Lab-Created Sapphire, Ruby and Emerald vs Natural Stones
Lab-created rubies have been made since the early 1900s. They are real ruby in every sense a chemist cares about, they cost a fraction of a mined stone, and they are sold under several different names. That last part is where buyers get confused. This guide explains what a lab-created sapphire, ruby or emerald is, how it differs from a natural stone and from a cheap imitation, how gemologists tell them apart, and what the label should say.
Three categories, and only two of them are the real mineral
A natural gemstone formed in the earth. A lab-created stone, also sold as synthetic, laboratory-grown or under a maker's name, was grown by people from the same ingredients. GIA defines a synthetic gem material as one that shares virtually all chemical, optical, and physical characteristics of its natural mineral counterpart. A lab-created sapphire is corundum, the same mineral as a mined sapphire, with the same hardness and the same way of bending light.
The third category is a simulant, sometimes called an imitation. A simulant only looks like the gem. Blue glass sold as sapphire is a simulant. So is a red garnet sold as ruby. GIA notes that some laboratory materials are themselves used to imitate a different gem, for example color-change corundum and spinel imitating alexandrite. Those stones are lab-grown corundum or spinel, and they are simulants of alexandrite.
The difference matters for wear. A lab-created sapphire has the hardness of sapphire, so it will survive daily life in a ring the way a mined sapphire does. Glass sold as sapphire is far softer and scratches with ordinary wear.
How they are grown
The oldest method is flame fusion. GIA records that Auguste Verneuil first created ruby in a laboratory in the late 1800s, and that in 1902 he announced the development of his flame-fusion process. GIA describes the process as dropping powdered chemicals through a high-temperature flame onto a rotating pedestal, where they build up a crystal. It was the first commercially successful method.
Three other methods appear in GIA's overview. Flux growth uses a solid that, when melted, dissolves the gem ingredients the way water dissolves sugar, and crystals form as it cools. Hydrothermal growth imitates the conditions deep in the earth where natural gems form. Czochralski pulling dips a seed crystal into a melt and draws it slowly upward as it grows. GIA notes that flux and hydrothermal growth are slow and expensive, so stones grown that way cost more to produce than flame-fusion stones.
GIA also says corundum, the mineral behind ruby and sapphire, can be made by the greatest number of processes. Emerald, spinel and alexandrite are grown too, alexandrite only rarely. Our alexandrite buying guide covers the lab-created versions of that stone in detail.
How gemologists tell them apart
By eye, you cannot. A lab-created stone and a mined one of the same colour look the same across a counter, and anyone who tells you they can judge origin by glancing at a stone is guessing. The evidence is inside the stone, under magnification.
Flame-fusion stones grow in curved layers, and they often trap tiny gas bubbles. A 2023 note in GIA's journal Gems and Gemology describes curved striae and gas bubbles as characteristic internal features of flame-fusion ruby. Flux-grown stones can show trapped flux that looks like a fingerprint. A 2014 GIA lab note on a synthetic ruby grown by both methods describes finding both curved striae and flux fingerprint patterns under the microscope.
The same GIA note also says that identifying whether a stone is natural or laboratory-grown can be difficult, and modern flux and hydrothermal stones can carry inclusions that look natural. For any stone sold as natural at a natural price, ask for a report from an independent gemological laboratory.
What the label should say
The clearest written rule we know of is in the US Federal Trade Commission's Jewelry Guides. Section 23.25 says it is unfair or deceptive to use a gem name such as ruby, sapphire or emerald for a laboratory-grown, laboratory-created, manufacturer-created or synthetic stone unless such word or name is immediately preceded with equal conspicuousness by one of those qualifying words. In plain terms: "lab-created sapphire" in the same size type as "sapphire", directly in front of it.
Two more details from that section are useful. The word "faux" on its own is not an adequate disclosure. And a seller may only call a product "lab-grown" or "synthetic" ruby or sapphire if it has essentially the same optical, physical and chemical properties as the natural stone, which rules out calling red glass "synthetic ruby".
Watch for wording that hides the qualifier: "created ruby" in small print under "RUBY" in large letters, or a product title that says only "Sapphire Ring" with the word "created" buried in the description. Ask the seller directly, and have the answer written on the receipt.
Questions to ask before you buy
Ask whether the stone is natural, lab-created or a simulant, and ask for the answer in writing. Ask whether the stone has been treated after it was cut, since heat, fillers and coatings change both the value and the care. For a natural stone above a modest price, ask which laboratory graded it and read the report yourself, paying attention to what it says about origin and treatment. For a lab-created stone, ask what it is made of: a lab-created sapphire should be corundum, and a seller should be able to say so plainly. Finally, ask what happens if an independent test later disagrees with the description. A seller who is confident in their stones will answer that question without hesitation, and will usually offer to put the description on the receipt.
