Discover BIRON® Gems
Gemstones
Lab-grown gems are real gemstones that are unmined and synthetically made in a laboratory.
Crystals are formed in a controlled environment through various man-made processes dependent on the gemstone. All of the chemical composition, optical and physical characteristics of a naturally-mined gemstone are maintained.
Explore BIRON® Cut Stone, BIRON® Jewellery, BIRON® Rough Stone, Rough for Lapidary, Education Specimens, Lifestyle Accessories, and Rare Collectibles handpicked by the BIRON® experts.
What the Expert Says
The Most Impressive Colour
After many years of intensive research on many aspects of hydrothermal technology,
BIRON® emerald resulted in a colour that was virtually indistinguishable from the Columbian Muzo emerald,
the most desirable colour in the marketplace.
Created Gemstone Deep Dive
What are lab-grown gemstones?
Lab-grown gems are real gemstones that are unmined and synthetically made in a laboratory.
Crystals are formed in a controlled environment through various man-made processes dependent on the gemstone. All of the chemical composition, optical and physical characteristics of a naturally-mined gemstone are maintained.
Natural gemstones are formed in nature and are earth-mined. They are considered costlier and rarer than lab-grown gemstones for their natural colouration and faceting that occurs without human interference.
Flux growth ruby (left), and flame fusion grown ruby (right). Photo Credit: GIA
What are the benefits of created gemstones?
Man-made gemstones deliver the same precision and high-quality finish as natural gemstones at a lower cost. They can be cut in a variety of shapes, colours, and sizes to suit the needs of a designer, dealer, retailer, manufacturer, or jewellery brand.
Light on the environmental footprint, artificial gemstones are eco-friendly and humane. They offer endless possibilities when it comes to cut, clarity, and colour. The highest quality synthetic gemstones are consistent in symmetry and can have little to no inclusions.
How are artificial gemstones made?
Artificial gemstones are mainly made with two types of methods — the melt process and the solution process. The difference lies in the resulting chemical composition, but in both cases, crystals form on a starting “seed” crystal and grow predictably to create the facets of an artificial gemstone. Both have the ability to create high-quality, man-made gem materials.
Melt Process
In the melt process, the chemical composition remains the same throughout, from start to finish.
Flame Fusion or Verneuil*
One of the most common and least expensive methods to make gemstones. A high-temperature flame is applied to powdered chemicals that drop and melt onto a rotating platform, producing the synthetic crystal.
*BIRON® gemstones are not produced using this method because with each drop a ripple effect will be created with the resulting rough having lighter colour in the middle and darker colour at the outer rim, stones cut from such rough will reflect this uneven distribution of colour.
Crystal Pulling or Czochralski
This early 1990s process involves melting nutrients in a heated container. A seed is dipped into the melt and synthetic crystals slowly grow from it as it is gradually pulled away from the melt.
Solution Process
In the solution process, the resulting chemical composition differs from that of the start.
Flux Melt
A relatively slow process involving expensive equipment but reaps results. It can take up to one year to form crystal growth. A dissolved chemical solution forms synthetic crystals slowly on a seed plane. The solution itself is made up of a material called flux, that dissolves the nutrients when melted. The process does not involve pressure.
Hydrothermal Growth
A costly but timely and successful method for growing synthetic quartz. The process mimics the conditions found deep in the earth with heat and pressure to dissolve nutrients in a solution that forms artificial crystals.
Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD)
CVD is a process that specifically grows diamonds, harnessing the power of lower temperatures to form diamonds via vapour deposits on a “seed” plane.
High Pressure, High Temperature
Both high and low temperatures are used in a vacuum chamber that releases carbon atoms through a chemical process. Synthetic diamonds share the same carbon composition as their natural counterparts. With combined high pressure, carbon is dissolved and diamond growth is promoted.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Discover More
Frequently Asked Questions
Are lab-grown gemstones real gems?
Yes. Synthetically created gemstones are real because of their identical characteristics in chemical composition, optics, and physical form.
Are lab-created gemstones valuable?
Yes. Gemstones created in a laboratory are highly valued for their quality and finish.
They have the exact same chemical composition as that of their natural counterpart and can have little to no inclusions with high-quality colour and clarity to suit any need. What’s more, they are eco-friendly and humanitarian. The highest quality synthetic gemstones can be 100% consistent with naturally-mined gemstones.
Are lab gems as durable as mined gemstones?
Yes. Lab-grown gemstones hold the same consistency and chemical composition as that of naturally-mined gemstones, so the durability properties are identical.
How to identify synthetic gemstones?
Man-made gemstones normally cannot be spotted by the naked eye, but their origins are required to be clearly indicated to avoid deceptive business practices. The difference between synthetic and natural can be spotted through a microscope and other gemological instruments. Natural impurities that affect the clarity of a gemstone are often spotted in natural gems affected during the natural molten process.
Lab-grown gems can have little to no inclusions, as they are made in a controlled environment.
Do manufactured gems contain inclusions?
Gemstones are grown in a controlled environment that can deliver close to pure stones as an end result with little to no inclusions. Inclusions can still occur, just fewer than natural gemstones.
What is the cost of created gemstones compared to natural ones?
Gemstone made in laboratories cost a fraction of the price of a naturally-mined stone because there is a greater capacity for production. It can cost up to 5-10% of the cost of a natural gemstone and can be priced more easily by the carat. The price of a natural gem is determined by its unique characteristics, including cut, colour, size and clarity.
Inter-Pacific’s BIRON® cut stones can cost a fraction of the price of natural gemstones.
What is the difference between simulated and lab-created gemstones?
Simulated gemstones are entirely different from lab-created gemstones.
They are also man-made in a controlled environment and have the look-alike appearance of gemstones, but are physically and chemically different. The composition of a simulated gemstone could, in many cases, be synthetic, man-made material and looks like real or lab-made gemstones, but are only imitation gemstones.
A lab-grown gemstone is chemically, optically and physically identical to its mined counterpart. Simulated gemstones are significantly cheaper than lab-grown or natural gemstones themselves.
Contact Us
How can we help you?
Whether you wish to create your first ethical and sustainable jewellery brand or enrich your current collections, we are here to help.
