Jewelry

[ennui1]

On 5/18/2014 CalmInTheHeart said:

I agree, if it's supposed to be ruby, I expect it to be red.

I think good rubies are red that tints to pink, as opposed to garnets, which are red that tints toward orange. Pigeon's blood is red/pink, btw, unlike human blood.

[HappyAndIKnowIt From NY]

On 5/18/2014 CalmInTheHeart said:

There is a big difference between created and synthetic/simulated stones. Synthetics will always look fake (DMQ, a lot of JR stones, and such). Created will not be identical to the actual gemstones but they are certainly closer than synthetic.

I agree, if it's supposed to be ruby, I expect it to be red.

It has always been my understanding that a created gem is supposed to be the equvalent of a natural gem. The properties are the same. Thus a created ruby is considered to be a real ruby not a synthetic or simulant.

[D Oro]

Inside Edition did a report of mislabeled and misleading rubies. JCK did an article featuring that report. The comments posted below the article make very important points.

You can read it here:https://tinyurl.com/nvld9dk

[stevieb]

I have to agree. If they're going to do created stones, why not get the color right, or at least offer options.

[SANNA]

Really the best Burmese rubies are red with pink glow/undertone. They call it pigeons blood color as was said above. I am also lucky to own a ring, pendant and a bracelet with Burmese rubies. With lab created they use a "seed" of corundum crystal and let it grow. Other words they expedite a natural process. Kind of like cultured pearls. Synthetics are just total junk and cost very little just like DMQ. Some synthetics are very well made and look very convincing.example is Russian alexandrites of modern times. They are created so well so they have perfect color change from teal green to red/purple. Like real deal stones.

[anniebear]

The cut of the stone can have an adverse effect on the final color. For instance, if the stone has a much larger diameter than depth, more light will pass through it and the color will be less saturated. Not sure if that is what is causing the pinker ruby color you are describing, but it's not unusual to find very shallow cut stones (even naturally mined ones) that are made that way to make it look like they have more carat weight once in the setting. I'm sure it's a cost-cutting method, but one that can be very disappointing when used with certain colored gemstones.

[born2swim]

Synthetics are created stones that have the same chemical, optical and physical properties as a natural stone. Most gemologists distinguish them from natural stones via microscopes or other tools. For example synthetic sapphire has curved growth characteristics whereas natural sapphire has straight growth patterns. Under the microscope you can see the difference. Most folks can't tell the difference (other than the fact that you can buy most synthetics for a fraction of the cost of a natural stone and they "look" really good).

Simulants can be anything. They look like the natural but they don't have the same chemical, optical, and physical properties as a natural stone. http://www.gia.edu/gem-imitation

[CalminHeart]

On 5/18/2014 HappyAndIKnowIt From NY said:

On 5/18/2014 CalmInTheHeart said:

There is a big difference between created and synthetic/simulated stones. Synthetics will always look fake (DMQ, a lot of JR stones, and such). Created will not be identical to the actual gemstones but they are certainly closer than synthetic.

I agree, if it's supposed to be ruby, I expect it to be red.

It has always been my understanding that a created gem is supposed to be the equvalent of a natural gem. The properties are the same. Thus a created ruby is considered to be a real ruby not a synthetic or simulant.

They are close but not exact. Created will never match the original, natural gem. I can tell a difference 99% of the time. I've seen some excellent created stones, you'd never know they weren't real, and I've seen some pretty awful created stones.....that look fake from a mile away, not sure if they were mislabeled or just awful.