Should We Rename Synthetics

Jewelry Discussion
21 
I am NOT suggesting misrepresentation here what i am suggesting is
this that the future may hold a time where mined gemstones will be
frowned upon because of the wanton destruction and waste that it
takes to retrive them.

Hmm, let’s see. How are synthetics produced? Well usually (at least
it’s my understanding) it requires heat and pressure. Hmm, heat and
pressure. How is that achieved? Oh that’s right, by using
electricity. Hmm, electricity. How is that generated? Oh right! We
burn fossil fuels! Or use nuclear energy!! Using those things can’t
be too environmentally destructive, right?? But on a less sarcastic
note here’s the problem. Everything humans do is destructive to
their environment. Frankly I think digging some holes in the ground
is less destructive than burning a lot more fossil fuels so I don’t
think this particular argument holds a lot of weight. It’s a little
bit like the argument over using cloth diapers vs. disposable
diapers. True the disposable diapers add to our landfills at an
enormous rate. On the other hand cleaning the cloth diapers uses huge
amounts of fossil fuels to generate the heat necessary for
appropriate cleaning. Which is worse? There probably isn’t a really
clear answer on a lot of these questions yet but my belief is that
the less fossil fuels used the better. So personally I’d prefer
natural stones and disposable diapers from an environmental point of
view. And frankly I think anyone truly worried about the environment
(as we should all be) should be devoting all of their efforts to
promoting and supporting the development of alternative and renewable
fuel sources, rather than worrying about more holes in the ground. On
a more practical note I would suggest anyone living near the water
sell their home and move inland a half mile or so onto some high
ground. You’ll have beach front property soon enough.

Daniel R. Spirer, G.G.
Daniel R. Spirer Jewelers, LLC
1780 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02140

22 
alot of people have alot of good points on this subject i would
like to say if there is truly nothing to a marketing scheme and
attempts to mislead then why all the different names for NATURAL
sapphire?

I’m not sure what you mean by “different names” in this case. If you
mean names like Ceylon or Kashmir, they are names that are
descriptive of the sapphires’ country of origin. Admittedly, there
are those who use these names indiscriminately to describe the COLOR
of sapphires instead, but I fight that misleading practice as fully
as I do the naming of synthetics in as misleading a manner. If you’re
referring to names like padparadscha sapphire, that is a word that
translates to “lotus flower,” and is descriptive of the stone’s
color. I have no problem with synthetic padparadscha colored sapphire
being sold as just that, as long as the word “synthetic” is used. I
just don’t understand your argument here.

why dont all those who sell the natural stuff call it what it is
AL2O3 or some such. how about this why not call it accidental
emerald? because it was an accidental occurrance that combined the
chemicals and conditions. or why not refer to them as incidental
diamonds because an incident occurred during planetary development
which caused them to form.

Not only did an incident cause them to form, but another incident
caused them to be brought close enough to the earth’s surface for us
to find them (kimberlite and lamproite eruptions). But those were
NATURAL incidents, not events which occurred in a laboratory. So they
are natural stones, accidental or incidental. I really don’t wish to
be insulting, but this is honestly becoming silly.

what if sombody discovers an offworld supply of perfect diamonds
on an asteroid are you all going to discredit them as space trash ?

No way! I’m going to open a “new age” store and sell them to all the
rich yuppies who have no idea how to channel their own energies, who
view Melody’s books as some kind of “bible” (no disrespect to
Melody, I think she’s wonderful), and make a huge fortune from Space
Diamonds! I’m positive that they will be assigned incredible
metaphysical attributes. Additionally, they would be natural
diamonds. After all, the entire universe is natural, not just our
measly little planet. Again, I don’t understand the argument.

I will tell you why! its because 90% of those buying the natural
stuff ARE uninformed, ignorant if you will about the true
scientific nature of what they are buying.

Absolutely true, which is why renaming synthetics is, in and of
itself, misleading. The requirement to disclose every stone for what
it is is to protect the uninformed from people who want to
romanticize them and hide that fact.

i dont mean to hurt anyones feelings but technology is offering
all of us a great opportunity and i want part of it but i cant take
part in it alone i need the rest of you - goo

My feelings are not hurt, and I hope I haven’t hurt yours, but the
above request is like walking into a room full of kids who are
enjoying a big bowl of ice cream and asking them if they want to
throw theirs away and join you in a nice, delicious plate of
broccoli. Nobody forced you to buy broccoli instead of ice cream,
man. If you rename your broccoli, people may buy it, but they’re
gonna be really angry once they taste it.

James S. Duncan, G.G.
James in SoFL

23 
the requirement to disclose every stone for what it is is to
protect the uninformed from people who want to romanticize them
and hide that fact.

there you said it ! ceylon, kashmir, ruby, sapphire are all
romantisiced names for the same thing that obscure the fact that its
all, aluminum oxide, lab created or not this is the truth of the
matter. just because natural gemstone dealers have been hypnotizing
the public for thousands of years doesnt change the fact that
science has now cut the supports out from under the mystecist sooner
or later people will wake up to this fact. - best regards goo

24

It seems like the Rosetta stone is, when looking at “gemstone” names,
always look at the last part of the name first. The first word or six
are almost always adjectival and subject to local variances, unless
the gemstone has a two part name.

