Lab-grown, dyed or heat-treated? Here's how to tell, explained simply.
Side one explains lab-grown stones, like moissanite and opalite, and human-enhanced ones, like aura quartz and heat-treated citrine. Side two covers four growing methods, six enhancement methods and six signs to check. It's printed front and back on a laminated card, made to be handled a lot.
We love an honest rock shop, and this is that card. It lists the pros and cons of each kind without any snobbery. Overly bright colour and dye sitting in cracks are two easy tells.
What's on it
- Side one: Lab-grown vs. human-enhanced stones, 10 labelled examples, and the pros and cons of each.
- Side two: Four lab-growing methods, six enhancement methods and six ways to spot enhanced or man-made stones.
How to use it
- Check a stone's colour and cracks against the signs
- Learn which aura stones are coated
- Bring it along to a gem show
Care: Keep it out of hot cars so the lamination stays flat, and wipe it clean as needed.
The details
- Width: 160mm
- Length: 240mm
- Treated or man-made: Colour-enhanced; Lab-grown or man-made
QuickStudy Guide 2.0 - Man-Made vs. Human-Enhanced Gemstones
QuickStudy: Real, Lab-Grown or Treated?
Choose your format
A sturdy double-sided card (about 6.3 x 9.4 in). It ships with the rest of your order.
Keep the card by your things and the file on your phone.
Lab-grown, dyed or heat-treated? Here's how to tell, explained simply.
Side one explains lab-grown stones, like moissanite and opalite, and human-enhanced ones, like aura quartz and heat-treated citrine. Side two covers four growing methods, six enhancement methods and six signs to check. It's printed front and back on a laminated card, made to be handled a lot.
We love an honest rock shop, and this is that card. It lists the pros and cons of each kind without any snobbery. Overly bright colour and dye sitting in cracks are two easy tells.
What's on it
- Side one: Lab-grown vs. human-enhanced stones, 10 labelled examples, and the pros and cons of each.
- Side two: Four lab-growing methods, six enhancement methods and six ways to spot enhanced or man-made stones.
How to use it
- Check a stone's colour and cracks against the signs
- Learn which aura stones are coated
- Bring it along to a gem show
Care: Keep it out of hot cars so the lamination stays flat, and wipe it clean as needed.
The details
- Width: 160mm
- Length: 240mm
- Treated or man-made: Colour-enhanced; Lab-grown or man-made
Tap the card to flip it over
Rock Nerd Corner
What's inside Real, Lab-Grown or Treated?
Lab-grown, dyed or heat-treated? How to tell, explained simply.
- Clear definitions of man-made (lab-grown) and human-enhanced gemstones
- Lab-grown examples: lab diamonds, moissanite, synthetic sapphire and ruby, opalite, cubic zirconia
- Enhanced examples: angel aura, aqua aura and titanium quartz, hematite magnets, heat-treated citrine
- Pros and cons for each category, side by side
- Four growth methods: flame fusion, flux growth, crystal pulling and hydrothermal growth
- Six signs to check, from overly vibrant colours to a plastic-like finish
Side 1
Lab-grown vs human-enhanced stones, 10 labelled examples, plus pros and cons of each.
Side 2
Four lab-growing methods, six enhancement treatments and 6 ways to identify enhanced or man-made stones.
Goes great with
The guide explains it. These are the real things to hold.
Rock Nerd Corner · 5 guides
The Rock Nerd Set
How crystals grow, why quartz comes in every colour, how to spot lab-grown or treated stones, plus birthstones and zodiac stones.
- Birthstones
- Crystal Systems
- Real, Lab-Grown or Treated?
- Quartz Variations
- Zodiac Crystals
Read this one next
Guides people often pick up together.
Good questions
Where does the guide place opalite?
Opalite is listed under man-made (lab-grown) stones, alongside lab-grown diamonds, moissanite, synthetic sapphire and ruby, and cubic zirconia.
How can I tell if a stone is dyed or coated?
Side 2 lists six signs, including overly vibrant colours, dye collecting in cracks, peeling surface coatings and a plastic-like finish, each with example stones.
What's the difference between print and PDF?
Print is a sturdy double-sided card (about 6.3 x 9.4 in) that ships with your order. The PDF is the same two pages as a file you can download right after checkout and print at home.
Where do I find my PDF after I buy it?
Log in and open My Digital Resources in your account. Every guide you buy shows up there and you can download it any time.