Should We Use Synthetics, Simulants and Substitues

Jewelry Discussion
1

Folks, I’m starting this thread because I believe that synthetics,
simulants and substitutes occupy a worthwhile niche in jewelry
making. I’m also starting it because Gustavo’s thread, Should We
Rename Synthetics, is, as usual, getting away from the original
question and I think it is important enough to address without
getting off on a tangent.

So please, lets revive the old subject of whether or not these
stones have value to us and our customers under this new thread, if
you really have something to say about it. Do you use them? Would you
like to use them? Do you despise them so much that you make the sign
of the cross whenever you come across them? Thanks, everybody.

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

2

Hi:

So please, lets revive the old subject of whether or not these
stones have value to us and our customers under this new thread,
if you really have something to say about it. Do you use them?
Would you like to use them? Do you despise them so much that you
make the sign of the cross whenever you come across them?

I am just starting out so I don’t have the amount of retail
experience that a lot of others here do. I’ll have to speak from a
customer’s perspective and say that I wouldn’t buy a piece that had a
synthetic stone in it. I’m sorry but there has been something
ingrained in the way I view jewelry. It probably started from a very
young age, but girls are just “conditioned” to think that natural is
good and man made or synthetic is not bad, but not so good.

I know it sounds snobby and I am well aware that I live in what I
privately like to refer to as “the land of make-believe”.
Connecticut is a place where it’s all about the diamond ear studs and
the 6000 square foot house. It seems people will do just about
anything to give the appearance that everything in their private
lives is perfect.

Now, I have seen many people carry the knock-off Kate Spade bag and
the illegal Tiffany knock-off rings and such, but they announce the
fact as if they are required to let everyone know. There is the
possibility (of course) that some of the 3/4 carat ear studs are not
what they appear to be, but one can never ask. We may never know. I
have a hunch though that many of the ladies would forgo many many
other little luxuries (except of course the pedicure) in order to be
able to have the real deal in their diamond ear stud.

It’s cynical, I know and I’m not saying they are not great people.
Some of these women are good friends. We just have grown into a
society that has certain notions about what women should look, act,
dress, speak like etc etc My Mom’s favorite thing to say (she was a
hair dresser) “ladies have to suffer to be beautiful”

Kim Starbard
p.s. My Mom didn’t die, she just isn’t a hair dresser anymore

3 
 Would you like to use them? Do you despise them so much that you
make the sign of the cross whenever you come across them?

I got involved in this whole affair (cutting stones and setting them
in precious metals) because I am fascinated by the phenomenon of
unique beauty produced wholly by the earth through natural processes.
It absolutely blows my mind that I can cut open a rock and find a
pattern, a picture, a color that I may never find again. This has
always been my motivation for making jewelry and always will be.

As for synthetics, why value them over cut glass? They are nothing
more than man’s attempt to counterfeit nature’s work. If it were not
so, would people be interested in coming up with names which obscure
the fact that these items (I hate to even call them “stones”) are the
product of laboratories rather than nature? Why not telle your
customer “this is a lab-created piece of aluminum oxide, with
chromium added to make it resemble a natural ruby both chemically and
visually.” Well, of course, it would be a turn-off. But why? Because
people want rubies, which are a rare and beautiful creation of
nature. Many if not most feel that they have too many lab-produced
chemical compounds in their lives already. Obfuscate the fact that
your “stones” are man-made, and you may have a sale. Present the
synthetics without pretense as stuff concocted in a laboratory and
you may not.

Lee

4

Many if not most feel that they have too many lab-produced chemical
compounds in their lives already. Obfuscate the fact that your
"stones" are man-made, and you may have a sale. Present the
synthetics without pretense as stuff concocted in a laboratory and
you may not.

Maybe we can designate Gemstone Liberal or Gemstone Conservative.
Reality sucks, but both Stuller and Rio carry synthetic and
simulants, there is an obvious reason why they both carry them.

