“Is this real or fake?” is a big question in jewellery. There are a number of answers, and without a little knowledge about how gemstones are made and sold, you can feel like you are being taken for a ride. Jewellers use terms like Genuine, Mined, Imitation, Simulated, Synthetic, and Lab-grown, Enhanced. Once you have a general understanding of the choices available for gems in the market, you will be able to make the best choice for yourself.
I have been thinking about this a lot, and have decided to break down the terminology using popstars.
Imagine one of the biggest stars of all time is called “Sapphire”. They’ve also had success as “Ruby”, but their real name, given at birth, is “Corundum”. So, it’s Corundum on their driver’s license, but Sapphire on some albums, and Ruby on other albums. Same popstar. People cannot get enough, so Sapphire/Ruby is EVERYWHERE. Concerts sell out, streams are prolific, and even impersonators make a good living at tribute shows. In fact, this star is SO popular and versatile, that scientists find a way to use Corundum’s dna to make clones, so all of Corundum’s original talents can come through in Sapphire and Ruby shows all over the world at the same time. Billions of people are happy, and anyone wanting to go to a show has some decisions to make.
Genuine or Mined – The real thing, made in nature. This would be the original artist, rocking out for fans who paid top price for the thrill of saying they were there. They bought a ticket for genuine, they get genuine.
Imitation or Simulated – Not the real thing, but looks close to it. These are the impersonators, the tributes, who might be a spitting image, but do not share dna with the original artist, so cannot claim to be the original artist. The shows are billed as imitation, so there is no trickery here. This is a great option for people who want to enjoy the talent, but do not have the cash or desire for a big-budget show.
Synthetic or Lab-grown – The real thing, made in a lab. Basically the clones, with all of the same genetic make-up as the original artist. The obvious choice for Corundum clones is to perform as Sapphire or Ruby, doing a fantastic, maybe even better show, but at lower ticket prices than a show with the genuine artist. Are they real? Yes. Are they genuine? No. As long concert-goers know they are watching genetic clones, and the quality is same or better, they are thrilled. In fact, the clones are so talented and versatile and available, that they also work as imitators in completely different tribute shows. You might find a synthetic Corundum working as an Alexandrite impersonator, or a synthetic Spinel working as a Ruby impersonator. This is where the answer to “is it real or fake” can get complicated, but as long as the person buying the ticket understands what they are getting, everyone has a great time.
Enhanced – A treatment that has been applied to improve quality. This is like autotune, and can be used on any of the above, in a subtle way to add value, or in an over-the-top way for a specific effect.
In the jewellery world, designers think about all of these options when making a piece. We use aesthetic, budget, and availability to choose the best gem for the job, so the piece you see is the piece we meant it to be, in all its beauty. If you would like to know more about any of our pieces, just ask!
Alexandrite, the birthstone for June.
Handmade by Frekkel Designs