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Thread: What is the difference between synthetic gemstone and colored glass ?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
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    Default What is the difference between synthetic gemstone and colored glass ?

    What is the difference between synthetic gemstone and colored glass?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
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    Rural Somerset, between Yeovil and Shepton Mallet
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    The substance they are made from. Glass is basically silica with some additives in a non crystalline form.
    Depending on the gemstone they can be a totally different material in a truly crystalline form.
    AFAIK a synthetic diamond is 100% pure carbon after being treated under massive pressure and temperature.
    It is


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    Barry the Flying Silversmith👍

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
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    Romsey
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    Sorry Barry - I hadn't fully cleaned up after the spammer.

    FWIW synthetic diamonds are carbon, but there are trace impurities still - the fluxes used introduce some, boron gives them a blue colour, nitrogen moves them to the yellows etc. etc. - same as the mined variety. HPHT (high pressure high temperature) diamonds are one variety, while CVD (chemical vapour deposition) diamonds are created at quite low pressures. You can also subject mined/natural/(pick your preferred term) type IIa diamonds to HPHT to convert them from brown to much more saleable colours - yet another treatment that causes fun & games in identification.

    http://www.gia.edu/news-research-CVD-grown-part1
    http://www.jckonline.com/2016/02/19/abcs-hpht

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Rural Somerset, between Yeovil and Shepton Mallet
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    Thanks - a little more info to file away in my sieve like memory


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    Barry the Flying Silversmith👍

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