Sapphire comes is a variety of colors, which makes this gem among the most versatile birthstones around.  It doesn’t matter what the occasion or overall look that you are trying to achieve, there is a sapphire that can help you achieve it.  Among the different options, the blue sapphire seems to be at the top of most people’s lists, probably because of the rich and intense color that can easily work to compliment outfits in either casual or formal occasions.

You know that the right ring, pendant or set of earrings can make or break an outfit, but it’s also true that the perfect accessory containing a natural gem can completely break your budget – as beautiful and highly desirable as bold and brilliant blue sapphires are, they can also be very expensive.

For fashion conscious shoppers who are on a budget, buying a natural blue sapphire ring or pendant that costs several hundred dollars may not be possible, but just because you don’t have a huge budget for accessories it doesn’t mean that you can’t achieve the perfect look.

Lab created blue sapphire is readily available and every bit as bold and beautiful as naturally mined sapphire, but it is much more affordable for shoppers on a budget.  Lab created blue sapphire is created in a controlled atmosphere, so every single piece is optically flawless and capable of being turned into the most dazzling accessory.  If you are looking for bold, beautiful and intense blue jewelry, you don’t need to spend a fortune – all you need to do is find a jeweler that carries jewelry crafted from lab created blue sapphire.

There are thirty five pieces in the 35th anniversary collection from Larry Jewelry, each one more breathtaking than the next – the award winning jeweler has certainly not lost a step in creativity or quality after so many years in the industry.

Of course, like many celebratory collections from fine jewelers, the price tags upon these miraculous pieces are just as stunning as the pieces themselves.  With prices ranging from just under ten thousand dollars to over ninety thousand dollars for a single piece, these are certainly not jewels that every diamond lover will be able to afford.

Thankfully, for those of us on a more limited budget, jewelry that is just as incredible can be created for quite a bit less if cubic zirconia is used to replace the naturally mined diamonds.  You may not be able to find and exact replica of “Waterfall” or “Hanging Wisteria” from the Larry Jewelry Collection, but there are lab created gem masterpieces out there that will turn heads just as well as these creations from the Singapore mainstay – and their price tags certainly won’t be in the tens of thousands.

Loose cz and lab gems come in a wide range of colors to mimic the look of a flawless, clear diamond or in brilliant blue to give the look of a natural sapphire.  Lab created gem jewelry can make you feel every bit as glamorous and sexy as naturally mined gem jewelry, but it can do so at a price that you’d be willing and able to pay rather than just being able to dream about.

A lab created sapphire, for example, looks like a natural sapphire in every respect. It has the same composition and hardness as a natural sapphire. The difference is that lab sapphires are created under ideal conditions in the laboratory instead of deep in the bowels of the earth. While natural gems are born of volcanic processes and tremendous pressure over millions of years, lab created gems are the product of modern laboratories. In effect, creating gems in the laboratory fast tracks Mother Nature. You get the same beautiful results in a fraction of the time.

Another advantage of lab created stones over natural stones is the ability to consistently produce a top-quality product each and every time. Production of a perfect ruby may be a one-in-a-million shot for Mother Nature. Inclusions, flaws or blemishes mar most natural gems, adversely affecting color, clarity and value. But each and every lab created ruby can be formulated for optimal color and clarity. It is for this reason that many people prefer lab created gems.

Lab created gems bring down prices, placing the cost of lab created rubies, for example, within the reach of artisans, custom jewelry makers, serious crafters and, ultimately, their customers. Exacting laboratory standards ensure that lab created stones are consistently and reliably identical. The dependable high quality, clarity and rich color of lab gems allow wholesale jewelers and artists to create a design and reproduce it for volume sales with reliable results.

In choosing a lab created gem wholesaler, look for one who reveals the composition used to produce lab created gems. For example, PehnecGems uses corundum to produce its lab sapphires and lab rubies. Beware of wholesalers who advertize lab created gems as rare. Because they are created in the laboratory and in volume, no lab created gem is truly rare. For the highest quality lab created lab gems, always deal with a reputable wholesaler you can trust like PehnecGems.

Although natural sapphires exist in many colors, including yellow, black, white, orange, pink, colorless, brown and several shades of blue, lab created sapphires are usually produced in the traditional cornflower blue, the most popular sapphire hue. A variety of the mineral corundum, sapphires share the same characteristics as rubies which are red corundum. The most famous sapphire is the 563-carat Star of India on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Sapphire’s durability — it’s a 9 on the Mohs mineral hardness scale, just under the 10 given diamonds — makes it a popular choice for rings and jewelry and led to its use in watch crystals, optical instruments, high-durability windows and semiconductor technology. But it is for their exquisite rich blue color and alluring sparkle as an adornment that sapphires are most prized. Found naturally in Southeast Asia, Africa and the Americas, including Helena, Montana, sapphires are mined primarily in Australia, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

The successful lab creation of highly-prized blue sapphires of excellent quality has driven down prices and placed ownership of stunning lab created blue sapphires within the financial reach of custom jewelers, artists and quality crafters. So perfectly crafted are lab sapphires that they can be impossible to distinguish from natural stones. In fact, because of the depth of color and exceptional clarity that can be achieved in lab sapphires, many people prefer them to natural stones.

1. Color is a primary factor in selecting lab created gems. Wholesale cubic zirconia and lab crafted gems can be created in virtually every color of the spectrum. It is their diversity of color and the ability to dependably produce precisely identical colors that makes lab crafted gems so popular with jewelers, artists and crafters. Hue, tone and saturation determine the desirability of both natural and lab created gems. Loose cz stones in bright, vivid colors of a medium tone are currently the most popular, but a wide variety of hues are available to meet the individual needs and preferences of wholesale buyers.
2. The interaction of light with lab created gems is another important factor determining selection. Colors can look different under different types of lighting. Lab created gems should be selected for the lighting conditions under which they will most often be worn or displayed. For example, red lab created rubies glow beautifully under incandescent lighting while blue lab sapphires take on extra luster under fluorescent lights.
3. Clarity is where lab created gems are clearly superior to those found in nature. Internal inclusions are imperfections that occur during the creation of natural gems, marring the crystalline transparency of the stone and, with a few exceptions, decreasing its value. Because they are created under tightly-controlled ideal conditions, fine cubic zirconia and lab created gems offer perfect clarity in every stone.
4. The cut of a cz diamond or lab created gem determines its brilliance. Cubic zirconia diamonds and wholesale lab gems are available in all the popular cuts and a variety of fancies. Precision laboratory cutting guarantees perfect symmetry and brilliance in every stone.
5. Carat weight is another important consideration in the selection of cubic zirconia and lab created gems. Loose cubic zirconia and wholesale lab gems are offered in a wide variety of carat weights to meet customer demand. Wholesale lab gems make weights that may be rare and quite expensive in natural stones easily and affordably obtainable.  

For more information on lab created gems and to place a wholesale order, please visit the PehnecGems website at www.pehnec.com.