Price, value and which one to buy
GIA's overview points out why lab stones cost less: they can be made to order, so they are likely to be much less rare than natural gems of equal size, clarity, and saturation of color. A clean, saturated lab sapphire that would be a rare and costly find in a mine can be grown on demand.
The same fact lowers the resale value. Rarity is what holds a gemstone's value, and lab-created stones are not rare, so buy one for how it looks and wears, and expect little back if you sell it. The same logic applies to lab-grown diamonds, as our post on whether lab-grown diamonds are a good investment explains.
Insurance follows the same logic. An insurer will want the appraisal to say whether a stone is natural or lab-created, because the replacement cost of each is different. Keep the receipt and any report with your policy papers.
Our advice is simple. If you want a large, clean, bright stone for a fashion ring or a pair of earrings, a lab-created sapphire or ruby gives you that at a price a mined stone cannot match, with the same hardness. If the stone is an heirloom, an investment, or the centre of an engagement ring that you want to carry meaning about the earth it came from, buy natural and get a laboratory report. Either way, the receipt should say which one you have. For more on choosing a coloured centre stone, see our guide to coloured gemstone engagement rings.
Sapphire and ruby pieces in our cases
A selection of the sapphire and ruby jewellery in the shop now. Ask us whether any stone is natural or lab-created before you buy, and ask for the answer on your receipt.
Key Takeaways
- GIA defines a synthetic gem as sharing virtually all chemical, optical and physical characteristics of the natural stone. A lab-created sapphire is real corundum.
- A simulant only looks like the gem. Blue glass sold as sapphire is a simulant, and it will not wear like sapphire.
- Flame fusion, announced by Verneuil in 1902, is the oldest and cheapest method. Flux and hydrothermal growth are slower and more expensive.
- Origin is judged under magnification. Curved growth lines and gas bubbles point to flame fusion, and a lab report settles hard cases.
- The FTC Jewelry Guides require a qualifier such as "lab-created" directly before the gem name, in equal size. "Faux" alone is not enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a lab-created sapphire a real sapphire?
Yes, in what it is made of. GIA defines a synthetic gem material as one that shares virtually all the chemical, optical and physical characteristics of its natural counterpart. A lab-created sapphire is corundum, the same mineral as a mined sapphire, with the same hardness and the same optical properties, so it wears the same way in a ring. What it lacks is a natural origin. It was grown in a laboratory instead of forming in the earth, and that difference is the reason for the gap in price and rarity. US rules in the FTC Jewelry Guides require the stone to be described with a qualifier such as lab-created, laboratory-grown or synthetic directly in front of the word sapphire, so it is never sold simply as sapphire. If a stone is described only as sapphire at a low price, ask the seller to confirm in writing whether it is natural.
What is the difference between lab-created and simulated?
A lab-created stone is the same mineral as the natural gem, grown by people. A simulated or imitation stone only looks like it and is made of something else. A lab-created ruby is corundum, like a mined ruby. A simulated ruby might be red glass, a garnet or another red material, with a different hardness and different durability. GIA gives an example of laboratory materials used as simulants: colour-change corundum and spinel grown to imitate alexandrite. Those stones are synthetic corundum and synthetic spinel, and they are simulants of alexandrite, since they are neither the mineral nor the stone they are sold to resemble. The distinction matters because simulants usually scratch and chip more easily. Under the FTC Jewelry Guides, a seller also cannot call a product a synthetic ruby or sapphire unless it has essentially the same properties as the natural stone.
Can a jeweller tell a lab ruby from a natural one?
Sometimes, with a microscope, and not by eye. Flame-fusion stones, the cheapest kind, grow in curved layers and often trap tiny gas bubbles. A 2023 note in GIA's journal Gems and Gemology describes curved striae and gas bubbles as characteristic internal features of flame-fusion ruby, and a trained gemologist can often see them under magnification. The harder cases are flux-grown and hydrothermal stones, which can carry inclusions that look natural, and the same GIA note says identifying natural or laboratory origin can be difficult. For those, gemological laboratories use instrument tests such as trace element analysis. If you are paying a natural price for a ruby, sapphire or emerald of any size, ask for a report from an independent laboratory. It is the only answer you can rely on.
Why are lab-created gemstones cheaper?
