Natural vs. Lab-Created Gems

When you look at two beautiful gemstones, could you tell whether one formed deep within the Earth and the other was grown in a laboratory? You probably can’t.

One of the most misunderstood things about lab-created gemstones is that they aren't necessarily "fake" stones. A lab-created sapphire, for example, has essentially the same chemical composition and crystal structure as a natural sapphire. The biggest difference is where—and how—they were formed.

Natural Gems: Created by the Earth

Natural gemstones form through geological processes that can take millions of years. Heat, pressure, minerals and other conditions within the Earth combine to create crystals. Those crystals are eventually mined, cut and polished to reveal the gemstones we recognize. Because nature isn't a controlled laboratory, natural stones often contain small inclusions, color variations and other characteristics created during their formation. These aren't necessarily flaws. In many cases, they're part of what makes a natural gemstone unique. No two are exactly alike!

Lab-Created Gems: The Same Materials, a Different Origin

Lab-created—or synthetic—gemstones are grown under carefully controlled conditions designed to reproduce the processes that create crystals in nature. The process happens much faster, but the resulting gemstone can have essentially the same chemical composition, crystal structure, and physical properties as its natural counterpart.

A lab-created ruby is ruby. A lab-created sapphire is sapphire. A lab-created diamond is diamond.

That's quite different from a simulant, which is a material made to resemble another gemstone. Cubic zirconia, for example, can resemble a diamond but is chemically and physically a different material.

Can You Tell Them Apart?

Sometimes—but not necessarily just by looking. Because laboratory conditions can be carefully controlled, lab-created gemstones may have fewer inclusions and more consistent color than many natural stones. But modern lab-created gems can be remarkably similar to natural ones. Determining origin may require magnification, specialized instruments, or testing by a trained gemologist or gemological laboratory.

That's one reason disclosure is important. A buyer should know whether a gemstone is natural or lab-created.

Is One Better Than the Other?

Not necessarily; they simply offer different things. A natural gemstone carries something extraordinary with it: a geological history that may stretch back millions—or even billions—of years. For some people, that history and rarity are an important part of the stone's appeal.

Lab-created gems offer another advantage. They can provide beautiful color, clarity, and durability at a price that can make certain gemstones more accessible.

Value is another characteristic where the distinction matters. Natural gemstones—particularly rare, high-quality examples—generally command higher prices because of their rarity and limited supply. Lab-created stones can often provide comparable beauty and physical properties for considerably less.

When I'm choosing a stone for a piece, I don't look only at whether it came from the Earth or a laboratory. I look at the stone. Its color, its cut, the way it reacts to light, and, most importantly, whether it inspires a piece of jewelry.

Sometimes that's a natural gemstone. Sometimes it's lab-created. And, as we've already seen with sea glass and pottery shards, sometimes it isn't technically a gemstone at all.

At the Bench

Whether a gem is natural or lab-created, the craftsmanship doesn't change. The stone still has to be thoughtfully incorporated into the design, the setting carefully made, and the finished piece comfortable enough to be worn and enjoyed.

Different origins. Same opportunity to create something beautiful.