About Our Lab-Created Gems

Diamonds

Black Market Jewelry’s man made diamonds are among the finest in the world. They are virtually indistinguishable from natural diamonds to anyone but a professional jeweler. If they were natural diamonds they would have a Clarity of VVS1 and E Color. They are not like regular Cubic Zirconium (CZ) which is zircon based, and prone to varying degrees of degeneration over time. Black Market’s man made diamonds are corundum based, not zircon based. Corundum is almost as hard as diamond with a 9.0 rating on Mohs hardness scale vs. 10.0 for diamond. In addition to its great hardness, corundum is unusual for its high density of 4.02 g/cm³ which is very high for a transparent mineral.

Black Market Jewelry’s man made diamonds have a cut, color and clarity that are astonishing. Natural diamonds are cut for weight retention, which often results in a deviation from "good proportions”. Diamond cutters will sacrifice some of the beauty of the diamond by cutting for a minimum of weight loss from the rough diamond. Cutting for a minimum of weight loss usually creates a diamond with less than “ideal” proportions, but gets a larger finished diamond. Less than 7% of all diamonds are cut to ideal proportions. Buyers of natural diamonds need to avoid buying a diamond that has been cut too far from the "ideal" proportions. When a diamond has either a very shallow or very deep cut, light is lost through the sides and bottom of the stone (pavilion), reducing its brilliance. This is not true with Black Market Jewelry’s man made diamonds. Every one is cut to the highest industry standard: “Ideal.” This creates a stone of remarkable sparkle and brilliance.

All of Black Market Jewelry’s man made diamonds are comparable to a natural diamond that is “Ideal” in Cut, E in Color and VVS1 in clarity.

Sapphires

In nature, Sapphires are the single-crystal form of aluminum oxide (Al2O3), a mineral known as corundum. Sapphires are mined from alluvial deposits or from primary underground workings. Historically, most sapphires have been mined in Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Thailand and Myanmar. Australia leads the world in sapphire production (as of 1987) specifically from basalt derived placer deposits in Queensland and New South Wales. Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Tanzania and Kenya also produce sapphires.

Black Market Jewelry’s unique formula for the creation of man made sapphires creates a sapphire of remarkably similar characteristics and appearance to the finest natural sapphire. The blues are intense and not too dark, and the cut and polish is superb. The sparkle with deep, brightly colored blue intensity.

Rubies

Ruby is a red gemstone that varies from a light pink to a blood red, and is a variety of the mineral corundum (aluminum oxide). The color is caused mainly by chromium. Its name comes from ruber, Latin for red. Natural rubies are exceptionally rare and are mined in Africa, Asia, Australia, Greenland, Madagascar and North Carolina, USA. They are most often found in Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka, Kenya, Madagascar, and Cambodia. The Mogok Valley in Upper Myanmar (Burma) has produced some of the finest rubies in the world but, in recent years, very few good rubies have been found there. The unique color in Myanmar (Burmese) rubies is described as "pigeon’s blood.” Black Market Jewelry’s man made rubies reproduce the stunning beauty of Burmese “pigeon’s blood” rubies.

The process behind the creation of Black Market Jewelry’s man made rubies is the most refined, exacting method than on the market, today. The results create a stone that almost perfectly replicates the Burmese ruby.

Emeralds

Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl, colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. It is highly prized as a gemstone and by weight is the most valuable gemstone in the world. Colombian emeralds are acknowledged to be the finest in the world. Some of the most rare emeralds come from three main emerald mining areas in Colombia: Muzo, Coscuez, and Chivor. Fine emeralds are also found in other countries, such as Zambia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Russia.

In nature, emeralds come in many shades of green and bluish green. There is a wide spectrum of clarity, dependent on the inclusions and fractures in the crystal. Clear stones with dark yet vibrant color command the highest prices.

The value of an emerald depends on cut, color, clarity, and carat. The characteristics of Colombian emeralds set the highest standards of quality in the industry.

Black Market Jewelry’s formulation for the production of emeralds yields stones which are “Colombian standard,” with true-green, vibrant color and stunning clarity.