from the ground.  For example a 12mm round blue lab sapphire can cost $20-50 depending on the quality, color etc.  A genuine 12mm round blue lab sapphire can cost upwards of $12,000 all things being equal.

  Here is the catch!  Synthetic stones are neither genuine or lab created stones.  They are simulants.  Green glass can pose as emerald and therefore is a simulant made of a sythetic product, hence the name synthetic stone.  Do not get tricked by fancy names like "Sim", "Real" "-oid","-ette", "-like" as in diamondoid, rubyette or crystallike.  When buying stones of value ask the dealer if they are a registered and certified gemmologist.  There are a few recognized gemmological institutes that certify gemmologists like the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Canadian Institue of Gemmology (yes, there are two ways to spell gemmology).  We recommend you contact them if you have any questions relating to stones and stone grading.

  Feel free to ask us any gem related questions that you have.  Good Luck & Happy Bidding!

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