The most common imitation material for gemstones is glass. Blue Sapphire Glass Earrings by AlohaSparklingJewels. Chemically, optically, and physically, imitation gemstones are very different from natural gemstones and are much less valuable. On the other hand, an imitation merely recreates the appearance of the original. You would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between a synthetic stone and a natural stone just by looking at it, and even experts can get this wrong. Sometimes lab-grown gemstones possess an even better, near-perfect quality compared to their natural counterparts. These stones have a similar chemical composition, optics, and crystal structure to natural sapphires. Lab-grown gems are produced by copying the properties of the original, usually by duplicating the environmental conditions that naturally mined stones are formed within. Synthetic sapphires are real sapphires grown in labs, while imitations are simply look-alikes. While many people wrongly believe that synthetic stones are fake, this isn’t true. Lab-created sapphires and imitation sapphires are very different from each other. What’s the Difference Between Synthetic and Imitation Sapphires? Lab-created Sapphire Diamond Ring by Love Rings. These factors are some of the many reasons that have made synthetic sapphire popular among those for whom a natural sapphire isn’t an option, but who still like the traditional look of sapphire. In addition, extracting natural stones from the environment is costly and has a negative impact on the earth, as well as on the miners and surrounding communities. While most people opt for natural sapphires, this comes with a high price tag. This makes them exceedingly rare, unique, and highly sought after.

Natural sapphires are formed naturally over millions of years, under exacting conditions. Why Are Synthetic Sapphires Growing in Popularity? In this guide, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of synthetic sapphire, and why they make a great choice in jewelry. While often mistakenly called ‘fake’ sapphires, synthetic sapphires are real sapphires, as they’re identical chemically, physically, and optically. Synthetic sapphires, also called lab-created or manmade sapphires, are becoming increasingly popular as more people move towards affordable and sustainable gemstone options.

Lab created white sapphire ring