Regardless of some of the prejudices of participants of this forum,
there are a lot of jewelry stores that sell synthetics and simulants,
that fully disclose, and that sell synthetics and simulants
apparently to people who do not have enough lab-produced chemical
compounds in their lives. My customers are not ignorant nor are they
stupid. They make choices based on knowledge and income.

Apparently I am in a cocoon here in Denver, the people here seem to
appreciate (and purchase) lab- quartz, simulated alexandrite,
synthetic ruby, emerald, sapphire, ect. not only what we have in
stock, but we actually special order what our customers request,
yes, they come in and request certain sizes or shapes.

Not everyone can afford a Rolls Royce, or a Rolex, and not that
other cars or watches are synthetic or simulants, but there is a
reality based on the relationship between disposable income, desire,
and compromise. Compromise does not mean to me that they are
settling for less, they are settling for having something they can
afford and that they appreciate.

Please remember, the value of an object is that someone will trade
dollars for that item, as that item is worth more to them than the
dollars they are spending.

There seems to be an assumption that the only way to sell synthetics
or simulants is to lie, misrepresent, be devious and/or deceptive.

Expressing personal opinions is fine, please be careful in how you
discriminate against others that are honest and ethical, follow FTC
regulations, and perform a service for their customers and are
appreciated and respected for what we do and how we do it.

I am a Graduate Gemmologist and I can live with diamonds, rare
colored gems, synthetics, and simulants. If you can’t or won’t, that
is fine, but please respect others who make a choice to be
inclusive.

Soapbox available for rent or for lease when I am not on it,

Richard Hart

5

Lee, what do you use for color change material in your jewelry?

Nature has always been reproduced by man so I don’t know why you are
so against man made stones. Personally I’m not into inclusions so I
am drawn to synthetics. I can cut a large, perfect stone in a custom
pattern (eg non-commercial jam peg stuff) that really shines.

So, who gets all the natural stones that the apprentice gem cutters
learned on??

Craig
www.creativecutgems.com

6

Yes.

I represent a product line that includes the above three S’s. Any gem
material offered for sale is accurately labelled. I won’t accept
anything less than full disclosure in my sphere of control.

However…

Poetic namings should never go away. They make baser things more
palatable. That lovely Alaskan Sable coat was actually skunk fur, and
kept the trapper’s family off relief by being so labelled. Then came
some bureaucracy applying its power obnoxiously and unaccountably.
Then the trapper’s family had to go on relief.

That wonderful fish dinner was gotten from a species with the common
name “Ratfish”. One look at the fish’s head confirms the moniker, and
scuttles the transaction for the less open-minded eater. Latin name,
anyone?

When asked, the proper seller should be able to lay out the truth.
The headaches come where diplomacy is involved. If your customer has
more sensitivities than sense, puff up the poetry. The customer who
actually got an education at school can handle the unvarnished
truth.

Affordability and replaceability are big issues in a niche that
includes items that receive rough usage, like a rodeo trophy buckle.
Synthetics make no never-mind to a real cowboy.

The veteran who wears his Purple Heart on a bola tie wears what is a
gem to him. He earned that synthetic gem in the heat of a real
battle. It’s his gem, let him mount it and wear it.

Pump up the appeal of synthetics by discussing the process of
manufacture. It’s fascinating to anyone with a bit of technical
knowledge. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. That’s life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Just deny two out of the three
to the intentional dissembler, for a short period. Simple.

Dan Woodard, Indian Jewelers Supply Co.

7

Hi Gang

Why Not?

If we can sell it, we can use it. I have friends that make jewellery
out of round tea bags taped with cellophane tape and strung together
with string. Or try macaroni noodles, or maybe coloured plastic,
vinyl, linoleum, found objects, etc. And this is high end jewellery
not cheap imitation. Just take a look at some of the work done by
local artists such as Jackie Anderson and Dee Fontans. As long as you
identify it properly and you have the correct market synthetics are
fine. I personally rarely use synthetics or some of the other weird
things such as tea bags or linoleum but that is my choice. You may
have a smaller clientele base for unusual pieces but they are out
there.

