Discover BIRON® Gems
Lab-Grown Emerald Rough
A synthetic emerald rough is a loose gemstone that is raw, uncut and unpolished.
The BIRON® Emerald Rough is the signature lab-grown gemstone of Inter-Pacific. It has the same gemological composition as that of a natural emerald. The BIRON® Emerald Rough includes the same chemical composition as beryl.
BIRON® Emerald Rough Video
Optically and physically, a BIRON® Emerald Rough is identical to its natural counterpart but can have little to no inclusions due to the hydrothermal growth process with which it is created. An additional defining characteristic is its vivid colour saturation that is a marked sign of a high-quality emerald.
More About Lab-Grown Emerald Rough
How is the emerald rough grown?
Artificial emeralds made in a laboratory can be made using two processes, the flux melt process or the solution process. The BIRON® Emerald Rough is made using the hydrothermal growth process, which is a solution process and the more time consuming and expensive.
The said process enables synthetic beryl to grow via replicating the conditions found deep in the earth with heat and pressure. Nutrients are dissolved and artificial crystals will attach to the seed in the course of several weeks. The chemical composition is the same as that of a natural emerald.
High pressure, high temperature autoclave used for hydrothermal synthesis of gemstones. Photo Credit: ALENANDRITE.NET
The BIRON® Emerald Rough is made up of the mineral beryl in a hexagonal crystal system. It is clean with little to no inclusions and has a hardness level of approximately 7.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, but is less brittle than a natural emerald.
FAQs on Lab Created Emerald Rough
How to measure carats in lab rough gemstones?
A loose gemstone in the rough can be weighed as it is to get the carat size through converting from grams.
Cutting, faceting and polishing necessary for producing a finished cut stone will however mean that the carat weight of a cut stone will be lighter than the carat weight of the loose gemstone in rough from which it is made.
Are lab gems worth more cut or uncut?
An uncut synthetic gemstone in the rough is valuable in itself due to the transparent and humane supply chain from which it comes. Its light eco-footprint also adds to its value. A cut gemstone that is lab-grown is worth more because of the added costs of skilled labour used to expertly cut a gemstone. It is cut and faceted in such a way to refract the best amount of light, all while maintaining as much carat size as possible to be ready for use in jewellery pieces.
How to choose the right uncut lab gemstone?
To choose a top-quality rough gemstone that has not yet been cut, consider the colour saturation, shape and clarity. A unique colour or colour-play ability, such as found in opals, will show that the finished product will stand out after cutting and polishing. Shape and symmetry will determine whether it can be easily faceted or cabbed into the desired form that is easily mountable for its use, such as in jewellery.
A large rough gem may not yield many smaller pieces if it is irregularly shaped, meaning increased waste during gem cutting.
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