Created Gemstones: What They Are and What They Aren't

There seems to be a fair bit of confusion about what a "created"
gemstone is, and more to the point, what it is not. Some people use the term very casually and think it means
glass, rhinestone, cubic zirconia, etc., colored to look like the true
jewel, some people just don't know what the heck it is, some people are
confused about the whole issue, and who could blame them? With any
luck, this guide will help to clarify things, somewhat. (Note that this
little guide does not cover diamonds; we have written another guide specifically on diamond simulants.)

The term "created" means something specific in the jewellery industry.
There are guidelines and even laws in place to protect the consumer and
regulate the industry, and companies have actually been sued over their
improper use of the term "created" when applied to gemstones that would
better be described as simulants.

So what's a created gemstone?
Simply put, a real created gemstone (also known as a synthetic, from the Greek synthesis, meaning "put together, combine, or compose", i.e., to create) is one that is man-made, but which is chemically, physically, and visually identical to the natural version.
A created ruby is a ruby, a created sapphire is a sapphire, a created
emerald is an emerald, and so forth. These created jewels are made in a
laboratory, crystalized and formed by special processes, and then cut
like any other gemstone. They are absolutely real, they just aren't natural.

Trained gemologists can often tell the difference between a created
gemstone and a natural one, but it isn't always easy, no matter how
well-trained or skilled the gemologist or jeweller. As gem-quality
natural rubies, emeralds, sapphires, etc. are rare, they're naturally
quite expensive (the higher the quality, the higher the price, of
course), usually considerably higher than a created gemstone of the
same type. Natural gemstones also have flaws (that's one way to tell
they're natural!), while lab-created stones can be and usually are
flawless or nearly so. Another factor is that created gemstones are
often available in colours that are extremely rare in the natural
variety of the stone.

If a gemstone is not physically, chemically, and visually identical to its natural counterpart, it is not a created gemstone!

What about simulated gemstones?

Simulated gemstones (simulants) are another classification.
These can be just about anything, depending on the manufacturer and
seller: plastic resin, cubic zirconia, moissanite, glass, rhinestone,
crystal, "paste", you name it. There are very high quality simulated
gemstones and there very cheap and dodgy ones, and there's everything
in between. These gems are also referred to as "faux" (French for
"false") or "mock".

There's nothing inherently wrong with simulated gemstones, so long as
you know what they are and you know what you're buying. Most people
consider cubic zirconia (CZ) to be a diamond simulant, for example
(although CZ can simulate other gemstones, as well, depending on the
colour and cut). There are other diamond simulants, as well, including
moissanite. There are also a good many other simulated gemstones that
are very pretty and well worth having in a piece of jewellery. As
noted, being "simulated" doesn't mean it's necessarily bad, only that
it's not "the real thing", and so long as you know that's what you're
buying, all should be well..

How can I tell the difference?

Ah, now here's where it gets tricky. Some sellers and online stores
will use the word "created" when they really should be saying "plastic"
(yes, we've seen that for ourselves!), and they'll say "created
diamond" when they mean cubic zirconia (again, nothing wrong with CZ,
but it's not a diamond, and while it looks very similar, it's
visually, chemically, and physically different!). This is usually because they
don't really know the difference, but it may be because they're deliberately trying to mislead.

First, always check the seller's feedback! What have others said about
the goods they received from the seller? It's true that there are
always cases where people are just not satisfied no matter what kind of
service they get or the goods they receive, but if a seller
consistantly has regular negative feedback, especially if the comments are that the quality of the item received was poor or that the item was fake,
this is a pretty good warning sign! Certainly take negative feedback in
the context in which it's given and balance it against the rest, but if
a seller has buyer after buyer saying that the item they received was
cheap or low quality or fake, that should raise a red flag to potential
buyers.

After you're satisfied with the seller's feedback history, the best thing that a buyer can do is ask the seller questions.
Ask them what, specifically, they mean

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