Where is Simulated Emerald found?

Simulated Emerald occurs in specific geological environments. Knowing where to look, and in what kind of rock, is the difference between going home empty-handed and finding a great specimen.

Where to find Simulated Emerald

Collecting tips

1. Examine Inclusions. Natural emeralds almost always contain inclusions, often described as a 'jardin' (garden). Synthetic emeralds may be flawless or contain characteristic inclusions such as gas bubbles (hydrothermal), flux remnants (flux-grown), or chevron-like growth patterns. Glass imitations often contain rounded gas bubbles.
2. Check for Color Zoning. While some natural emeralds show color zoning, many synthetic emeralds exhibit very uniform color distribution, which can be a red flag. Some synthetics, however, can also show color zoning related to their growth process.
3. Refractive Index and Specific Gravity. These properties are critical for gemological identification. Synthetic emeralds will have refractive indices and specific gravities very close to natural emeralds, but slight differences can be diagnostic. Imitations like glass or quartz will have significantly different values.
4. Fluorescence. Many synthetic emeralds, particularly flux-grown ones, show a strong red fluorescence under long-wave UV light, which is less common or weaker in natural emeralds. Hydrothermal synthetics may show weak to moderate fluorescence.
5. Chelsea Filter Reaction. Many synthetic emeralds appear red or pinkish-red through a Chelsea filter, whereas most natural emeralds appear dull red or brownish-red, or show no reaction. This test is not definitive but can be a good indicator.
6. Magnification. Using a jeweler's loupe (10x magnification) or a microscope is essential to observe internal characteristics, growth patterns, and inclusions that differentiate simulated from natural emeralds.

Quick Check

Color:

Vibrant green, often very uniform

Luster:

Vitreous (glassy)

Streak:

White (not typically performed on cut gemstones)

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