I prefer working with natural stones such as agates, jaspers,
petrified woods, etc. as I collect many of them and occasionally even
cut my own stones. I just prefer stones with patterns/colours from
Mother Nature.

Karen Bahr
Karen’s Artworx
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

8

I personally do not love synthetics or simulants. I love a natural
stone, inclusions and all, because I am fascinated about how the
stone formed and what was present in the earth as it happened. It is
amazing that such beauty can be formed in the ground by having just
the right conditions and just the right “ingredients.” I love to
wear jewelry in which I found the stone, cut and polished it myself,
designed the setting and put it together myself. (Most consumers are
not like that at all or there wouldn’t be a market for jewelry
sales.) I personally would never wear a synthetic or simulant simply
because I don’t see anything fantastic about a perfectly clear,
solid color gem that could just as easily be glass. Other than me,
who is to know?

On that same point however, I see the necessity of synthetics and
simulants in the marketplace. Synthetics and simulants allow the
common person to wear gems that to any other person’s eye could be
natural just as easily as not. It gives them the feeling that they
are well-to-do and special. If there were no lab created rubies,
emeralds, etc., how much would that three carat pristine, perfect,
natural stone cost? We would return to the days when only royalty
could afford to wear gems. Or in today’s case…Bill Gates and Oprah
Winfrey.

Just my $0.02

Nancy Stinnett
Geosoul Arts
www.geosoul.com

9

Thanks Dan Woodward for using common sense. I’d rather see a well
cut Lab gem than a hunk of junk which is natural. Nature produces few
fine quality gems from the tons of rough taken from the earth and I
agree, not all gems are valued for their cost.

Sali
Casmira Gems, Inc

10

I do not usually use color-change stones in my jewelry. I recently
had a customer request post earrings with color-change stones; I
acquired both a small but reasonably priced natural alexandrite and a
small color-change garnet. The alexandrite had nicer color change,
and so that is what we went with.

I do like phenomenal stones, but I like PATTERN too. So if somebody
wants something that does pretty things in the light, I will show
them opals, tigereyes, tiger iron, spectrolite.

Lee

11

Craig, when I receive a commission for a piece with a color change
stone, I have used synthetic Alexandrites----the Russian Lab created
ones are my first choice in these stones, though I have gotten some
corundum Alexandrites which have great color change.

Before accepting the commission I carefully explain the process of
creating these stone to the customer. I also give them information
as to the difference in price between the natural and the synthetics.
I show them literature from gem books so that they can see for
themselves what is involved in the process of creating these
Alexandrites, Also, I show them the stones I will be using, letting
them pick out the stone they prefer. In this way, everything is
clearly understood, and agreed upon in writing so that there is no
danger of any misunderstanding.

Other than using synthetic alexandrites, all other stones I work
with are natural. Alma

12

Perhaps it simply comes down to acceptability by the professionals
first. Then being well informed on the part of the consumers.
Consumers are sentimental, as Dan stated eloquently, so it would be
nice if they didn’t have to experience the devastation of being
’taken’.

Karen, you might have wept with me yesterday as I passed on a piece
of jasper that that exploding circles and swirls with the most
outrageous colors, ALL colors. It was over $200, no problem, but it
was over 1,300 pounds. A naturally smooth boulder shaped like a
beanbag chair. I couldn’t see hiring a crane to get it to my pond,
sigh.

13

How can you say you don’t love them, and wouldn’t wear them yet your
website is all glass? Do you not wear what you sell on your website?

Craig
www.creativecutgems.com

14 
Synthetics and simulants allow the common person to wear gems that
to any other person's eye could be natural just as easily as not.
It gives them the feeling that they are well-to-do and special.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Imho we are all common, and we
are all special whether we are “well to do” or not. The “well to do”
are usually in as much debt as I am, they just have a larger cash
flow.

