Natural vs. Synthetic

Don’t get it twisted and confuse the word ‘synthetic’ with ‘fake.’ Synthetic gemstones are structurally identical to their natural counterparts, serving the same luxury and lustre.

To break it down, synthetic gemstones are sometimes called man-made or lab-created, because they’re born in laboratories instead of naturally occurring in the environment. It’s pretty wild that labs can mimic the natural gemstone creation process, by controlling the factors involved in their growth; chemicals, minerals, temperature and pressure.

Here are three key-identifiers between natural and synthetic stones:

The Dollar signs. When it comes to natural versus synthetic, natural stones are traditionally more expensive. But this has nothing to do with quality and EVERYTHING to do with supply and demand. Synthetic stones are usually less expensive because our lab magicians make them readily available and easily sourced whenever we want them - without any questionable mining or Leo Dicaprio movie-plots involved.

You’re flawless, girl. Some say a major pro of synthetic gems is that they’re basically perfect. Growing up in a controlled environment means they’re blemish-free and more vivid in colour. Whereas, their natural twins are fighters, battling the elements of the ‘real world.’ Hiding in the ground or under the sea for decades comes with scars; and it’s these flaws that tell us more about their journey.

History. There’s something romantic about purchasing a natural gemstone. Where was it found? How old is it? What magical powers does it hold? While the story of a synthetic stone is pretty generic: jewellers need stones, lab magicians make the stones; and we know that the magic is all in the method. The end.