Everyone
knows that there's nothing quite the same as having and wearing a
genuine emerald, ruby or sapphire.
..............................Or
is there?
Some
interesting facts and history about emeralds.
Emeralds, Rubies and Sapphires
are among the most valuable of all gems. Emerald is the green
variety of the mineral beryl and the birthstone for May. The finest
emeralds
are
found
in
Colombia; other sources are Russia, Zimbabwe, and Australia.
In ancient times emeralds were
believed to improve low I.Q. and poor eyesight. According to legend,
Nero wore an emerald monocle to view Gladiator fights. Other legends
declare that the Holy Grail was made from emerald.
Until
1938 there was no affordable alternative to the extraordinarily high
cost and rarity of fine quality natural emeralds. It was in
that year that Caroll Chatham announced that he had discovered how to
"grow" emeralds in a laboratory environment.
Subsequently rubies, sapphires and alexandrites were also being
created in the laboratory. "Chatham®"
is the registered trademark of "Chatham®
Created Gems", a company founded by Carrol Chatham and presently
operated by his family. Throughout the gem and jewelry industry
the phrase "Chatham emerald" has become synonomous with the
creation of gems in the laboratory as well as the "Chatham®
Created Gems" company. It must be understood by the reader
that our use of the term "Chatham" is meant to describe
lab-created gems in general and not the "Chatham®
Created Gems" company in particular. It is not our intention to
dilute or diminsh the value of the Chatham®
trademark, but rather to educate our visitors regarding laboratory
created gems in general. "Chatham®
Created Gems" is the original but no longer the only company
presently creating superb quality emeralds and other gems in the laboratory.
Chathams (lab-created emeralds
and other gemstones) have virtually the same physical and optical
properties as their natural counterparts. Only
a trained Gemologist can
distinguish between a Chatham® emerald and a natural stone. A
Chatham emerald is a genuine emerald. These are NOT synthetic,
they are not synthesized and "artificially" made of other
substances in order to look like emeralds. Only
a trained Gemologist can tell
the difference.
The
essential differences between "natural" and
lab created emeralds, rubies and and other lab-created gemstones is
their
"place of origin" and their cost. Natural emeralds are
found in the ground through mining or panning processes, they are
very costly. Often many thousands of dollars. Lab Created
stones originate in a laboratory where they are "grown"
(yes, crystal structures are actually grown in laboratories).
Under carefully controlled conditions the emerald labs produce the
exact color and clarity desired. The production cost of Lab stones is
a fraction of the costs to mine naturally occurring emeralds, therefore
Chatham
emeralds offer the beauty of the
finest quality natural stones at very affordable prices.
The Simple Truth:
Laboratory Created Emeralds,
Sapphires and Rubies are the same as Natural gems; they are the
same exact material. They
have the same specific gravity, MOHS hardness, and same
molecular makeup as natural gems.
Pricing Information:
Our Celtic engagement rings can
be purchased with an exquisitely beautiful Lab-created emerald, ruby
or sapphire.
We are offering them in different shapes, sizes and excellent
prices.
