Lab Created Beads

How Gemstones Are Created

There are two basic processes for synthesizing gemstones in a laboratory: melt growth and solution growth. Melt growthuses very high temperatures and tends to produce lower quality gems. Solution growth consists of two methods: flux and hydrothermal.

The flux method combines synthetic materials to create lab beads, particularly emeralds, rubies, and sapphires.

The hydrothermal methoduses water at a very high temperature combined with pressure to create 

synthetic gems like emerald, aquamarine, beryl, and morganite. This process takes the longest and produces the highest quality synthetic gems.

Quality Beads

Only a gemologist can differentiate natural and synthetic stones because of the uncanny resemblance in composition, color, hardness, and sparkle. The telling difference between natural and synthetic gemstones is that they do not contain the flaws often found in natural stones.  These flaws mostly come from inclusions, defined as gas bubbles or pieces of foreign material that were accidentally included in the gem’s formation. Almost any kind of gemstone can be reproduced in a laboratory setting, but the most common are the expensive gems: diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires.

Environmentally Friendly

Creating gems in a laboratory means there is no mining or environmental damage. Mines destroy natural areas and displace or kill wildlife. The process also uses large amounts of water and electricity. Lab created beads do not have this back story. They are made under controlled conditions in a space with a smaller ecological footprint.

New Colors

Although many lab created beads look just like their natural counterparts, the laboratory environment allows for experimental pigmentation. Colored diamonds exist in nature, but truly fine specimens are rare and expensive. An array of rich, dark colors are possible in labs and are affordable.

Unlimited Supply

Gemstone beads formed in nature are of limited quantity and variable quality, but there is no limit to the amount of lab created beadsthat can be made. It takes thousands of years for nature to form diamonds, rubies, or sapphires, but they’re rapidly developed in labs.

Great Value

The biggest advantage to buying lab beadsis the savings. Natural gems must be mined, shipped, cut, and polished, and the price goes up with every step. Synthetic stones are created quickly in a controlled process and cost about one tenth of a natural stone of comparable size and color.