All That Shines

Chronological Exposé of Synthetic, Simulated/Imitation, and Enhanced Gemstones

Definitions

SYNTHETIC: An artificial, man-made stone used in the same manner as a natural gemstone, having the same appearance, and chemical composition.

SIMULATE/IMITATION: Any type of gem material-natural or artificial-sold as a look-alike.

ENHANCED: Taking an inferior quality gemstone and elevating it to a superior appearance.

Timeline

1840 Process for permanently foiled pastes (faceted glass) discovered.

1850 Garnet-glass doublets introduced.

1851 Artificial aventurine (goldstone) exhibited at Crystal Palace.

1868 Celluloid, the first successful semi-synthetic thermoplastic, invented in U.S. by John Wesley Hyatt: commercial production begins in 1872; trade name registered, 1873.

1877 Successful experiments with chemical manufacture of very small rubies and sapphires in Paris, published by Frémy.

1886 Discovery of the “Geneva Rubies”. Synthetic rubies, several hundred carats show up on the market for $1000-$2500/carat and represented as natural. Later, identified as reconstructed ruby.

1893 Cultured pearls first developed by K. Mikimoto in Japan; first spherical pearls grown 1905, patented 1908, U.S. patent, 1916.

1900 Synthetic rubies exhibited at Paris Exposition.

1902 Flame-fusion process for synthesizing rubies presented in Paris by Verneuil, (Ver-nay) published and patented 1904. Within five years several manufacturers were producing millions of carats a year.
1904 Synthetic quartz was developed, making it the second, of usable size, ever to be created.

1908 Synthetic spinel accidentally produced by flame fusion process. By 1925 the synthetic was in wide commercial use.

1909 Synthetic blue corundum (sapphire) introduced using the Verneuil process, patented in U. S. in 1911.

1923 Synthetic pearl essence for simulated pearls invented, called “H-scale”.

1924 Flux growth techniques allowed the small production of synthetic green beryl (emerald). Very few specimens were ever released up to 1934.

1934 Synthetic emeralds (“Igmerald”) developed by IG-Farben, Germany, first seen by gemologists.

1935 Dr. Carroll Chatham of San Francisco, CA creates the first commercially successful synthetic emerald process and refines the process over the next four years. (“Chatham Created Emerald” term first used 1963).

D. Lisner & Co. introduces “Bois Glacé” jewelry, their trade name for colorless phenolic plastic (Bakelite) laminated to wood.

1946 Opal doublets first made in Australia, triplets c. 1960.

1947 Synthetic rutile is introduced as a diamond simulant.

Synthetic star rubies and sapphires (“Linde”) first marketed.

1950 Strontium titanate entered the market as a diamond simulant.

1954 First successful production of synthetic diamonds at General Electric, process patented 1960, large gem-quality crystals produced 1970.

1955 Swarovski Corp introduces the “aurora borealis” color effect for rhinestones and crystal in collaboration with Christain Dior.

1960 Synthetic garnets: YAG and GGG introduced as more diamond simulants.

1964 Synthetic opal created by CSIRO of Australia. U.S. patent assigned 1970.

1972 Gilson creates synthetic opal and synthetic turquoise.
Russians perfect the growth of CZ (cubic zirconia) using the skull melting technique and commercially marketed, 1976.

1973 Synthetic chrysoberyl with color change, (alexandrite) produced by Creative Crystals, Inc. in San Ramon, CA>

1976 Gilson creates synthetic lapis lazuli.

1998 Synthetic colorless moissanite developed by C3 Corporation as diamond simulant.