What Are Precious Gemstones?
Diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires are all regarded as precious gemstones. This means that unlike semi-precious gems, precious gems are generally much more desirable due to their intricacies and remote origins. At The Stone Lab, we are proud to offer precious gemstones as part of our Chatham Emerald lab grown gemstone collection.
Gemstones are formed over long periods of time by several processes including:
Igneous- These gemstones are created deep within the earth (Diamonds, Ruby, Sapphire).
Hydrothermal- These gemstones are formed when amounts of mineral rich water cool (Emerald).
Metamorphic- These are gems that are ‘morphed’ due to intense heat and pressure (Sapphire, Ruby).
Sedimentary- Gems that form due to water depositing sediments, which dissolve in water where it later builds up and solidifies (Opal).
Why Chatham Gemstones?
We're proud Chatham partners and all of our coloured gemstones are sourced and produced by Chatham - a company founded over 75 years ago who are today’s world-leading source of high-quality laboratory-grown gems. With many unique and distinguishing shapes and cuts, Chatham have strict standards for proportions, faceting and polishing that ensure that all gemstones have maximum brilliance, high clarity, and vivid colour.
Chatham employ strict quality control during production that ensures extremely high standards are met each and every time, even if that means 80% of the rough crystal is lost. Selective picking is a crucial part of Chatham’s reputation – something reflected on the aver age of1 in every 200 lab-produced gemstones meeting strict standards for colour and clarity.
Another attractive aspect of our lab-grown gemstones means that we can provide a variety of shapes which are almost impossible to find in mined gemstones.
Chatham's production process ensures all gemstones are ethically produced, as well as being rich in colour and cut, providing that very special sparkle.
Coloured Gemstone History
Enchanting Emerald - "Emeralds are the gem of Venus, powerful love and fertility charms"
Chatham, the original makers of this enchanting gem, grow emerald crystals in an exclusive and extensive process invented 75 years ago. It takes over a year to complete, of which 9 months of this is spent simply growing the naturally mined seed of a fine Colombian emerald.
Royal Ruby - "The gem of passion"
Chatham grows ruby crystals in a six-month process that has evolved and been refined over decades. The process starts with a naturally mined seed of a fine Burmese ruby. The conditions must be precisely right to create the perfect gemstone.
Serine Sapphire, Brilliant Blue - "The gem of truth, faithfulness and the soul"
Worn by Kate Middleton herself, blue sapphires are the most difficult gem crystal that Chatham grow. Sapphires gave birth to the age-old tradition for wearing “something blue.” This gem of fidelity is a perfect choice to symbolise a promise. Sapphire became even more popular after Princess Diana and Kate Middleton both embraced this beautiful gem. In fact, the ancient Persians believed that the earth rests on a giant sapphire and its reflections are what we see as the sky and sea.
Serine sapphire - "The symbol of optimism and confidence"
Say yes to a yellow sapphire: the stone of individual spirituality. Chatham makes the beauty of yellow sapphire much more affordable with lab-grown yellow sapphires. Growing yellow sapphire crystals takes about six months, starting with a seed of fine Sri Lankan yellow sapphire, which is a real unique twist on the classic blue sapphire.
Our Chatham lifetime guarantee means you can wear a Ruby gemstone engagement ring without any worries. We think the quality and beauty of our lab-grown gems make them a better choice than mined.
Your unique custom-made engagement ring
Coloured gemstones make for an amazing engagement ring, and we offer a bespoke ring design service for those who want something truly unique. As well as the wide range of options available on our website, we can work with you personally and make your very own engagement ring, translating your ideas and sketches into a bespoke piece.
It can be difficult deciding on something you desperately want to be perfect, especially when there are infinite possibilities to choose from. Let us help you take the strain and make sure you have a fun and exciting experience! We can support you through design decisions and begin creating a custom-made piece tailored especially for you.