SYNTHETIC diamonds have been around for 40 years, but methods of creating jewels in the laboratory have become so sophisticated that it is now harder and harder to distinguish between the fake and the real thing.
The Hong Kong Jewellery and Watch Fair is to hold a seminar on the subject of ''Gems - Synthetic and Treated''.
An industry spokesman said the naked eye was unable to detect a false emerald, ruby or sapphire, although certain tests could prove whether a stone was natural or not.
Tests include dipping the stone into a chemical solution or viewing it under a microscope.
The fake diamond industry took a new turn recently when American Thomas Chatham and his company Chatham Created Gems launched a lab stone specifically for the jewellery industry which, Mr Chatham claimed, was exactly the same as the real thing.
The diamonds are being created in Russia, where they are cheaper to manufacture.