Someone who values natural gems may not be more sophisticated than
someone who likes synthetics. One person’s coprolite (fossil dinosaur
poop) is another persons diamond.

Assuming why who buys what is judgment not wisdom.

The reasons why people buy natural gems or synthetics or simulants
are exactly the same, there is something that is pleasing about it,
or they want something beautiful, or they want a gift to give
someone, they want to mark an occasion, to concentrate wealth, to
show wealth, creative use of obsessive compulsive disorder, (feel
free to add…).

Personal opinion is not justification for judgment of the intentions
of others. Natural stones and manmade all all a part of creation, so
really nothing is above anything else on that level, same glue holds
it all together.

Richard Hart

15

The first synthetic I ever sold was a suite of synthetic cab
emeralds in hand forged jewelry. The order was from a high tech
scientist for his lovely red head wife. He wanted emeralds and didn’t
want to spend a fortune. I gave him the choice of modest sized
natural stones and bodacious large synthetic cabs. His choice was
made less from the money and more because he thought that synthetic
ones were more hi tech. This was long enough ago that I had to locate
synthetic rough and have a lapidary cut the cabs. Today there is
still a dearth of synthetic material cut en cabochon.

Today, I use a mix of natural and lab created stones - always with
appropriate disclosure. I love the color and size of synthetic
padparascha sapphire - and without synthetic, how could I get the
size and color in jewelry that mostly sells between $250 and $500US?

I’m an art jeweler, so I get to pick what I want. The only
requirement is to tell the customer what I did.

Judy Hoch, GG

16

It’s my belief that the use of synthetics/simulants/substitutes is a
personal preference. As a designer, I choose not to use or sell
them. As a businessman, if someone wants to bring me in something to
work on I’m happy to charge them my normal rates for whatever it is
they have. I have worked with plenty of “natural” stones that
customers bring me that I would never sell in my store either
(actually a lot of them shouldn’t have even been called gems). The
reality though is that my “normal rates” usually price out too high
for someone who bought a synthetic in order to save money anyway, so
they aren’t going to come to me to set it most of the time. But while
I may not sell them myself I understand fully that there is a market
for them and if you can work that market more power to you. Just
remember to disclose, disclose, disclose.

Daniel R. Spirer, G.G.
Daniel R. Spirer Jewelers, LLC
1780 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02140
617-234-4392
@Daniel_R_Spirer

17

Personally, I never knowingly buy a synthetic, always natural stones,
but I’ve gotten a couple that are suspect so I haven’t used them. I
do, however, always want natural stones. It’s a purely personal
preference. Lab and synthetic stones just ain’t much fun for me,
though some of them sure are purty. If the customer wants one, I’m
glad to set anything, even glass. Just pay me for it. :wink:

Brian Corll
Vassar Jewelers

18

I suspect that James, by changing the name of the thread, has
brought up as central issue not yet thoroughly discussed: the
referent(s) for “we.” Last year, an “art jeweler” at the ACC/SF was
doing very well selling pieces made with cz. And why not? People were
buying her creative designs, not her stones. She was an artist, so
who cared? The woman next to her didn’t use stones at all–colored
pencil on base metal, completely gorgeous.

Kim, you say you wouldn’t buy synthetic stones but, in many ways,
glass beads are “imitation” stones. Why are they so saleable? Why do
you create with them? They aren’t any more “natural” than a Chatham
Created emerald.

So, I suspect there are at least a couple of different discourses
here. If somebody is making “fine jewelry,” s/he isn’t actually
debating with me. This is Richard Hart arguing with John Donivan.
Richard says he sells lots of synthetics to happy customers, John
says, “Not!” Could it be that fine jewelry customers in Denver have a
different perspective from those in San Francisco? I sure can’t
answer this one.

