Natural, synthetic and artificial stones - how to distinguish them and what are they about?

In the world of jewelry, you can find not only natural stones. There are also synthetic and artificial stones on the jewelry market. They can look the same, although they are radically different.

How to distinguish them and what to pay attention to when you plan to buy your dream jewelry with natural stones?

Tinsel and shine

Natural stones, as the name tells us, are stones of natural origin. They are obtained from rocks and minerals. There are also exceptions like pearl, amber and coral which are stones of organic origin.

Such stones take thousands of years to form below the earth's surface. Therefore, each stone of natural origin is individual. No two are alike. Earrings with "identical" stones are the merit of experienced jewelers and the craftsmanship of their jewelery art.

So what are synthetic stones?

These are the equivalents of natural stones, but man-made. Looking at them, we are not able to distinguish them from their natural prototype. And their price can be significantly lower.

Synthetic stone has similar chemical and physical properties to natural stones.

High-quality synthetic stone, it is often distinguishable only by a specialist.

Synthetic better than nature?

Synthetic stones are not artificial stones. Artificial stones have no counterparts in nature. These stones are already very easy to distinguish.

The synthetic stone is distinguished by its appearance. It is almost perfect, without flaws, which also occurs in nature, but very rarely. The synthetic material has no scratches, inclusions or cracks.

Their advantage is intense colors, perfect cut and repeatability. Man can create hundreds of the same synthetic stones. This helps to recreate the jewelry and replace lost or broken items.

The price is one of the main distinguishing features. Technological development and the increasing demand for synthetic materials meant that producers had to lower the prices of these products.

King of artificial stones

As you already know, there are no analogues in nature for man-made stones.

The most famous artificial stones are cubic zirconia and moissanite.

Their beautiful and flawless appearance is supposed to deceive us a bit and resemble precious stones.

Multicolored rhinestones successfully imitate other natural stones such as rubies, emeralds and sapphire. It's easy to be fooled.

Moissanite is an almost perfect copy of a diamond so far.

What to remember when shopping?

Above all, give yourself some time and don't rush to buy.

Watch exactly what you are buying, especially if you do not know the source of the stones that you want to have for yourself.

Ask the seller carefully about their origin, where he buys them himself.

See if the stone you are looking at is perfect and tempting with its appearance? Does it have any flaws? Natural coloration or internal cracks. 

 If you are unsure, please don't buy

You can also buy natural stones from reliable suppliers and distributors. If you want to enjoy your jewelry and beautiful natural stones, and you care about quality, check whether the company that offers them has the necessary certificates.

At Artipol, we care very much about the quality of our stones and products that reach you so that you can enjoy them for a long time, and even pass them on to your children and grandchildren.

The quality of our stones is one of our highest values. We have the necessary certificates, and every year our quality and origin of the stones are checked by special institutions.

There is nothing wrong with that, but in our opinion you deserve what is naturally beautiful

Finally, a subjective-emotional analysis on artificial and synthetic stones.

As you have read before, synthetic stones have the most in common with natural stones, but if you do not have to fill in the missing elements of your jewelry with them, we urge you to reach for unique items of natural origin in the first place.

Think of it this way, you can carry something with you that has waited thousands of years for a human to extract it, process it, and donate it to someone important or…. something that was created in the laboratory, in a much shorter time and you can do many identical copies.

Moreover, jewelry made of natural stones gains in value over time. We are not just referring to the monetary value. But just the sentimental one.

If you want to pass ornaments from generation to generation, together with the items that accompanied you on a daily basis and on holidays, you will surely pass on a lot of stories and memories that are associated with them:

"I always wore this necklace at festive dinners."

 “I bought this bracelet while on vacation. To this day, I remember what the weather was like then and what it was like to have dinner in that little restaurant near the pier ”.

“This ring was given to me by my mother and now I want to give it to you. Maybe you will pass it on someday? ”.

Here are some inspirations that you can use as a medium for your memories. Which ones did you like the most?