Glossary term
Synthetic gemstone
A man-made crystal with the same composition as its natural counterpart.
A synthetic gemstone is grown by people but has essentially the same chemical composition, crystal structure and properties as the natural stone, synthetic sapphire is still corundum. Synthetics are legitimate products when disclosed, but are worth far less than natural stones. “Imitation” is different: an imitation merely looks like the gem it imitates.