As for me… When I was selling (and I still hope to do so again),
my customers were not looking for diamonds and platinum from me and
I’m not sure diamonds and platinum were even on their radar screens
(I saw plenty of Celtic-style silver “wedding rings,” which some
Orchidians might consider a sacrilege). Most of them were therapists,
teachers, musicians, etc., and they were looking for something
unusual, beautiful, creative, interesting, whatever. Some of them
wanted “real stones” for their talismanic properties, so I talked to
them about the talismanic properties of color (which I do believe
in), and some of them bought anyway.

glass is in what I can do with them, how exciting they are as
materials, color range, cut, price, etc. I think glass is magical, so
it don’t matter to me. I just want something beautiful that I can
afford–for myself, my friends, and my customers. And, yes, sometimes
I fall in love with a “real” stone, but my reasons are pretty obscure
(“je ne sais quois,” as they say in the City of Light). And I often
can’t afford it, in which case I try to focus on something else…

Lisa Orlando

currently house sitting in Oakland CA, but this should be the last
one, since (even as I type…) I’m supposed to be emptying out my
storage locker, and packing things up for the big move back to
Albion.

19

All of the respondents have excellent posts! Nancy’s response struck
a note that I have been expounding for a long time. That is the
person that “finds a stone and cuts and polishes it” and then
fashions it into a nice piece of jewelry. is not using a fabricated
stone and knows it! But lots of people who like nice stones don’t
have the necessary inclination to do that, so they rely on Jewelers!

Most people cannot afford /large/ natural faceted stones because
of the price. Thats where Synthetics and/or Simulants become an
excellent substitute. Most of the simulants are made from the same
basic elements under accelerated pressures and heat so that only
people with specialized instruments can tell the difference, if then!
So - If stones can only be truly identified by instruments, why
worry? The whole idea is to have a pretty nice piece of jewelry. They
even design flaws in the stone to make them look natural! To me the
whole pie is to enjoy the look and feel of a nice piece of jewelery.

Lets face it the main reason that Mele/Pave is used is to get rid of
thousands/millions of small stones at a better price! Other natural
stones usually can stand on their own, but when supply gets short
the simulants come out!

Approximentely 20 years ago I made a 2.5 k CZ set it in a nice old
gold ring for my wife. She loved it and (even if I say it myself) it
was a beautiful ring and setting. She gave up wearing it quickly
because everyone thought we were showing off! Since, I have made a
lot of earrings for relatives with faceted stone simulants but also
told them that the setting cast at least 10 or 20 times what the
stone cost. Lately I have been making a few of color change stones!
They are gorgeous and don’t cost much and they have lots of colors
for anyones appetite!

Just my $0.02 also

20 
How can you say you don't love them, and wouldn't wear them yet
your website is all glass? Do you not wear what you sell on your
website?

I knew somebody was going to ask this. I don’t consider a simulated
or synthetic gem to be the same thing as dichroic glass or art
glass. My dichroic glass and art glass does not purport to be
anything except glass. It is not trying to simulate any natural
stone. When people see it, they know it is glass. If they don’t know
and they ask, I readily tell them that it is glass.

I did not say that I wouldn’t wear glass. I said that I wouldn’t
wear a synthetic or simulant because I don’t find them to be
interesting. I would feel the same way about any solid, single
colored piece of glass. I love dichroic glass and hand blown art
glass but I most likely would never wear a solid color glass
cabochon. In my glass I want either the vibrant sparkle of dichroic,
or an interesting combination of colors swirling together in great
patterns like my hand blown glass cabochons. I want character,
pattern, texture and soul in the pieces I wear whether they are
natural stone or glass.

What do I wear on my ring finger as my wedding band? A fantastic
dichroic glass cabochon that my husband made that has amazing depth
and texture with a vibrant green in the background and fiery orange
with cool blue overlaying that all in a very simple sterling silver
bezel. Nobody mistakes it for an opal or any other stone but I
certainly get plenty of compliments.

Nancy Stinnett
Geosoul Arts
www.geosoul.com