Everyone knows that
there's nothing quite the same as having and wearing a genuine emerald.
..............................Or
is there?
Some
interesting facts and history about emeralds.
The Emerald is one of the
most valuable of all gems. It 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
"Chatham" emeralds 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. Chatham
emeralds 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 Chatham
emeralds 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:
Chatham 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. We are offering them in
different shapes, sizes and excellent prices. See below.