Brian Corll
Vassar Jewelers
1002 East Simpson Street
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055

25 
ceylon, kashmir, ruby, sapphire are all romantisiced names for the
same thing that obscure the fact that its all, aluminum oxide, lab
created or not this is the truth of the matter.

Ceylon, Kashmir, Ruby and Sapphire are not romanticized names, and
this is why: Corundum is the scientific gem species name for
aluminum oxide, plain and simple. Ruby is the gem variety of
corundum into which nature has deposited chromium or vanadium.
Sapphire is the gem variety into which nature has deposited iron
(for blue), and/or other trace elements to cause chromatic
variations. Okay, you may refer to colorless corundum as aluminum
oxide if you really want to, but corundum with any color whatsoever
has trace elements and is no longer simply aluminum oxide. Ditto with
colorless corundum that contains any crystal inclusions. That’s not
aluminum oxide, either.

Ceylon and Kashmir are geographic locations where corundum is mined.
There are many other places as well. Corundum forms most often in
basaltic or marble host rocks. In the case of Montana sapphire, it
formed in igneous rock. Because of the different types of host rock
in which corundum forms, along with included crystals that formed
paragenetically, syngenetically, etc., they contain telling
characteristics, along with diagnostic inclusions that can often
prove the geographic origin of the ruby or sapphire (such as Ceylon
or Kashmir). This is intensely interesting to me. On the other hand,
the only real inclusion of a flame fusion corundum (curved striae) is
boring and holds no indication other than the fact that it was made
in one of several laboratories from the same ingredients.

The fact that corundum formed naturally from different elements in
different host rocks at different times makes them far more varied
and interesting than perfect, crystal inclusion-free flame fusion
synthetics. The synthetics have no variety among themselves and are
supremely boring in their sameness. The velvety blue look of a
Kashmir sapphire with typical titanium oxide needles, the broad
spectrum of color in Yogo sapphire (from Yogo Gulch, Montana…not a
romanticized name, just an indication of origin), the intense glow
the concentration of chromium causes in an Mogok Old Mine ruby when
you look at it in the sun with the titanium oxide needles that temper
it…man, no lab on earth can duplicate that. They deserve their
descriptive names as proof of origin because they are the only
deposits of their kind. If this is what is really bothering you,
include the name of the manufacturer who pulled the boule of
synthetic material you use, just be sure to also include the word(s)
synthetic, lab-created or lab-grown. And make sure you get the
manufacturer correct, because nobody will be able to tell after a
stone has been cut from it.

I’m not sure what you mean by “science has now cut the supports out
from under the mystecist (sic),” but I assure you, scientists are
the ones who have named Gemologists, as well as geologists
are the primary scientists who have applied the logic of scientific
thought to the process. Even the most cursory study of either field
will bear me out with this. Maybe if you did study gemology, you
could understand why synthetic gemstones must be presented in a
certain way. Then you could do so in the way that will get them sold,
instead of attempting the very irresponsible cop-out of trying to get
the world to rename them for your personal convenience.

James S. Duncan, G.G.
James in SoFL

26 
Ceylon, Kashmir, Ruby and Sapphire are not romanticized names, and
this is why: Corundum is the scientific gem *species* name for
aluminum oxide, plain and simple."

and

I'm not sure what you mean by "science has now cut the supports
out from under the mystecist (sic)," but I assure you, scientists
are the ones who have named gemstones."

now james, scientists as you know are generally to the point and can
reduce down to the least common denominator in miliseconds and i
think they would use scientific names or some sort of latin thing.
not names like kashmir which most common folk associate with the
romance portrayed in a Humprey Bogart type film classic or a jimmy
page song, later -goo

27

Gustavo,

think they would use scientific names or some sort of latin thing.
not names like kashmir which most common folk associate with the
romance portrayed in a Humprey Bogart type film classic or a jimmy
page song

It isn’t scientists who have assigned the name of kashmir to
sapphire. Scientists use the name sapphire with a color description
preceeding it. Marketers use the name kashmir. The only time a
scientist MIGHT use the name is if they know for a fact that a
particular stone came from a specific source that was in Kashmir.;

Daniel R. Spirer, G.G.
Daniel R. Spirer Jewelers, LLC
1780 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02140
@Daniel_R_Spirer

28 
scientists as you know are generally to the point and can reduce
down to the least common denominator in miliseconds and i think
they would use scientific names or some sort of latin thing. not
names like kashmir which most common folk associate with the
romance portrayed in a Humprey Bogart type film classic or a jimmy
page song

Yes, Gustavo, I do know how scientists think. After all, I am one.
Just as a forensic scientist utilizes the available evidence to
determine cause of death, gemologists discover each clue to a
gemstone’s identity by scientific process, without the color of
emotion. If a particular gemstone has the exact telltale inclusions
that prove its’ origin as Kashmir, a gemologist wil certainly include
that inescapable fact in their report without the influence of
Humphrey Bogart or Jimmy Page. For the very reason that gemologists
are scientists, you will never find one on this planet who will ever
refer to a synthetic as anything other than that. Period.

As a gemologist, I am in league with many scientists. As a designer
and maker of jewelry, amateur woodworker, painter/illustrator and a
musician of over 40 years, I am also a craftsman and, dare I say it?
Yes, an artist. But I can suppress the emotion of creative art in
favor of emotionless scientific thought at will. It’s good for
business. Especially where synthetics are concerned.

James S. Duncan, G.G.
James in SoFL