Synthetic / Lab Created Sapphires
November 10, 2022 2024-04-19 17:13Synthetic / Lab Created Sapphires
Lab Grown
aka real Synthetic (not fake)
Lab Grown Diamonds
Lab grown diamonds are exactly that, man-made diamonds from a laboratory, rather than naturally produced by the Earth. They have the same chemical composition (though natural diamonds often contain a tiny bit of nitrogen which synthetic diamonds do not) and have the same physical properties as their natural version. A gemologist would need to view the stone under a loupe (magnification instrument) to see the laser inscription on the widest part of the diamond, the girdle, to know the difference, but to the naked eye it is basically impossible to pick.
Given the price and history of diamonds, ie. the poor reputation of ‘blood diamonds’, lab grown diamonds give a valid alternative as they reduce the cost of this very expensive item by up to 50-60% for essentially the same thing. As well they are guaranteed to not be associated with the same conflict and controversy that a natural diamond could be. At Hart & Halo, we guarantee our diamonds all comply with the Kimberley Process which works to ensure the diamond is “conflict free”. We also offer lab-grown diamonds as an alternative so you can take your pick.
Lab Grown Sapphires
Synthetic sapphires are real sapphires grown in labs as opposed to mined from the ground. They have the same properties as natural sapphires however will often look more ‘perfect’ as they will be a single consistent colour and usually have no inclusions. There is also a lot less colour variability with synthetic sapphires as conditions are carefully controlled.
While natural sapphires will have taken millions of years to form, lab-created or synthetic sapphires will take up to a year. There are two methods used to create lab-grown sapphires, melt and solution, and both were developed over 100 years ago! The main pro for a synthetic sapphire is, you can get the ‘perfect’ sapphire for a fraction of the cost. The colour is much more consistent and they are likely to have no or very few inclusions. If you are wanting to find perfectly matched stones (for earrings for example) then it is far easier to find this with synthetic stones.
There are some well matched natural sapphires, however unlikely to be perfect given no two sapphires are ever the same. It is for exactly this reason though that we at Hart & Halo are obsessed with natural sapphires. The natural beauty created by our own Mother Earth over the course of millions of years, the spontaneousness and romanticity is what we are drawn to. We’re not a fan of ‘perfect’. To us, natural stones have character and a story lacking from synthetic ones, and we couldn’t be more in awe of how different and unique these little gems can be.
