Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? People have used lots of words to describe laboratory grown gemstones, some a bit sweeter than others. What we’re all trying to do is to find language that communicates clearly without confusing consumers. Unfortunately, there are so many terms for lab grown gems out there (and some bad apples who are actually trying to confuse people) that there isn’t always as much communication as there should be.
Perhaps the best “lab-grown” gemstones are grown by a company called ‘Chatham’. They prefer to call their gems “lab-grown” because they feel it most clearly describes what their gemstones really are. Chatham is a company which grows gemstone crystals. When Carroll Chatham grew his first emerald crystals in the 1930s, the jewelry industry was worried that the value of natural gems would collapse. They were also worried they wouldn’t be able to tell lab-grown emeralds from mined emeralds.
In 1959, the Federal Trade Commission stepped in to make strict rules about what companies like Chatham could call their products. The commission ordered Carroll Chatham to release all the details of his process in order to decide whether his gems could be called “cultured.” Because he refused to divulge the secret of how his gems were grown, Carroll agreed to stop calling them “cultured” and to call them “Chatham-created.”
Laboratory flux-grown Ruby
rough by Chatham
We think consumers should know the difference between inexpensive flame fusion (or pulled created gemstones) and the more expensive lab-grown gems. Not all gem varieties can be made inexpensively by flame fusion or pulling: sapphire, ruby, and spinel are the main ones. That’s how sapphire watch crystals are made.
The crystal structure of flux-grown ruby or sapphire is the same as mined ruby and sapphire. Its internal structure is identical. That’s why it’s worth devoting a year to letting it grow. Because the structure is identical, you get the same brilliance and reflection from the crystal structure and that is why people fall in love with gems in the first place.
In the end, that’s what this is all about: understanding what the differences are between different kinds of gems so you can make an informed smart choice: natural mined, lab-grown, man-made, or imitation. It’s up to you!
To see an amazing display of Chatham lab grown, Eco friendly and affordable gemstones, visit Pineforest Jewelry today!