[Jewelry making - Article 00467] - Re: [Orchid] CZ-Synthetic

[Steve Green]

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    OK Guys and Gals, Here is what I am realizing about this argument -
    whether a "synthetic" gem needs to have a natural counter-part or
    not. 

    It seems to depend on who's lead you follow and what your preference
    is. Of my 20 or so books on gems in my library only the following
    ones make reference to the synthetic issue, and this is what they
    state: 

    Webster - GEMS Their Sources Description and Identification  - Third
    Edition (reprinted 1980) page 328 states: "the term synthetic can
    well be used to cover those man-made stones which have no
    counterpart in nature." 

    Liddicoat - Handbook of Gem Identification  - Tenth Edition
    (copyright 1977)  page 118 refers to: GGG, YAG, YIG, Linobate and KTN
    all as "synthetic gemstones" even though they are "unknown in
    nature". 

    Arem - Color Encyclopedia of Gemstones - Second Edition  (copyright
    1987) page 3 states: "a synthetic is a manufactured material that may
    be physically and chemically equivalent to a mineral, or a compound
    unknown in nature but that can be grown in transparent crystals
    suitable for cutting" 

    Desautels - The Gem Kingdom (copyright 1971) page 77 states: "Two
    other synthetic gems have been produced by the Verneuil technique.
    Neither of these has a natural counterpart but both have found their
    way into the gem trade. They are titanium dioxide and strontium
    titanate ." also on page 72 there is a photo of a YAG crystal.
    Desautel's caption says: "methods of growing synthetic crystals.  Gem
    crystal of YAG, a light-colored fairly hard, recent synthetic" 

    O'Donoghue - A Guide to Man-Made Gemstones  (copyright 1983) on page
    9 states: "the adjective 'synthetic' should be used only for
    man-made items with a natural counterpart" 

    In my library 4 out of 5 books that address this issue support that
    - YAG, GGG, YIG, strontium titanate, and man-made titanium oxide
    (different than the black natural version) all fall under the
    "synthetic" heading even though they have no known natural
    counterpart. Only one of my books takes the opposite stance. 

    Maybe my books are not the newest versions and have different
    wording than yours do. Maybe they are completely out of date and I
    need a new library for this rapidly changing definition. But from
    what I am seeing there is controversy on this issue.  So I guess in
    the end you can choose to use the term either way... your choice. 

    I will do some more polling amongst respected gem and mineral
    experts here at the Denver Show and see further what the consensus
    is -stay tuned.    : ) 

    Up to this point I still feel that gems cut from man-made materials
    without a natural counterpart, fall under the heading "synthetic". 

    Regards to all,   Steve Green  -  Rough and Ready Gems  
    www.briolettes.com Fine briolettes and precision ultrasonic drilling.


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