Anwar & Azam Khan (a.k.a. Kahn) Auctions

When It’s Too Good To Be True
When high-demand gemstones are scarce and costly, humans attempt to create products that look like the real thing. Emeralds are just one gemstone that can be grown in a lab.

The way synthetic emeralds are grown has changed, but they have been produced for many years. Some of the stones even have inclusions that make them look natural. True synthetic gems have the same chemical characteristics as their natural counterparts, but a reputable jeweler will disclose that a gem is lab-grown. Always ask if gemstones are created or natural, and if you are buying an expensive gemstone have it checked by a testing lab.

You’ll run across fake or composite emeralds. A composite is a smaller piece of a desirable, genuine stone that’s been combined with a larger chunk of an inexpensive or imitation gemstone. It’s often difficult to detect these stones without magnification.

What you think is an emerald might be a fake made of glass or another material. Glass and other materials are sometimes used to mimic an emerald.