[Jewelry making - Article 01120] - [Orchid] Andalucite? and general lab-creation question

[Karen Goeller]

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    In the course of looking for interesting gems to set in my jewelry
    pieces, I've run across Andalucite.  I'm not that familiar with it,
    but it is very pretty, with interesting color and clarity. 

    What concerns me is that the prices I'm seeing for it are all over
    the map.  One dealer is telling me it's really rare, was only mined
    for a very short time, and is hard to come by.  Another dealer
    considers it a "low-range" gemstone (whatever that means).  A third
    only deals in lab-created andalucite. 

    How can I get good and reliable info on this stone.  I'd like to
    work with it more, but want appropriate valuation guidance. 

    Also -- what are your opinions of lab-created stones in general? 
    Are they as refractive and "beautiful" as their natural
    counterparts?  I've generally shied away from them in the past, but
    I know the technology changes rapidly. 

Thanks for any and all advice!
Karen Goeller
kgoeller AT nolimitations.com

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