It's easy to fall in love with gemstones—their entrancing beauty has captivated people through the ages, and for good reason!  Nothing our earth produces is quite like the shimmering spectacle of a gemstone.

The only problem is that Mother Nature makes them in limited quantity.  Although all appreciate the beauty of these precious stones, some of the rarest, most beautiful specimens are simply too few and far between to be owned and afforded by everyone.   Some, like fine Paraiba tourmaline or Kashmir sapphire are elusive to even those with bottomless resources.

That is why JTV is proud to provide a wide variety of lab created synthetic and simulant jewels for the hobbyist, as well as the collector—for anyone who adores the splendor of the rarest gems, but cannot pay tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars for a gemstone.

Through the wonders of modern technology, we are excited to be able to offer our customers the look of the finest ruby, sapphire, emerald, Paraiba tourmaline, alexandrite, aquamarine, and others, at a fraction of the cost!  The rarity and associated prices of these stones may have kept you from being able to have them in your personal collection, but you can still have their likeness, and at a price beyond belief.

Some gems, like Alexandrite, are almost impossible to find in mines today, much less in the sizes and quality available in lab created stones.  For anyone who adores the beauty of ruby, emerald or any color of sapphire, this is a way for you to indulge in your love without having to sell your car to buy one.  As opposed to settling for cheaper, low-quality production or microscopic sizes, you can own gorgeous jewels in sizes you will want to show off!  You don't have to be afraid of setting these precious jewels in jewelry—go ahead and wear them for everyone to see!

Lab created jewels offer you the best of both worlds.  You get the beauty of a beloved, rare gemstone, but at a price you can afford.  Just like natural gemstones, each full production of our lab created jewels is quality graded on clarity and crystal size.  And, of course, we select only the finest grades for our customers!  What you end up with is the most aspirational quality of the most coveted jewels, rivaling even the finest specimens found in nature.

Shop: Synthetic Opal, Lab Created Ruby, Synthetic Pink Sapphire, Lab Created Blue Spinel 

Simulant vs.  Synthetic

The term "lab-created" is used to describe any gem material synthesized by man, which may or may not have a natural counterpart.  Getting more specific, there are two different families in the lab-created category:  Simulants and Synthetics. 

Simulants are any materials, natural or man-made, that imitate the appearance of a more valuable gem, for instance, diamond. A few of the natural diamond simulants are white sapphire, spinel, zircon and topaz while lab created diamond simulants include YAG, GGG, strontium titanate and cubic zirconia (CZ).  These jewels have been made by man to simulate a naturally occurring stone.

The term synthetic, however, refers to any man-made material that duplicates the chemical, optical, and physical properties of a naturally occurring gemstone.  Every synthetic gem has a naturally occurring counterpart that it mirrors.  This means that if you took out your tools and began testing a lab created ruby, it would register on all counts to be ruby.  The only physical way your lab created jewel differs from a natural gemstone is that it will have no inclusions or fractures from its growth.  Imagine getting a stunning green emerald with NO INCLUSIONS! 

Through modern technology, laboratories are able to re-create Mother Nature's recipes for some of your favorite gemstones, allowing you to have them for a fraction of the cost!  This allows you to do what your bank account may not normally allow, like having in your collection a rainbow of sapphire, or a 10ct ruby.  Thanks to science, the possibilities are now endless!

Jewel School Schedule

May Jewel School Hours: (The times below are EST)

Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays 10am – noon 

May 5/6, Sunday & Monday— Jewel School is excited to welcome new guest artist, Becky Machinski and her marvelous product called “SilverSilk”! You might be asking, just what IS SilverSilk? Made in the USA, it is a fabulous material that has been created by knitting very fine wires together (as fine as a human hair!). It can be used to string, crochet or knit into fashionable jewelry designs. Due to its flexible and strong construction, although delicate in looks, SilverSilk cannot be crushed or kinked and if you cut it with angle cutters, it will not fray!

Created from permanently enameled non tarnish copper wire, Silversilk comes in a variety of styles that include hollow, capture, pearlesque and flat. Introducing her wonderful product to our Jewel School customers, Becky has put together several Different Kits that include Bonus Project Directions! Wouldn’t you love to make a pair of her “Love Knot” earrings?

Fernando DaSilva will also be a Guest Artist this weekend, with some fantastic new designs made using Aluminum Fabric from Beadalon! One of the new and very affordable Aluminum Fabric kits includes 42 pieces in 3 different colors: silver, gold and black. (Wow, that’s a LOT of possibility!) Fernando will also have several other special “Fashion Designer” kits from Beadalon. Tune in to see his latest creations!

May , Wednesday— Join our host as she shares some exciting New Bead Combinations and perhaps some “Mystery” boxes! (Lots of springtime goodies!)

"Cougarism"-- (JSI Happenings)

Time’s a wasting! Our May Mixed Media event is ready for you to choose and sign up for your favorite classes!

Wouldn’t you love to learn how to make some great unisex Chainmaille jewelry with Ralph Helmrich?

Or how about learning to use a Microwave Kiln to make warm glass pieces with Sam Roh?

Visit the New JSI Website and see what we have to offer!

Stay Twisted!

Dale/Cougar