Lab Grown Emerald

Lab-Grown Emeralds: A Guide to Identifying and Understanding

What are Lab-Grown Emeralds?

Lab-grown emeralds are a type of beryl that is created in a laboratory setting. They are chemically and structurally identical to naturally-mined emeralds, but they are grown under controlled conditions. This allows for greater consistency in color, clarity, and size than natural emeralds.

Benefits of Lab-Grown Emeralds

Lab-grown emeralds offer several advantages over natural emeralds:

• Eco-friendly: Lab-grown emeralds do not require mining, which can damage the environment.
• Humanitarian: Lab-grown emeralds are not associated with conflict or human rights abuses.
• Affordable: Lab-grown emeralds are typically much more affordable than natural emeralds due to their efficient production process.

How to Identify Lab-Grown Emeralds

There are several ways to identify lab-grown emeralds:

Flux-Grown Emeralds

Flux-grown emeralds are created by heating beryllium oxide with lead oxide and vanadium oxide. They are characterized by:

• Inclusions: Flux-grown emeralds often contain small, dark inclusions called "flux." These inclusions are not visible to the naked eye but can be seen under magnification.
• Refractive index (RI): The RI of flux-grown emeralds is typically lower than that of natural emeralds.
• Specific gravity (SG): The SG of flux-grown emeralds is typically lower than that of natural emeralds.

Hydrothermal Synthetic Emeralds

Hydrothermal synthetic emeralds are created by dissolving beryllium oxide and other ingredients in a water-based solvent. They are characterized by:

• Growth patterns: Hydrothermal synthetic emeralds often have visible growth patterns, such as hexagonal crystals.
• Inclusions: Hydrothermal synthetic emeralds may contain small, needle-like inclusions.
• Refractive index (RI): The RI of hydrothermal synthetic emeralds is typically higher than that of natural emeralds.
• Specific gravity (SG): The SG of hydrothermal synthetic emeralds is typically higher than that of natural emeralds.

In addition to these methods, a qualified gemologist can use advanced techniques to identify lab-grown emeralds with a high degree of accuracy.