How does one tell the difference in a genuine star sapphire and one thats lab created?
I can only assume that the stone is already cut and polished as a cabochon. We must consider several things. What’s the color? If it is black or dark gray, then it is more than likely a natural stone. Almost all the synthetic star sapphires that were produced were blue. Is the star very very sharp and well defined or more broad-rayed with a “spot of light” in the center? If it is more broad-rayed (the legs of the star have some width and diffuse out into the stone), then it is probably a natural stone. Does it show growth banding in a hexagonal shape? If it does, then it is probably natural. Is the color very uniform across the face of the stone? If it is, it is probably synthetic. Is someone offering the stone for a seemingly low price? Then it is probably synthetic. If the stone is mounted in a setting, is it mounted in 14 karat gold or gold plate or fill? If in plate or fill, it certainly was considered a synthetic by the previous owner. Of course, there are exceptions to these gene