Because they are not rare. GIA's overview of synthetic gems explains that they can be made to order, so they are likely to be much less rare than natural gems of equal size, clarity and saturation of colour. A mined sapphire that is large, clean and an even, deep blue is a rare find, and the price reflects that. A laboratory can grow that same quality on demand. The method also affects price. GIA notes that flux growth and hydrothermal growth are slow and expensive, so stones grown that way cost more to produce than flame-fusion stones. Even so, a lab-created stone of any method usually costs a small fraction of a natural stone of the same appearance. Expect the same gap when you sell, since resale value follows rarity.
Are lab-created gemstones a good investment?
No. Buy a lab-created stone because you like how it looks and how it wears, and expect little back if you sell it. Gemstone value rests on rarity, and a laboratory can make as many stones of a given quality as the market wants. GIA's overview notes that synthetics are likely to be much less rare than natural gems of equal quality, and that is the core of the problem for resale. Natural stones are not guaranteed investments either. Prices for coloured gems depend on colour, origin, treatment and size, and selling through a dealer usually returns less than you paid at retail. If keeping value matters to you, buy a natural stone with an independent laboratory report that states its treatment, and keep the report with your insurance papers. Our post on lab-grown diamonds as an investment works through the same question for diamonds.
Is a lab-created stone good for an engagement ring?
It can be, and for many people it is the sensible choice. A lab-created sapphire or ruby has the same hardness as a mined one, so it stands up to daily wear just as well, and you get a cleaner, brighter stone for your budget. The trade-offs are rarity and meaning. Some people want a stone that formed in the earth, and an engagement ring is the piece where that feeling is strongest. Others care about the look and the durability and are happy to spend the difference on the setting or the wedding bands. Lab-created emerald should be handled as gently as natural emerald, since GIA's definition means it shares the natural stone's physical characteristics. If you choose lab-created, make sure the paperwork says so, so the ring is described correctly for insurance and for anyone who inherits it. Our page on alternative engagement ring stones compares the options.
What names are lab-created gemstones sold under?
Several. The US FTC Jewelry Guides list laboratory-grown, laboratory-created, a manufacturer's name followed by created, and synthetic as qualifying words, and require one of them to appear immediately before the gem name with equal conspicuousness, such as lab-created sapphire. The Guides also allow the word cultured for laboratory-created gemstones with the same properties as the natural stone, as long as it carries a clear qualifier. Two words are not enough on their own. The Guides say faux is not an adequate disclosure that a stone was not mined, and words like simulated or imitation describe a different product: a material that only looks like the gem. Older jewellery may carry trade names or no label at all. If a description is unclear, ask the seller in writing whether the stone is natural, lab-created or a simulant, and keep that answer with the receipt.
Do lab-created gemstones need different care?
Usually not. A lab-created stone has the same hardness and toughness as the natural mineral, so the care rules are the same. Lab-created sapphire and ruby are corundum, hard and tough enough for daily wear and for cleaning with warm water and mild dish soap. Emerald, natural or lab-created, should be handled gently and kept away from hard knocks and heat. The one difference to watch is treatment. Any stone, natural or lab-created, can be treated or coated after cutting, and a treatment or coating changes the care rules. Ask the seller whether the stone has been treated, and if you are not sure how to clean a piece, bring it in and we will clean it for you at the counter.
Sources
- GIA: An Introduction to Synthetic Gem Materials, by Robert Weldon
- GIA Gems and Gemology, Spring 2023, Vol. 59, No. 1: Unusual Solid Inclusions in Flame-Fusion Ruby, by Ezgi Kiyak
- GIA Gems and Gemology, Fall 2014 Lab Notes: Flame-Fusion Synthetic Ruby Boule with Flux Synthetic Ruby Overgrowth
- US Federal Trade Commission Jewelry Guides, 16 CFR 23.25: Misuse of the words ruby, sapphire, emerald, topaz, stone, birthstone, gem, gemstone
Data sourced October 2026. Definitions, growth methods and history from GIA. Identification features from GIA's Gems and Gemology. Naming rules from the US FTC Jewelry Guides. Buying advice is our own opinion from our Coquitlam shop.
Visit Vanhess
Bring in any coloured stone you are unsure about and we will look at it under magnification with you and tell you what we can see, and when a laboratory report is worth getting. We are a family-run studio at 2929 Barnet Highway, Unit 2424, in Coquitlam Centre, with a goldsmith on site. We also serve Port Moody, Burnaby, New Westminster and Vancouver. Call +1 (604) 653-6449 or read our sapphire guide before you come in.
