Throughout history, its fiery blaze has captivated hearts. The gemstones representing love, passion and prosperity have sparkled on crowns or decorated jewelry boxes. For centuries, rubies were extracted from the ground-a reality that brings consequences of a mining industry notorious for its high environmental and humanitarian prices. However, the landscape of gemstones has actually taken a flip since synthetic rubies have arrived on the world scene. This begs the question: are lab created rubies real?
The shocking answer may surprise you. Lab created rubies are indeed real gems. These will have the same chemical composition (aluminum oxide) and physical properties as their mined equivalents. The difference is where they originate from. Rubies are made when natural minerals combine with other elements over a period of millions of years under the intense conditions in the Earth. The process of creating lab-grown rubies instead results in these natural conditions being synthetically brought to life, just as described.
How are Lab Grown Rubies made?
- Flame Fusion: Aluminum oxide powder containing traces of chromium (providing the characteristic red color simply because it is a trace mineral and not beryl) are melted through high heat. This molten metal is poured into ingots and shaped in a rough gemstone form.
- Hydrothermal Growth: This procedure imitates the natural crystal formation process. The high pressure and temperature force ruby crystals to grow, layer upon layer around a seed crystal in a nutrient-rich solution.
The resulting rubies are equally beautiful for both methods and to the lay person indistinguishable from mined counterparts There are a couple of subtle differences though:
- Clarity: Your flaw-filled natural ruby may be clean as a whistle if it came from the lab. On the other hand, some inclusions might even be a good thing as it gives charm to the stone.
- Color: Natural rubies are found in a greater variety of colors and they include blood red to pinkish-red. While natural rubies are never perfectly similar, lab-grown rubies provide a much more uniform color since they form in this controlled setting.
Are lab grown rubies real? That would be one way of looking at it. Lab grown rubies tend to be less expensive than natural rubies of similar size and quality. Its growth was driven to a large part by its quicker production time and mining-free experience. Yet the rarity, origin and historical importance of a natural ruby can all add to its value.
Pros of Lab Grown Rubies:
- Ethical: Will not have any environmental footprint from mines.
- Cost-effective: often cheaper than low-quality mined rubies.
- Sustainable: Constrained to depleting natural resources by virtue of being limited in the number that can be responsibly manufactured at a given time.
- Quality: Ensures consistent quality of image clarity and color.
Cons of Lab-Grown Rubies:
- Resale Value: Will not hold their value as well in resale over time, could be a potential con for high-quality stones
- Investment Potential: Lower, intended mostly for collectors who seek very rare and uncommon natural stones.
- History and Tradition: Sapphire may not have the same love story as with mined rubies.
In the end, it is up to you whether or not to purchase a ruby that was created millions of years away without any help from humans.
Are lab grown rubies for everyday wear?
Absolutely! Look for these if you’re in the market to invest in a piece of jewelry that’s going to last forever. Excellent for anyone concerned with saving the planet, your bank account or who just loves rubies without paying an arm and a leg.
Some other factors you should include in your decision to get it from a natural or lab-grown ruby are;
- Purpose: If it is for an heirloom or investment, then probably the natural ruby would be preferred. A lab-grown ruby looks perfect in any situation, as an everyday wear jewel or a stunner editorial piece.
- Disclosure: A good way to verify ruby is through a few channels Disclosure Ensure the jeweler always discloses whether the ruby is natural or lab-grown. Legit jewelers ought to give you a certificate of authenticity.
- Personal Values: The decision is an environmentally conscious one.
Check are lab grown rubies real? All the above-listed factors prove that these are not only real, but also serve as an eco-aware and ethical means to get your hands on some ruby sans mining. Due to their marvelous appeal and increasing recognition, desire for lab-grown rubies in the gemstone industry is evidently bound to appear downright sparkly.
Conclusion
We have rubies as big and red solely due to the recently discovered ability of lab grown gemstones. While this means that lab-grown rubies deliver the same brilliance and beauty as natural ones, they have a much less heavy environmental impact so can be priced accordingly. If you are looking for a beautiful piece to be worn everyday or merely as an ethical option for that special day, yes lab-grown rubies can and they should coexist and have become one of those true jewelry gem options available; affording the wearer with everything ruby has to offer without any compromise.