Man-made sapphires are getting popular, making their way from the lab to the red carpet.
These sustainable and eco-friendly gemstones have influenced people to prefer them over their natural counterparts.
There are a number of compelling reasons that account for this shift in preferences. We are going to talk about every possible reason that could be the influencing factor while making a selection.
Check out to find your reason of choosing lab-sapphires. But, before that lets recall importance of lab-created sapphires.
Importance of Lab Created Sapphires:
Colored gemstone jewelry is quite trending now a days. Instead of opting shinning of traditional stone diamond, people are loving these vibrant colored hues.
Sapphires, emeralds and rubies, the Big three of colored gemstone industry are leading the market. The rising demand was getting challenging to be fulfilled by the natural stones, which take years to come on surface.
“Something Blue” in jewelry phrase also explains the emergence and usage of lab-grown sapphires.
So, lets check out some important reasons that explain Why Lab created sapphire instead of real sapphire.
Lab Grown Sapphires are Sustainable Choice
Sustainable jewelry is quite popular because people are considering efforts that doesn't involve any destruction to ecosystem.
Environmental damage means damage to self-wealth or well-being.
Natural sapphire extraction involves activities like mining that completely rely on natural resources, involving deep digging of earth’s crust are all harmful practices.
According to searches, natural sapphires exhibit a greater carbon footprint from crust to surface compared to lab-created sapphires. Additionally, the immense manpower involved in natural sapphire extraction poses a significant risk of accidents.
All these factors compel us to compare them with the process of cultivation of man made colored gemstones. The lab-created gemstone formation process involves replicating the natural crystallization under controlled laboratory conditions.
Lab-created sapphires are a better and more sustainable choice.
Lab Grown Sapphires are consistently Manufactured while Natural Sapphires are Rare
Most of the natural gemstones are rare and they might get exhaust soon. A number of aspects such as extraction challenges, time required, economic considerations and ecological factors contribute in its rarity.
Sources supplying quality sapphire to the world market are less and are conducting that since years. So long term availability is not assured. Therefore it was necessary to look for an alternative.
Besides this, some shades and colors of sapphires are extremely rare in nature. Padparadscha sapphire or commonly known pad sapphire has heavenly appeal due to its color. Lab created Padparadscha sapphire offers the same appeal at cost-effective prices.
Lab Created Sapphires are Less Expensive and More Durable
Natural sapphires are generally more expensive than synthetic sapphires due to the formation process and its duration.
High-quality natural sapphires carry a premium price tag, while man-made sapphires typically cost about 10-25% less.
Market demand of lab-created sapphires matches the available supply. This results in relatively consistent prices of cultivated lab-grown colored gemstones. The cost of sapphires mined naturally varies and thus don’t have any fixed price.
Lab grown sapphires are more durable and long lasting in comparison to their natural counterparts. They are more resistant to scratches or wear and tear.
Affordability and consistent availability of lab-created sapphires makes them a better choice for buying.
Lab Created Sapphires are Identical to Mined Sapphires
Bare eyes are unable to mark the difference between the two sapphires. As the cultivated gem is identical to its natural counterpart in almost every aspect whether it’s optical or chemical.
So, your lab created sapphire necklace will offer you the same appeal of royalty when paired with evening gown on dinner dates.
Or, the emotional attachment to a lab-grown sapphire engagement ring would be just as strong as with a naturally-mined one.
Lab-grown sapphires match mined ones in sparkle and sentiment, a great choice without sacrificing beauty.
Lab-created sapphires perform better on the 4Cs of gemstone evaluation
The 4Cs of gemstone evaluation best explains the quality of a gemstone. Let's explore how color, carat weight, and cut of lab-created sapphires make them a better choice.
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Color: Natural sapphires exhibit vibrant colors ranging from deep blues with various hues. Their color can vary due to the natural elements present during formation.
In contrast, lab-created sapphires, made in controlled settings, often have more consistent colors.
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Cut: Natural sapphires can be mostly seen in traditional shapes, like ovals, rounds, and pears. While synthetic sapphires being cultivated by man are available in a wide range of shapes with amazing cuts, to maximize brilliance as the cut quality is defined as the evenness of facets.
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Carat weight: Lab-grown sapphires weighing around 10 carats typically cost less than their natural counterparts. However, natural sapphires carry a premium price due to their royal status. Despite this, a large lab-grown sapphire with a greater carat weight than a natural one can still offer remarkable brilliance.
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Clarity: Grown in controlled environments under the supervision of experts, lab grown sapphire are noticed without any imperfections. No flaws and maximum brilliance of the gemstone is granted, if you consider these cultivated pieces.
While natural sapphires, born in earths surface have to suffer changes, which are noticed in the form of uneven luster or color.
Wrapping Up:
Sapphires are a royal choice, regardless of their source, when it comes to appearance. Identical in every aspect to mined sapphires, lab-grown sapphires are eco-friendly and sustainable gems available at cost-effective prices. Choosing lab-grown sapphire over natural ones, can be a smart decision, simply evaluate your preference and proceed accordingly.