Natural Star Sapphire Vs Synthetic

Natural stars usually have at least one or two legs that are shorter than the others and they can appear to be a little muddled rather than.

Natural star sapphire vs synthetic. Both are identical materials and have the same molecular makeup. The most common processes involve heat treatment to improve color. Most natural stars don t have a perfect star. Natural sapphires which originate in certain igneous or metamorphic geologic environments are commonly treated to improve their color or clarity.

As with most gems you have the option to choose between natural stones and man made lab created sapphires. Blue star sapphire displays a three ray six point star. Find out the characteristics and features making star sapphires unique and rare. Researchers have tried by varying concentrations of ni2 ni3 and cr3 to generate a wide spectrum of colour.

Synthetic star sapphires tend to have perfect stars meaning they are very symmetrical and all of the legs on the star are straight and even. But some newer better quality synthetic star gems are now on the market see pictures below. A natural star sapphire is not perfect. It would be rare to find a genuine sapphire with a perfect star if all the legs are perfectly straight that would be more indicative of a synthetic sapphire as genuine sapphires typically have some legs that are not perfectly straight.

It s easy to see why. A natural star will most likely have 1 or more of the 6 rays which will not exactly the same length. Look for flaws or inclusions in real sapphires perform a breath test to judge authenticity and get a sapphire certified. The verneuil technique is used for making synthetic sapphires.

Synthetic sapphires have been produced for more than a century mostly by melt flux or hydrothermal solution methods hughes 2017. These star sapphires are cut in a smooth domed cabochon to showcase the effect. Almost all natural star sapphires have one or more of these natural imperfections. A deep look shows signs of slow crystallization in case of natural sapphires.

Sapphires are typically thought of as blue but can also be red yellow orange green or other colors in between. Then look at the star itself. Synthetic sapphires are created in a lab. Sapphires are very precious and desirable gemstones greatly appreciated and sought after by jewelry lovers.

Learn about asterism an optical phenomenon displayed by these one of a kind gems why a perfect star sapphire should be a concern how critical the cut of a star sapphire is and where 2020 trends see star sapphires. Lab created synthetic sapphires have the same physical properties visual characteristics and hardness level as the natural gemstones. Using your flashlight examine the star on your sapphire closely. This however is not usually the case with a natural star.

It s very difficult to distinguish between the synthetic sapphire and the natural one. The colors of natural sapphires are gorgeous and they re extremely durable.